Google AI Overviews and SEO: What Changes, What Still Works

Key Takeaways

• AI Overviews significantly lower CTR for top-ranking pages. Visibility still exists, but attention shifts to AI-generated summaries. Rankings alone no longer predict traffic or performance.
• Click-through rates are falling even on queries without AI Overviews. Users now gather answers directly on the results page, refine searches, or switch platforms.
• Brands cited in AI Overviews see higher organic and paid CTR than those not cited. Citation reflects authority and clarity. If your brand is not referenced, you lose meaningful exposure on AI-heavy results pages.
• What started as an informational feature now appears on comparisons, product research, and category searches. AI summaries increasingly influence decisions before users ever click through to websites.
• SEO still works, but the goal has shifted. Winning now means building content that is easy to cite, strengthening brand demand, tracking CTR trends by intent, and guiding fewer clicks toward meaningful actions instead of relying on volume alone.

If you have been watching your rankings stay steady while clicks quietly slip, you are not imagining it. Google AI overview placements are changing how people interact with search results, even when your page still ranks on page one.

Multiple large-scale studies now show that AI Overviews (AIO) materially reduce organic click-through rates, even for pages that still rank at the top.

An Ahrefs analysis of 300,000 keywords compared CTR before and after AI Overviews appeared. When an AI Overview was present, position-one CTR dropped by 34.5%, despite no ranking change. The page still ranked first. Users simply stopped clicking at the same rate.

A separate CTR study covering 700,000 keywords across five industries found an average CTR decline of 15.49% when AI Overviews appeared. The impact grew sharper as more SERP features stacked together. In cases where AI Overviews appeared alongside featured snippets, CTR fell by as much as 37.04%.

The pattern is consistent across datasets: visibility remains, yet engagement drops. Ranking alone no longer predicts traffic the way it used to. For business owners not well-versed in AI overviews and SEO, you surely asked: What is happening? Why it matters to traffic and pipeline? How to plan ahead?

Today, let me explain the click-through rate impact, visibility shifts, and practical changes you can make for 2026. The promise here is simple: you can still win visibility and leads, but you measure and build them differently now.

In this Guide: 

• What are Google AI Overviews?
• The SEO Impact Most Sites Feel First
• A Reality Check: This is Not Only an “AI Overview” Problem
• The “Citation Advantage” That Changes How You Plan SEO + PPC
• What Kinds of Queries Trigger AI Overviews more Often
• What to Track Now
• What to Change in Your SEO Playbook
• How to Protect Pipeline

What are Google AI Overviews?

Google AI Overviews are AI generated summaries that appear at the top of the page in Google search results. AI overviews use generative artificial intelligence to combine information from multiple websites and display a short summary directly on the search results page.

AI Overviews appear above the blue links, often pushing traditional organic results far down the results page. So, what does that mean in practice:

• The first organic result may sit 1,600+ pixels below the fold

• Users see the AI summary first, before deciding if they need to click

• Attention shifts from websites to Google’s AI response

This placement alone explains why traffic drops even when rankings do not move. But what’s the “above the blue links” effect? When answers appear instantly:

• Many users stop scrolling

• Others refine their query instead of clicking

• Fewer clicks reach individual pages

This behavior aligns with Google’s goal of helping over a billion people quickly understand information without leaving the platform.

AI Overviews vs Featured Snippets

Featured snippets and AI Overviews may look similar on the surface, yet they work in very different ways.

A featured snippet pulls a short extract from one specific page. Google selects a paragraph, list, or table and places it above the organic results. Even though part of the answer appears directly on the results page, the snippet still points clearly to a single source. Users click because they want more context, examples, or confirmation. The snippet acts like a preview. The website remains the destination.

AI Overviews shift that dynamic. Instead of quoting one page, Google’s AI scans multiple websites and creates a synthesized summary. The answer is no longer tied to a single source. It becomes a blended response. Several links may appear under the summary, yet none carry the same weight as a featured snippet source. The AI-generated summary provides enough information for users to move on without clicking any site.

This change alters user intent on the search results page. With featured snippets, users still rely on the cited page to complete their research. With AI Overviews, users receive what feels like a complete answer in one go. The incentive to click drops, especially for informational queries where people want clarity rather than depth.

