Image Credit: NP Digital

How AI Overviews Affect Google Click Rates (May 2025 Data)

As AI continues to evolve and become a core part of everyday digital experiences, its impact on search engine results pages (SERPs) is becoming increasingly significant. One of the most influential changes in Google’s SERP design has been the introduction of AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience or SGE), which are now affecting how users interact with search results—and more importantly, how many clicks organic listings receive.

In this blog post, we’ll analyze recent data (May 2025) from NP Digital image, showcasing how AI Overviews affect click-through rates (CTR) across various positions on Google. The insights are drawn from 1,094 keywords that initially did not have AI Overviews but now do. This allows us to clearly see how the presence of AI-generated summaries reshapes user behavior in Google search.

What Are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results. Powered by generative AI models, they provide a concise answer or summary to the user’s query, often including citations or links to relevant content.

While these summaries enhance user experience by quickly answering questions, they also disrupt the traditional “10 blue links” model by shifting attention away from organic search results.

Overview of the Data

The chart in the image compares Average CTR (%) across positions 1 to 10:

• Blue bars represent CTR without AI Overviews.

• Orange bars represent CTR with AI Overviews.

Let’s dive into the exact numbers and what they mean.

Key Takeaways

CTR Drops Across All Positions

Across the board, CTR drops when AI Overviews are present. The first organic result sees the biggest drop—from 24.9% to 18.6%, a 6.3% decrease. This suggests that users are more likely to engage with the AI-generated summary rather than clicking through to the top link.

Even lower-ranking positions, like the 9th and 10th, experience a smaller but still notable decline. For example:

• 9th Position: From 2.2% to 1.9%

• 10th Position: From 1.8% to 1.6%

Although these numbers are relatively small, they’re significant for SEOs who rely on long-tail or lower-ranked traffic.

The Top 3 Results Are Most Affected

While all positions lose some CTR, the top three are disproportionately impacted. These positions usually enjoy the highest traffic. However, with AI Overviews:

• First position drops from 24.9% to 18.6%

• Second drops from 15.2% to 12.7%

• Third drops from 11.7% to 9.4%

That’s an average decrease of about 20%–25 % in CTR for the top-ranking pages.

In real terms, if your website was getting 10,000 impressions for a keyword in the first position, the number of clicks could drop from 2,490 to 1,860.

Positions 4 to 10 See Gradual But Smaller Declines

The drop-off in CTR from position 4 onward is less dramatic, likely because these positions didn’t command much attention to begin with. Still, the presence of AI Overviews seems to siphon away even more clicks from already lower-ranked listings.

From positions 4 to 10:

• The CTR decline ranges from 0.3% to 0.8%.

• This suggests that while AI Overviews impact all rankings, the rich-get-poorer effect is stronger at the top.

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Why Do AI Overviews Reduce CTR?

Several reasons can explain the shift in user behavior:

1. Instant Gratification

Google’s AI summaries often provide direct answers to queries. If a user’s question is answered within the summary, they might not feel the need to click further, especially for basic informational queries.

2. Above-the-Fold Dominance

AI Overviews push traditional organic results further down the page, especially on mobile. The “zero-click” search phenomenon is exacerbated as fewer results are visible without scrolling.

3. User Trust in Google’s Summary

Users are conditioned to trust Google, so if Google’s AI tells them “here’s your answer,” many won’t question it, especially if the summary looks comprehensive and cites sources.

Who Loses the Most?

• Content-heavy websites that rank primarily on informational queries (e.g., “how to,” “what is,” “best way to…”).

• Affiliate marketers, whose success depends on high CTR for product comparisons or reviews.

• SEOs who worked hard to get to position 1, only to find that 25% of that traffic is now cannibalized.

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Can Anyone Win? Yes—If You’re in the AI Overview

Interestingly, if your site is cited in the AI Overview, you might gain visibility and traffic, even if you don’t rank in the top three results.

In fact, Neil Patel himself notes in the chart that:

✅ Optimize to be included in the AI Overviews—it can help you gain more clicks.

So, while AI Overviews steal some traffic from organic listings, they also create a new SEO real estate: the opportunity to be featured in the summary.

What to Do Next: Actionable Tips for Marketers and SEOs

Optimize for AI Overview Inclusion

Treat AI Overviews like featured snippets 2.0. Here’s how to increase your chances of being featured:

• Use clear, concise answers to common questions.

• Include structured data and FAQ schema.

• Follow semantic SEO practices—cover topics comprehensively.

• Use lists, tables, and bullet points to increase scannability.

Focus on Branded Searches

The one thing AI can’t take away is brand demand. If users search for “Mahbub Osmane SEO services” or “Neil Patel marketing,” they’ll bypass AI summaries and go straight to your site.

Build your brand by:

• Increasing your social media presence.

• Building a loyal email list.

• Getting mentioned in PR and guest blogs.

Diversify Traffic Sources

Don’t rely only on Google. Build email lists, grow a YouTube channel, start a podcast, and invest in paid media. Create a multi-channel strategy to protect your business from algorithmic shifts.

Update Old Content

Refresh older posts to make them more AI-friendly:

• Add short intro paragraphs summarizing the post.

• Use schema markup where appropriate.

• Ensure you’re answering the query clearly near the top of the post.

Track CTR Changes in GSC

Use Google Search Console (GSC) to monitor CTR trends over time:

• Filter by query to spot where CTRs are dropping.

• Note if certain keywords suddenly see lower traffic—it could be due to AI Overviews.

• Adapt your content accordingly.

Predictions: What’s Next for AI and Search?

Google May Monetize AI Overviews

There’s speculation that AI Overviews will soon feature ads, making it even harder for organic content to earn clicks.

AI SEO Will Become Its Own Subspecialty

Just like mobile SEO or local SEO, we’ll likely see AI SEO emerge as a standalone skill—focused solely on optimizing for AI-generated elements in search.

Niche Experts Will Have an Edge

AI still cites content. Experts who write authoritative, trustworthy content are more likely to be referenced in AI summaries.

Final Thoughts

AI Overviews are reshaping how users interact with Google. While they create challenges, particularly around declining CTRs for top organic results, they also offer new opportunities for savvy marketers.

As of May 2025, data from NP Digital shows that every position from 1 to 10 loses click-through rate when AI Overviews are introduced. The impact is most severe at the top but affects all players.

Instead of resisting change, it’s time to evolve your strategy. Optimize your content for AI visibility, build your brand, and diversify traffic sources.

AI isn’t the death of SEO—it’s just the next chapter.

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