The AIO Impact: How Google’s AI Overviews Are Redefining Click-Through Rates and Search Visibility
Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) have dramatically reshaped search behavior, reducing both organic and paid click-through rates (CTRs). Brands cited within AIOs retain better visibility, while those excluded face steep declines. This shift signals a new SEO paradigm—where authority, expertise, and AIO citations matter more than keyword rankings or paid placements.
TL;DR: AIO Impact on Google CTR (September 2025 Update)
AI Overviews (AIOs) have permanently destroyed Google CTRs, establishing a new, much lower baseline for search traffic.
- The Crash: Organic CTR for AIO-prone informational queries is down 61%. Paid CTR is down a catastrophic 68%.
- No Safe Haven: Even queries without AIOs are seeing a significant decline in CTR 41%, confirming a broader, fundamental shift in user behaviour away from traditional clicking.
- The Competitive Moat: Securing an AI citation is now the primary objective. Cited brands get 35% higher organic CTR and 91% higher paid CTR versus non-cited competitors.
- Urgent Strategy Shift: Marketers must immediately re-evaluate KPIs, ditch traffic volume goals, and focus entirely on achieving topical authority and securing the citation by demonstrating superior E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust).
- Paid Warning: High-funnel paid search campaigns on informational keywords are highly inefficient and must be reviewed immediately.
Introduction: The Age of AI Overviews
Google’s AI Overviews, introduced widely across 2024–2025, are now the dominant force in shaping user interaction with search results. Acting as generative summaries positioned above organic listings, these AI-driven panels synthesise information and sometimes credit their sources.
The Seer Interactive September 2025 study, analysing 25.1 million organic and 1.1 million paid impressions, reveals that AIOs have caused a seismic decline in CTRs across nearly every query type—especially informational and educational searches.
In short, Google’s AI summaries have become both gatekeepers and gateways: if your brand earns a citation, you win visibility. If not, you risk disappearing from user attention altogether.
The CTR Collapse: What the Data Shows
CTR for Queries With and Without AIOs
- AIO Present, Not Cited:
- Organic CTR: 0.52% (down 65.2% YoY)
- Paid CTR: 4.14% (down 78.4% YoY)
- AIO Present, Cited:
- Organic CTR: 0.70% (down 49.4% YoY)
- Paid CTR: 7.89% (down 53.9% YoY)
- No AIO Displayed:
- Organic CTR: 1.45% (down 46.2% YoY)
- Paid CTR: 13.88% (down 20.1% YoY)
Key takeaway:
The mere appearance of an AIO slashes clicks across the board. However, being cited within the AI summary cushions the impact—proof that citation equals survival.
Even more telling: CTRs are dropping even on searches without AIOs, hinting that user behavior is shifting permanently. People are getting their answers directly from SERPs or AI tools, not from visiting websites.
Year-over-Year Decline: 2024–2025
Organic traffic took the most brutal hit.
- Non-AIO queries: Down 41% (2.72% → 1.62%)
- AIO queries: Down 61% (1.76% → 0.61%)
Paid traffic followed a similar trend:
- Non-AIO queries: Down 32% (19.1% → 13.04%)
- AIO queries: Down 68% (19.7% → 6.34%)
Across both channels, the sharpest declines appeared between late 2024 and mid-2025—right as Google’s AIO rollout expanded.
Why Clicks Are Falling Everywhere
Three major behaviour shifts explain the decline:
- Information Saturation at the Source:
Users increasingly find complete answers in Google’s summaries or “People Also Ask” sections. The need to click through is vanishing. - Multi-Platform Fragmentation:
Search journeys now include social media, Reddit, YouTube, and AI chat tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Google is no longer the exclusive discovery platform. - Evolving Trust Patterns:
Users prefer credible, recognisable brands—often typing them directly rather than browsing SERPs. That trust-based shortcut bypasses Google entirely.
In essence, the web’s attention economy has moved from “find and click” to “read and move on.”
The Citation Advantage: Why It Matters More Than Ever
Being cited in an AIO is the new holy grail.
Cited brands enjoy:
- 35% higher organic CTR
- 91% higher paid CTR
These aren’t just numbers—they represent a trust signal. Google cites only what it perceives as reliable, expert content. This creates a feedback loop: authoritative brands get cited more, which in turn strengthens their authority and visibility.
To win citations, you must align content with E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust).
Strategic Guidance for Marketers
If You’re a Marketing Leader
- Prioritise AIO Citations:
Treat AI visibility like a new ranking factor. Coordinate SEO, PR, and content teams to produce expert-driven content that earns citations. - Rethink Paid Strategy:
Informational keywords are no longer cost-effective. Redirect budgets toward brand building, AI discoverability, and direct channels. - Monitor AIO Presence:
Use analytics to track when AIOs appear and whether your brand is referenced. This is the new measure of search competitiveness.