That is why rankings can remain stable while clicks fall. Your page may still rank first. It may even be included as a supporting link. The attention, though, stays with the AI summary instead of flowing to one website. For informational content, this marks a shift from “best answer wins” to “best summary satisfies.”

But why do AI Overviews show up on certain queries?

• Longer and more specific queries trigger AI Overviews more often

• Early rollout focused on informational queries

• Over time, AI Overviews expanded into commercial, transactional, and navigational searches

The SEO Impact Most Sites Feel First

For many businesses, the first visible change is not ranking loss. It is CTR erosion. You still appear. Users just do not click the same way.

CTR losses when AI Overviews appear

Multiple studies confirm the same pattern. As mentioned earlier, Ahrefs found a 34.5% drop in position-one CTR when AI Overviews appeared, and Amsive reported an average 15.49% CTR decline. But beyond that, CTR losses grew sharper when AI Overviews stacked with other SERP features like featured snippets, reaching -37.04% in some cases. This happens even when your page remains the top organic result.

Non-branded informational queries take the bigger hit

AI Overviews trigger far more often on non-branded searches. Data shows non-branded keywords saw a 19.98% CTR decline, and Ahrefs’ data focused almost entirely on informational intent. These queries already had lower historical click behavior, which AI Overviews intensified. So, if your strategy depends heavily on top-of-funnel content, this impact feels immediate.

Branded queries can behave differently

Branded search behaves in a surprising way. According to new data, only 4.79% of branded queries trigger AI Overviews. When they do, CTR increases by 18.68%. Brand familiarity and trust drive clicks even when AI summaries appear. So, this creates a growing gap between brands and non-brands in search visibility.

A Reality Check: This is Not Only an “AI Overview” Problem

It would be easy to blame everything on AI Overviews. But data does not support that. According to a study about the AIO Impact on Google CTR, non-AIO queries peaked at 3.14% CTR in early 2025, but by September 2025, CTR dropped to 1.62%. That is a 41% decline, even without AI Overviews present. AI Overviews accelerate the drop, but they are not the only driver. This matters because it removes the idea of a safe zone. Avoiding AI Overviews does not restore old click behavior. The environment changed.

What does this look like in real search behavior?

Here are a few common scenarios I commonly see in analytics.

• Rankings hold, clicks slide

You rank first for an informational keyword. No AI Overview appears. Traffic still declines month over month. Users scroll less. Many skim the results page, read People Also Ask boxes, or refine their query instead of clicking. The issue is not visibility, but attention.

• Users search more, yet visit less

Google reports increased search usage. That aligns with behavior patterns. People run multiple searches to clarify a topic. They ask follow-up questions. Each step stays inside the search results page. The journey expands, yet fewer visits reach individual websites.

• Answers get pulled earlier in the process

Users now expect quick answers. They get summaries, snippets, supporting information, PAA expansions, videos, and forum content directly on the page. By the time your article appears, the user already formed an opinion or solved the problem.

These patterns show that CTR decline connects to how users gather all the information, not just to one new feature. Basically, people still search. The difference lies in how they consume results.

• Many users stop once they feel informed
• Others switch platforms mid-research
• Some go directly to brands they already trust

AI Overviews speed this process up, yet they did not create it. They amplified an existing trend. This context helps reset expectations. Traffic loss does not mean your SEO stopped working. It means search behavior changed. The goal now is not only to earn a click. It is to earn presence, recognition, and the next action when the moment is right.

The “Citation Advantage” That Changes How You Plan SEO + PPC

Being cited inside AI-generated answers matters more than ranking alone. On the same AIO-CTR study, when your content is cited in an AI Overview, there are chances of 35% higher organic CTR and 91% higher paid CTR compared to queries where your brand is not cited at all. This applies across industries and query sets.

Why this happens is straightforward. Users read the AI mode first. The sources listed under it act as validation. If your brand appears there, it feels pre-approved by Google’s systems. Clicking that web link feels safer than choosing a random result lower on the page.

Here’s a simple scenario that explains the impact. Two SEO companies rank on page one for the same query: “Does Google Penalize AI Content?” But only one appears as a citation in the AI Overview. Rankings do not change. Over time, the cited company keeps a larger share of clicks. The other sees a decline without any visible loss in ranking.

Also, there’s an important caveat. Citation may reflect existing authority rather than cause higher CTR on its own. Still, the takeaway remains practical: if you are not cited, you are largely invisible on AI-heavy search results pages.

