What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews (AIOs) are Google's AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results for certain queries. Launched as the Search Generative Experience (SGE) in May 2023 and rebranded as AI Overviews in May 2024, these panels synthesize information from multiple web sources into a conversational answer directly on the SERP.
When an AI Overview appears, it typically occupies a significant portion of the above-the-fold screen real estate — often pushing all traditional organic results below the fold on mobile devices and substantially below it on desktop. The AI Overview includes inline source citations, but users must actively choose to click through to those sources rather than simply reading the synthesized answer.
For anyone studying NavBoost and click-based ranking signals, AI Overviews represent the most significant disruption to organic click behavior since Google introduced featured snippets. The implications for how click data feeds back into ranking algorithms are substantial.
The Ahrefs Study: 58% Click Reduction
The most comprehensive study of AI Overviews' impact on organic clicks was published by Ahrefs, which analyzed search results before and after AI Overviews were introduced. The headline finding: organic clicks dropped by 58% on queries where AI Overviews appeared.
"When AI Overviews appear in search results, the total number of organic clicks decreases by approximately 58.5% compared to the same queries without AI Overviews."
Several important methodological notes apply to this finding:
- The study measured total organic clicks, not just Position 1 CTR — the 58% figure represents aggregate click volume across all organic positions
- The comparison was between the same queries with and without AI Overviews, controlling for query type
- The impact was measured on informational queries, which are the most common trigger for AI Overviews
- Paid clicks were not included in the 58% figure — the reduction applies specifically to organic results
This 58% reduction does not mean that Position 1 lost 58% of its clicks. Rather, it means the total pool of organic clicks available across all positions shrank by more than half. The distribution of those remaining clicks across positions also changed — a finding explored in the GrowthSRC data below.
GrowthSRC Data: Position-by-Position Impact
GrowthSRC's 2025 study of 200,000 keywords provides the most granular year-over-year data on how AI Overviews have affected CTR at each individual ranking position. Their findings reveal a pattern that has surprised many in the SEO industry.
Positions 1-5: Significant Decline
The top organic positions experienced severe CTR declines as AI Overviews absorbed clicks that previously went to the first few organic results.
| Position | CTR (2024) | CTR (2025) | Change | % Decline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28.0% | 19.0% | -9.0pp | -32.1% |
| 2 | 20.83% | 12.60% | -8.23pp | -39.5% |
| 3 | ~14% | ~11% | ~-3pp | ~-21% |
| 4 | ~10% | ~8.5% | ~-1.5pp | ~-15% |
| 5 | ~8.5% | ~7.5% | ~-1pp | ~-12% |
Source: GrowthSRC, 2025 study of 200,000 keywords. Positions 3-5 are estimated ranges based on partial GrowthSRC data.
Position 2 experienced the steepest relative decline at 39.5% — a finding that makes sense when considering SERP layout. AI Overviews push Position 2 further below the fold than Position 1, and users who scroll past the AI Overview tend to stop at Position 1 rather than continuing to Position 2.
Across positions 1 through 5, GrowthSRC measured an average CTR decline of 17.92% year-over-year. This represents the most significant annual shift in organic CTR distribution since the introduction of featured snippets.
Positions 6-10: The Counterintuitive Increase
Perhaps the most surprising finding in the GrowthSRC data is that positions 6 through 10 experienced a 30.63% increase in CTR year-over-year. This seemingly paradoxical result has a logical explanation.
| Position Range | CTR Change (YoY) | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Positions 1-5 | -17.92% average decline | Down |
| Positions 6-10 | +30.63% average increase | Up |
Source: GrowthSRC, 2025
The explanation centers on user behavior when AI Overviews are present:
- Users scroll past the AI Overview: When a user decides that the AI Overview is insufficient, they scroll past it — and past the top organic results that the AI Overview has effectively "replaced" in the user's mind
- Users seek diverse perspectives: Having read the AI Overview's synthesis, users who still want to click are looking for something the overview did not provide — often found in lower-ranked results that offer unique angles or detailed analysis
- Scroll momentum: On mobile devices especially, the act of scrolling past the AI Overview creates momentum that carries users past the first few organic results
- Position compression: AI Overviews push all organic results lower on the page, making positions 6-10 relatively easier to reach for users who have already committed to scrolling
For queries where AI Overviews are present, ranking in positions 6-10 may deliver more traffic than it did a year ago. This challenges the conventional SEO assumption that only positions 1-3 matter. For position-level CTR benchmarks, see CTR by Position (2026 Data).
