According to
Ahrefs, when these AI summaries show up in search results, click-through rates for the top organic result drop by 34.5%. That’s not just a dip. That’s a signal...a really loud and really clear signal...that things are changing in a big way.
This isn’t your average algorithm update. It’s a whole new game.
🔍 What’s Going On—And What’s Coming
- People are getting answers without ever clicking.
Google’s AI Overviews give quick, direct answers right on the results page. That means fewer people are clicking on your actual website—even if you’re ranked #1.
- Google doesn’t just send traffic anymore—it keeps it.
Google is becoming the end destination, not just a path to your site. It's answering users' questions itself instead of sending them to you.
- Traditional SEO won’t cut it on its own.
Ranking high used to guarantee traffic. Not anymore. If your content can be summarized by AI, you might not see the clicks you used to.
- We’re entering a zero-click world.
More searches are going to end right on the Google results page. If your strategy doesn’t account for that, you’ll get left behind.
🚀 What Smart Brands Should Be Doing Now
- Make your brand unforgettable.
If clicks are harder to get, make sure the ones you do get actually matter. Focus on original content, unique insights, and a voice that’s unmistakably yours.
- Stop chasing traffic—start building relationships.
It’s time to shift your thinking. Get people to join your email list, follow you on social, sign up for something useful. Make it easy for them to come back on purpose, not just through Google.
- Don’t put all your eggs in Google’s basket.
Seriously—invest in channels you control. That means your email list, YouTube, LinkedIn, your podcast, your community. If Google changes the rules (which it just did), your whole strategy shouldn’t collapse.
- Structure your content for humans and AI.
Think about how your content might show up in AI Overviews. Use clear answers, strong formatting, schema markup, and genuinely helpful info that makes Google want to pull you into the summary.
The bottom line? Google’s AI Overviews are cutting into your traffic, and that’s not going to stop. But this doesn’t mean SEO is dead.
It means it’s evolving. The brands that thrive from here on out will be the ones that stop playing the old game and start building real connections, across multiple channels, with content that’s too good to ignore.
Want help rethinking your content strategy for the new search landscape? Let's chat.