This shifts how SEO and PPC work together. The goal is no longer position alone. It is presence inside the answer. Still, citation works as a visibility goal, even if it is not fully causal.

What Kinds of Queries Trigger AI Overviews More Often (and How That is Changing)

It’s not random you find AI Overviews. Google’s systems determine where an AI-generated summary makes sense based on query structure, intent, and the type of answer users expect. Early on, this followed a familiar pattern from featured snippets. Over time, that pattern expanded.

At first, AI Overviews showed up mostly on long-tail keywords with informational intent. These were queries where people asked detailed or multi-part questions and wanted explanations rather than a product page or service provider. Examples include:

• How-to searches
• Definitions
• Comparisons
• Background research

These queries already had lower click-through rates because many users were looking for quick clarity instead of deep reading.

Semrush data confirms this early bias. In January 2025, more than 91% of queries that triggered AI Overviews were informational. By October 2025, that share dropped to 57%, not because informational queries disappeared, but because Google expanded AI Overviews into other intent types.

What changed next is more important for businesses. Commercial, transactional, and navigational queries began triggering AI Overviews more often.

• Commercial queries rose to nearly 19%
• Transactional queries reached almost 14%
• Navigational queries passed 10%

This signals that AI Overviews are no longer limited to research-stage searches. They now appear closer to decision points. And this shift matters because intent shapes behavior on the search results page. When someone searches for an informational query, an AI-generated summary can fully satisfy the need. When the query is commercial, the summary may shape preference before the user ever clicks. That means influence happens earlier, and fewer users reach individual websites to compare options.

Industry patterns support this logic. Topics with clearer consensus, such as science, technology, and general knowledge, trigger AI Overviews more often. Areas that rely on context, location, or real-time data, such as real estate or local services, see fewer AI summaries. Google can summarize stable information more confidently than situational decisions.

The takeaway here is that AI Overviews started where clicks were already fragile, then expanded into areas where businesses once relied on organic traffic to guide buyers. Planning ahead now means assuming that more query types will surface AI summaries, not fewer. The question shifts from avoiding them to deciding how your brand appears when they show up.

What to Track Now (So You Can See Your Own AIO Impact Clearly)

If you only track rankings, you miss the real story.

In Google Search Console

Rankings alone no longer explain performance, so you need to look at how users interact with your listings, not just where they appear.

Start by grouping queries by intent. Informational queries are the most affected by AI Overviews, while branded and commercial queries behave differently. When you separate these groups, patterns appear quickly. You will see impressions remain stable while clicks decline, which signals an attention shift on the search results page rather than a ranking issue.

The key metric to watch is CTR change over time, not average position. A sudden CTR drop on a stable ranking usually lines up with AI Overview exposure, People Also Ask expansion, or other SERP features. This context helps you explain performance accurately and decide where optimization still makes sense versus where visibility has become the main win.

In paid search (like Google Ads)

Paid performance also shifts. Here are the actions to take:

• Flag informational campaigns overlapping AIO-heavy queries
• Compare CTR before and after AIO appearance
• Re-evaluate ROI on high-funnel ads

In the AIO-CTR data, by September 2025, paid CTR on AI Overview queries reached 6.34%, yet that still represents a 68% decline from the June 2024 baseline. The issue is not visibility alone. CPCs stayed relatively stable, while efficiency collapsed. On AI-heavy searches, ads now compete with AI-generated answers that satisfy intent before users even reach the ad placements.

A simple reporting view you can use monthly

Traditional SEO reports focus on rankings and total traffic. That view no longer explains performance when AI Overviews sit at the top of the search results page. A monthly report now needs to show where visibility is being won or lost, not just how many clicks came in.

This reporting view separates queries into groups so patterns become obvious instead of hidden in averages.

• AI Overview present vs not present: This shows whether CTR drops are tied to AI-generated summaries or part of a broader search behavior shift.
• Cited vs not cited: This highlights whether your brand appears inside the AI Overview. Cited queries consistently outperform uncited ones in both organic and paid CTR.
• CTR change over time: Tracking deltas month over month shows when performance shifts happen, even if rankings stay stable.

The goal is clarity. This view helps explain why traffic changes without forcing the conclusion that SEO or ads “stopped working.” It also gives you a cleaner way to decide which queries to protect, which to deprioritize, and where visibility still turns into action.