83% Zero-Click Rate When AI Overviews Are Present
When AI Overviews appear, the zero-click rate jumps dramatically. Multiple data sources converge on approximately 83% of searches with AI Overviews resulting in no click to the open web, compared to roughly 60% for traditional SERPs without AI Overviews.
| Metric | Without AI Overview | With AI Overview | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero-click rate | ~60% | ~83% | +23pp |
| Organic clicks (% of searches) | ~35% | ~14% | -21pp |
| Clicks to Google properties | ~20% | ~18% | -2pp |
| Paid clicks (Google Ads) | ~5% | ~5% | — |
Sources: Semrush (2025), Ahrefs, industry analysis. Approximate figures representing US search averages.
The 23 percentage-point gap between zero-click rates with and without AI Overviews is the clearest quantification of AI Overviews' impact. Put differently: AI Overviews convert roughly one in four additional searches into zero-click outcomes compared to traditional SERPs.
Notably, paid clicks appear largely unaffected by AI Overviews. Google Ads continue to appear above or alongside AI Overviews, and their click rates have remained relatively stable. This has led some analysts to suggest that AI Overviews disproportionately impact organic results while protecting Google's ad revenue.
Before and After: CTR by Position
Combining data from GrowthSRC, Ahrefs, and cross-referencing with SISTRIX and seoClarity baselines produces the following picture of how organic CTR has shifted across all positions.
Full Position-by-Position Comparison
| Position | Pre-AIO CTR (2023-2024) | Post-AIO CTR (2025) | Absolute Change | Relative Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28.0% | 19.0% | -9.0pp | -32.1% |
| 2 | 20.83% | 12.60% | -8.23pp | -39.5% |
| 3 | ~14.0% | ~11.0% | ~-3.0pp | ~-21% |
| 4 | ~9.5% | ~8.5% | ~-1.0pp | ~-11% |
| 5 | ~8.0% | ~7.5% | ~-0.5pp | ~-6% |
| 6 | ~5.0% | ~6.5% | ~+1.5pp | ~+30% |
| 7 | ~4.0% | ~5.2% | ~+1.2pp | ~+30% |
| 8 | ~3.5% | ~4.6% | ~+1.1pp | ~+31% |
| 9 | ~3.0% | ~3.9% | ~+0.9pp | ~+30% |
| 10 | ~2.5% | ~3.3% | ~+0.8pp | ~+32% |
Sources: GrowthSRC 2025 (positions 1-2 exact), SISTRIX and seoClarity baselines (positions 3-10 estimated from composite data). Pre-AIO figures represent 2023-2024 averages.
The pattern is clear: a steep decline at the top of the SERP, tapering off through the middle positions, and then an increase at positions 6-10. This creates a "flattened curve" where the difference between Position 1 and Position 10 CTR is smaller than it was before AI Overviews — a significant structural change in how clicks are distributed.
Pure Organic SERP vs. AI Overview SERP
The impact varies depending on whether a specific query triggers an AI Overview. For queries that do not trigger AI Overviews, CTR by position remains closer to historical norms. The data from First Page Sage and SISTRIX for "pure organic" SERPs (no SERP features) still shows Position 1 CTR at 34-40%.
| Position | Pure Organic (No Features) | With AI Overview | Blended Average (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34-40% | 11-15% | 19-28% |
| 2 | 15-19% | 6-9% | 12-16% |
| 3 | 10-13% | 5-7% | 8-11% |
| 4-5 | 6-9% | 4-6% | 5-8% |
| 6-10 | 2-5% | 3-7% | 3-6% |
Sources: First Page Sage 2026, SISTRIX, GrowthSRC, Ahrefs. Ranges reflect variation across studies and query types.
