Google’s AI-generated summaries are sharply reducing visits to websites, with updated research showing that top search results now receive less than half the clicks they once did when AI Overviews appear.
Websites are losing a growing share of search traffic as Google expands the use of AI Overviews, according to new research that points to a deeper erosion of organic clicks than previously measured.
An Ahrefs analysis using December 2025 data found that when an AI Overview appears in search results, the average clickthrough rate for the top-ranking page falls by 58% compared with expected levels without the feature.Â
The decline is substantially steeper than figures reported earlier in 2025, indicating that the effect is intensifying as the summaries become more common.
The findings highlight how Google’s search results are increasingly answering user questions directly, leaving fewer opportunities for publishers to attract visitors.
Click Losses Grow As AI Summaries Spread
AI Overviews now appear across more countries and languages than when the feature was first introduced. Since that expansion, many site owners have reported consistent month-by-month drops in traffic from organic search.
The latest data suggest the impact has worsened rather than leveled off. For keywords that trigger AI Overviews, the average clickthrough rate for the first-ranked page fell from 0.073 in December 2023 to 0.016 two years later.
By contrast, informational searches without AI Overviews also saw a decline, but at a slower pace, with average position-one clickthrough rates dropping from 0.076 to 0.039 over the same period.
Researchers estimated what performance would have looked like if AI Overviews had not been introduced and concluded that the majority of the difference can be attributed directly to the AI summaries.
How The Analysis Was Done
The study examined 300,000 keywords drawn from Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer database. Half of the keywords triggered AI Overviews, while the remainder were informational queries without the feature.
Aggregated data from Google Search Console was used to calculate average desktop clickthrough rates by dividing total clicks by total impressions.Â
Results from December 2023, before AI Overviews launched, were compared with those from December 2025, after the feature had become widely available.
December 2024 was excluded to avoid mixing pre- and post-rollout data.
Lower Rankings Also Feel The Pressure
While the largest drop affects the top result, pages across the first page of search results are also losing clicks.
Second-ranked pages saw average declines of just over 50%, while positions three through five recorded losses ranging from roughly one-third to nearly half. Even results near the bottom of the first page experienced measurable reductions.
Although clickthrough rates were already lower for those rankings, the presence of AI Overviews further limits their ability to attract users.
A Continuation Of Zero-click Search Growth
AI Overviews build on earlier Google features, such as Featured Snippets and local results, that reduced the need for users to leave the search page. Over time, those tools contributed to the steady rise of searches that end without a website visit.
What sets AI Overviews apart is the depth of information they provide. In many cases, the summaries fully address common questions, reducing the incentive to click through to original sources.
The results align with other recent studies that report organic click declines ranging from roughly 47% to more than 65%, with some publishers citing even sharper losses.
What Publishers Are Dealing With Now
The figures point to a tougher search environment. Holding the top position no longer delivers the traffic it once did, and losses are becoming harder to offset through gains elsewhere in the results, prompting many publishers to reassess their AI SEO approach.
AI-generated summaries now appear more frequently at the top of search pages, reducing the number of users who move on to external sites. The shift leaves publishers competing for a smaller pool of clicks and raises new questions about how dependable search traffic will remain.
Key Takeaways
- AI Overviews are now linked to a 58% drop in clicks for top-ranking pages.
- The decline has worsened since early 2025 as the feature expanded.
- Lower-ranked pages also lose traffic, though to a lesser degree.
- The trend continues the long rise of zero-click searches.
- Publishers need new strategies to protect visibility and traffic.
Zulekha
AuthorZulekha is an emerging leader in the content marketing industry from India. She began her career in 2019 as a freelancer and, with over five years of experience, has made a significant impact in content writing. Recognized for her innovative approaches, deep knowledge of SEO, and exceptional storytelling skills, she continues to set new standards in the field. Her keen interest in news and current events, which started during an internship with The New Indian Express, further enriches her content. As an author and continuous learner, she has transformed numerous websites and digital marketing companies with customized content writing and marketing strategies.