If You’re a Search Consultant or Content Creator
- Plan for Continued Decline:
The CTR erosion isn’t cyclical—it’s structural. Build expectations for fewer clicks but more qualified impressions. - Focus on AIO-Prone Topics:
Identify keywords likely to trigger AI summaries and optimize content for concise, factual, and citation-friendly responses. - Diversify Traffic:
Invest in social visibility, AI partnerships, and lower-funnel keywords. Relying on Google alone is a losing strategy.
E-E-A-T and Topical Authority in the AIO Era
To earn citations and retain visibility, websites must embody E-E-A-T more rigorously than ever:
| Principle | Actionable Strategy |
|---|---|
| Experience | Include firsthand insights, data, or results. Case studies and tutorials show lived expertise. |
| Expertise | Reference credible sources, research, and statistics. Show understanding beyond surface-level SEO content. |
| Authority | Earn backlinks, mentions, and media citations. Collaborate with experts whose credentials reinforce your topic. |
| Trust | Keep facts updated, disclose authorship, and ensure accuracy in every section. Transparency builds AI and human confidence. |
E-E-A-T isn’t just a ranking guideline—it’s Google’s selection filter for AI Overviews.
Content Design for AI Extraction
1. Lead With Direct Answers
Each section should begin with a concise 45–55-word statement summarising the key insight. This improves your odds of being quoted or cited by AI.
2. Use Lists, Tables, and Comparisons
Structured data is AI’s native language. Presenting stats or processes in bullet points and tables maximises the potential for extraction.
3. Integrate Authority Cues
Back every claim with a source, quote, or data point. Add original commentary or expert opinion to separate your content from generic summaries.
4. Optimize for Semantic SEO
Weave in related terms—CTR, search visibility, AI Overviews, E-E-A-T, generative search, and user intent—naturally throughout the text.
5. Maintain a Conversational Flow
AI Overviews favour content that mirrors how humans ask and answer questions. Write like you’re explaining insights to a colleague, not drafting a report.
Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond
The trends suggest a long-term realignment, not a temporary fluctuation.
- Paid CTR Recovery Is Unlikely:
Informational ads are becoming less efficient. Brands will shift focus to awareness campaigns and non-search ecosystems. - Organic CTR May Stabilise—but Lower:
AIO queries appear to have bottomed out around 0.6%, forming a potential “new normal.” However, volatility remains high. - AIO Expansion to Commercial Queries:
Expect AI summaries to appear in transactional and product-based searches, forcing e-commerce brands to adapt their content strategy. - Permanent Behaviour Shift:
Google’s declining outbound clicks mark a new era of “zero-click search.” Winning in this landscape means prioritising share of voice, assisted conversions, and brand memorability over raw traffic numbers.
FAQs for “AIO Impact on Google CTR: September 2025 Update”
What are Google AI Overviews (AIOs) and how do they affect search clicks?
Google AI Overviews provide summarised answers directly on search result pages, drastically lowering click-through rates (CTR) by delivering info without requiring users to visit sites. Organic CTRs for AIO queries dropped 61%, reshaping traffic dynamics for informational searches.
Why does being cited in an AIO matter for my website?
If your brand is cited within an AIO, you get a 35% higher organic CTR and 91% higher paid CTR compared to not being cited. This makes AIO citations a critical factor in maintaining visibility and driving clicks in Google search.
Are CTR declines only happening for queries with AI Overviews?
No. Even queries without AIOs have experienced a 41% year-over-year decline in organic CTR. User behavior is shifting broadly toward getting answers from AI, social media, and trusted direct sources, reducing clicks across many informational searches.
How has paid search performance changed for queries with AI Overviews?
Paid CTR for queries with AIOs collapsed by 68% from mid-2024 to late 2025, partly due to SERP layout changes pushing ads down. This reduces the effectiveness and ROI of high-funnel paid campaigns on informational keywords.
What should marketers do to adapt to AIO-driven search changes?
Marketers should focus on earning AIO citations by building authority through structured data and high-quality content, reassess paid search budgets, and measure success using new KPIs, such as AI citation share rather than just traffic volume.
Will AIO-related CTR declines stabilise or continue in 2026?
Current trends show CTRs have plateaued around new lower baselines but are unlikely to improve. AIOs are expected to expand into transactional queries, meaning marketers should prepare for ongoing CTR pressure in the coming years.
How can SEO content be optimised for AI Overviews and chat-based search?
Structure content with clear, concise, direct answers, use numbered lists and tables for easy AI extraction, and maintain strong E-E-A-T by citing credible sources and sharing unique expertise to improve chances of AIO inclusion and enhanced visibility.
Final Takeaway
The search ecosystem is evolving from a click economy to a citation economy.
Success in 2026 and beyond will depend on whether Google—and users—see your brand as a trustworthy authority worth referencing.
Traditional SEO and PPC still matter, but AIO optimization now defines accurate visibility. Focus on concise, evidence-backed, human-sounding content that answers fundamental questions with authority and precision.
In the era of AI Overviews, the brands that educate, verify, and lead will dominate—while those still chasing clicks will fade into algorithmic obscurity.
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