For the full breakdown of CTR by position across all major studies, see CTR by Position (2026 Data).
Which Query Types Trigger AI Overviews?
AI Overviews do not appear on all searches. Google selectively triggers them based on query type, complexity, and confidence in the AI-generated answer. Understanding which queries trigger AI Overviews is essential for assessing their impact on specific keyword portfolios.
High Trigger Rate (AI Overviews Appear Frequently)
- Informational "how" and "what" queries: "How does photosynthesis work," "What is quantum computing" — these are the primary target for AI Overviews
- Health and medical questions: Symptom descriptions, condition explanations, treatment overviews
- Comparison and "vs" queries: "iPhone 16 vs Samsung S25," "React vs Angular"
- Conceptual explanations: "Why is the sky blue," "How do interest rates affect housing"
- "Best" and recommendation queries: "Best budget laptop 2026," "Best restaurants in Austin"
Low Trigger Rate (AI Overviews Appear Rarely)
- Navigational queries: "Facebook," "Amazon login," "Gmail" — the user already knows where they want to go
- Explicit transactional queries: "Buy Nike Air Max," "Order pizza near me" — Google directs to Shopping or local results instead
- YMYL financial queries: Specific financial advice, tax questions, legal queries — Google exercises caution with Your Money or Your Life topics
- Very recent events: Breaking news, real-time events — AI Overviews require source verification that may not be possible for developing stories
- Highly localized queries: "Plumber near me," "gas station open now" — local pack results are more appropriate
Estimated AI Overview Trigger Rates by Query Intent
| Query Intent | AI Overview Trigger Rate (est.) | Impact on CTR |
|---|---|---|
| Informational | 50-65% | Highest — directly answers the query |
| Commercial investigation | 35-50% | High — provides comparison summaries |
| Navigational | 5-10% | Minimal — user wants a specific site |
| Transactional | 10-20% | Low — Shopping/local results preferred |
Estimates based on Ahrefs data and industry analysis. Trigger rates continue to expand as Google gains confidence in AI Overview quality.
Impact on NavBoost: When Clicks Become Scarcer
AI Overviews' reduction of organic clicks has direct implications for NavBoost, Google's click-based re-ranking system. The core question is: if AI Overviews reduce total clicks, how does this affect the click signals that NavBoost uses to re-rank results?
Remaining Clicks May Carry More Weight
When the overall click volume drops by 58% for queries with AI Overviews, the clicks that still occur are likely more intentional. A user who reads an AI Overview and then still clicks on an organic result is demonstrating that the AI Overview was insufficient for their needs. This deliberate click may carry more signal value than a click on a SERP with no AI Overview, where clicking was essentially the only way to get information.
In NavBoost's framework, this could mean:
- goodClicks become stronger positive signals — the user actively chose to click despite having an answer
- lastLongestClicks become even more indicative of content quality — the user sought out and engaged deeply with content beyond the AI Overview
- badClicks (pogo-sticking) become stronger negative signals — if a user was unsatisfied enough to click through the AI Overview but then quickly bounced back, the content failed a higher bar
Click Quality vs. Click Quantity
The shift from "many casual clicks" to "fewer deliberate clicks" may actually improve the quality of NavBoost's signal — even as the quantity decreases. This is analogous to a survey where respondents who opt in (despite having a reason not to) provide more thoughtful responses than respondents who participate passively.
AI Overviews may simultaneously reduce the volume of data NavBoost can work with while improving the quality of that data. Fewer clicks, but each click is a stronger signal. How Google's squashing function handles this shift — normalizing for lower volumes while preserving the higher signal quality — is an open question.