What to Change in Your SEO Playbook (So Traffic Loss Does Not Mean Lead Loss)

Traffic decline does not automatically mean demand decline. In many cases, it means users are interacting earlier on the search results page. Your SEO playbook needs to account for that shift.

Build pages that are easy to cite

AI Overviews favor content that is easy to extract and summarize. What this looks like in practice:

• Clear definitions in the first few paragraphs
• Short, direct answers before long explanations
• Headings phrased like real questions

For example, instead of opening a page with background or brand context, start with a direct explanation of the topic. This increases the chance your page becomes a cited source, even if fewer users click through.

Write for “next-step clicks”

Some queries no longer drive clicks at scale. That does not mean they are useless. Use informational pages to:

• Introduce your brand name early
• Lead into tools, templates, or frameworks
• Create natural paths to product or service pages
• Answer more complex questions

A how-to article may not drive the same traffic as before, but it can still send qualified users to a calculator, checklist, or consultation page linked within the content. This means new opportunities for your brand to outrank competitor pages.

Add elements AI search cannot replace

Generative AI answers handle general information well, but they struggle with specificity and experience. So, you need to focus on adding:

• Real examples from your work
• Screenshots or step-by-step walkthroughs
• Comparisons based on actual use, not theory

So, instead of listing generic steps, show how your process or resources worked and what changed after implementation.

Strengthen topical coverage around money pages

When fewer users land on your site, each visit matters more. Make sure that informational pages link clearly to high-intent pages, calls to action match the reader’s stage, and supporting content reinforces core offers. For instance, your blog answering a research-stage question should guide readers toward a service page that solves the problem, not leave them at the end of an article with no direction.

How to Protect Pipeline: Brand, Demand, and Diversified Entry Points

When clicks drop, the real risk is not traffic. The risk is pipeline becoming fragile because it depends on one search layout behaving the same way it used to. AI Overviews make that dependency visible.

Branded queries hold up better than non-branded ones. The former trigger AI Overviews less often, and when they do, CTR can increase rather than fall. That happens because users already recognize the name and trust it. They are not choosing between ten blue links. They are confirming a decision.

This means brand demand acts as a buffer. Even when AI-generated summaries appear, users still click brands they know.

For example:

• A user searching “blog content writing tips” may stop at the summary because AI can provide all the tips in one go.
• A user searching “writing that converts to sales” is already closer to action and more likely to click a known provider.

In short, brand recognition changes how users behave on the results page. But why relying only on organic search is risky? AI Overviews, People Also Ask, videos, and ads now compete for attention on the same page. Even strong SEO performance can deliver fewer visits than before. That is why pipeline protection means adding entry points outside classic search clicks.

Entry points that reduce over-reliance on one SERP layout

You do not need dozens of channels. You need a few that you control.

• Email list: Keeps access to your audience even when search behavior shifts. Example: a monthly insight email tied to your core service
• Community or direct audience: Slack groups, private forums, or webinars. Example: a Q&A session that answers questions AI summaries cannot
• Partnerships and referrals: Traffic that bypasses search entirely. Example: co-authored resources or trusted industry mentions

Each of these supports demand when organic clicks fluctuate. SEO still contributes to the pipeline, but it no longer works alone. Remember, brand demand keeps clicks coming, and greater diversity on entry points keep leads flowing. When search layouts change, businesses with multiple paths do not feel the drop as sharply.

Let’s Keep SEO Working for Your Business

SEO is not disappearing. It is changing how value shows up. Clicks are no longer the only signal that matters, yet visibility still shapes decisions, trust still influences demand, and search still plays a role long before someone converts. In a search environment shaped by AI Overviews, success comes from being present where answers form, not just where clicks happen.

That means adjusting what you measure and how you build:

• Treat visibility, citations, and brand recall as leading indicators

• Use informational content to support demand, not only traffic

• Strengthen paths from awareness to action so fewer clicks still lead somewhere meaningful

This shift rewards businesses that plan ahead instead of waiting for traffic to return to old baselines.

If you want help adapting your SEO strategy to this new search behavior, that is the kind of work I focus on. My SEO marketing services are built around visibility, authority, and sustainable lead flow, not just rankings on a report. Get in touch with me and let’s align your strategy toward business success!

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