Long-Tail Queries and Sparse Click Data
For long-tail queries that already had low search volume, AI Overviews may reduce click data to near-zero. If a query previously generated 50 clicks per month and AI Overviews reduce that by 58%, the query now generates approximately 21 clicks per month — potentially too few for NavBoost to draw reliable conclusions.
This suggests that for long-tail queries with AI Overviews, NavBoost may need to rely more heavily on:
- Query clustering: Aggregating click data across similar queries to build a sufficient sample
- The 13-month window: Accumulating clicks over a longer period to reach statistical significance (see The 13-Month Window)
- Other ranking signals: Deferring to content quality, backlinks, and topical authority where click data is insufficient
The Position 6-10 Signal Shift
The counterintuitive increase in CTR for positions 6-10 has a specific implication for NavBoost. Historically, NavBoost click data was heavily concentrated in positions 1-3, which received the vast majority of clicks. With AI Overviews distributing clicks more evenly across the page, NavBoost now receives meaningful click data from positions that previously had very little.
This could improve NavBoost's ability to differentiate the quality of results in the "middle and bottom of page 1" range — positions where it previously had limited data. If a Position 7 result consistently generates good clicks and long dwell times in an AI Overview SERP, NavBoost may now have enough data to promote it — something that was harder to justify with pre-AIO click volumes at that position.
Strategies for Ranking in the AI Overview Era
The CTR shifts caused by AI Overviews require adapted SEO strategies. The following approaches are grounded in the data presented above and in the mechanics of how NavBoost works.
1. Become an AI Overview Source
AI Overviews cite sources. While being cited in an AI Overview may not directly generate clicks (the user reads the summary instead), it provides brand exposure and can drive subsequent navigational searches. Strategies for earning AI Overview citations include:
- Providing clear, well-structured factual content that AI systems can extract and cite
- Building topical authority on specific subjects through comprehensive coverage
- Maintaining accurate, up-to-date data that AI systems can reference with confidence
- Using structured data markup to help Google's systems understand content relationships
2. Target AI Overview Gaps
AI Overviews are not equally good at answering all query types. Targeting queries where AI Overviews are absent or insufficient maximizes organic CTR:
- Queries requiring nuance or opinion: AI Overviews struggle with subjective topics
- Queries requiring real-time data: Breaking news, live events, current prices
- Highly specialized or technical queries: Niche topics where AI confidence is lower
- Local and transactional queries: Low AI Overview trigger rates preserve traditional CTR patterns
3. Do Not Neglect Positions 6-10
Given the 30.63% CTR increase for positions 6-10, content ranking in this range on AI Overview queries may now deliver meaningful traffic. Strategies include:
- Offering unique perspectives or data not found in higher-ranking results (and therefore not in the AI Overview)
- Creating content with compelling titles that stand out when users scroll past the AI Overview
- Providing interactive tools, calculators, or experiences that cannot be replicated in an AI Overview
4. Maximize Click Quality for NavBoost
If each click carries more weight in the AI Overview era, maximizing the quality of every click is essential:
- Reduce pogo-sticking: Ensure content matches the query intent so users do not immediately return to the SERP. See Pogo-Sticking and Click Signals.
- Increase dwell time: Create engaging, comprehensive content that keeps users on-page
- Encourage depth: Internal linking, related content sections, and progressive disclosure keep users engaged beyond the initial scroll
- Match intent precisely: A user who clicks past an AI Overview has a specific unmet need — the content must address that specific need immediately
For a comprehensive guide to click-based optimization, see How to Improve Organic CTR.
5. Invest Heavily in Title Tag Optimization
In a SERP dominated by an AI Overview, the title tag is often the only element differentiating one organic result from another. Titles that communicate unique value — data, tools, depth, expertise — give users a reason to click past the AI Overview.
Titles that simply promise to answer the same question the AI Overview already answered will see the lowest CTR. Titles that promise something the AI Overview cannot provide — original data, expert analysis, interactive tools, downloadable resources — will see the highest CTR.
The Evolution of AI Overviews: What Comes Next
AI Overviews are not a static feature. Google continues to expand and refine them, and the CTR impact is expected to evolve accordingly.
Expansion Trajectory
In early 2025, AI Overviews appeared on an estimated 30-40% of US queries. Google has been steadily expanding coverage to additional query types and languages. By late 2026, industry projections suggest AI Overviews could appear on 60-70% of queries, which would significantly increase the blended zero-click rate (see Zero-Click Searches).
Multimodal AI Overviews
Google has begun testing AI Overviews that include images, charts, and interactive elements — further reducing the need for users to visit external websites. As these multimodal overviews become more capable, the click reduction may extend to query types that currently maintain reasonable CTR (such as visual comparison queries and how-to instructions).
Conversational Follow-Ups
Google is expanding AI Overviews to support follow-up questions within the SERP, creating a conversational search experience. If users can ask clarifying questions without visiting any website, the zero-click rate for complex informational queries will increase further — these are precisely the queries where organic results currently still earn clicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Google AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results for certain queries. Previously called the Search Generative Experience (SGE), they were officially launched as AI Overviews in May 2024. They synthesize information from multiple web sources and present a conversational answer directly on the SERP, with inline citations to source pages.
How much do AI Overviews reduce organic clicks?
According to Ahrefs, AI Overviews reduce total organic clicks by approximately 58% on queries where they appear. The impact varies by position: positions 1-2 experience the steepest decline (32-39% CTR drop per GrowthSRC), while positions 6-10 actually see a 30.63% CTR increase as users who scroll past the AI Overview engage with lower-ranked results.
What is the zero-click rate with AI Overviews?
When AI Overviews are present, approximately 83% of searches end without a click to the open web, compared to roughly 60% for traditional SERPs without AI Overviews. This 23 percentage-point gap represents the single largest factor driving the overall increase in zero-click searches.
Which queries trigger AI Overviews?
AI Overviews most commonly appear for informational queries ("how," "what," "why" questions), comparison queries, and recommendation queries. They rarely appear for navigational queries (where the user wants a specific site), explicit transactional queries, or very recent/breaking news topics. Estimated trigger rates range from 50-65% for informational queries down to 5-10% for navigational queries.
How do AI Overviews affect NavBoost?
AI Overviews reduce the total volume of click data available to NavBoost, but may improve the quality of remaining click signals. Users who click past an AI Overview are making a more deliberate choice, potentially generating stronger positive and negative signals. The squashing function must adapt to normalize for lower click volumes while preserving signal quality. For long-tail queries, sparse click data may cause NavBoost to rely more on other ranking signals.
Why did positions 6-10 see a CTR increase?
GrowthSRC's 2025 data shows positions 6-10 experienced a 30.63% CTR increase year-over-year. The likely explanation is that users who scroll past AI Overviews carry scroll momentum past the top positions, seek diverse perspectives not found in the AI Overview synthesis, and find that the "flattened" SERP layout makes lower positions relatively more accessible. This challenges the conventional assumption that only the top 3 positions matter.
How should SEO strategy adapt to AI Overviews?
Key adaptations include: targeting queries where AI Overviews are absent or insufficient, optimizing to become an AI Overview cited source, not neglecting positions 6-10 which now deliver more traffic on AI Overview SERPs, maximizing click quality (dwell time, low pogo-sticking) to strengthen NavBoost signals, and investing heavily in title tags that communicate unique value beyond what the AI Overview provides. See How to Improve Organic CTR for tactical guidance.
Further Reading
- What is NavBoost? — The definitive explainer on Google's click-based re-ranking system
- CTR by Position (2026 Data) — Complete CTR benchmarks across positions 1-100 from 15+ studies
- Zero-Click Searches — 58.5% of Google searches end without a click
- Does CTR Affect Rankings? — The evidence that click-through rate is a Google ranking factor
- How to Improve Organic CTR — Practical strategies for increasing click-through rates in the AI Overview era
- Research Sources — Annotated bibliography of all studies cited across NavBoost.com