After AI Overviews appear, how many clicks do you actually lose?
Public studies agree there are fewer clicks, but the size depends on the method and there is no single number. Two with sources:
| Study | Method | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pew Research Center, 2025-07-22 | Browsing records of 900 US adults in March 2025, comparing Google search pages with and without an AI summary | Visits that clicked a traditional result link: 8%, against 15% without a summary; clicks on a link inside the summary: 1%; sessions ended afterwards: 26%, against 16% without a summary |
| Ahrefs' own analysis, 2026-02-04 | 300,000 keywords, comparing desktop Search Console aggregate data for 2023-12 and 2025-12 | For keywords with an AI Overview, average click-through rate at position 1 is 58% lower (forecast 0.037, actual 0.016) |
Two cautions when reading these numbers: Pew's figures are US users' behavior in March 2025, when 18% of Google searches showed an AI summary, so they do not describe today; Ahrefs is an SEO tool vendor using data its customers shared, and part of the click-rate drop comes from a forecasting model. Neither is data for the Japanese, Arabic or Persian markets specifically (Pew is explicitly US users).
Google says something different. Its AI features page (checked 2026-11) says clicks from results pages with an AI Overview are higher quality and users are more likely to spend more time on the site, without giving click volumes. These clicks are counted in the “Web” search type of the Search Console Performance report, with no separate AI Overview filter.
A real example: impressions, rank 6–10, zero clicks
MochiStamp's Search Console data (2026-10-17 to 11-04, 19 days): 2,511 impressions and 66 clicks for the whole site. The rows listed by query add up to 304 impressions and 7 clicks, because Search Console does not list rare queries.
Among the listed queries, 74 have an average position (weighted by impressions) between 6 and 10, with 223 impressions and 4 clicks in total; 71 of them got no click at all. The ones with the most impressions:
| Query | Impressions | Average position | Clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| line スタンプ セリフ 一覧 | 15 | 8.9 | 0 |
| استیکر در جواب مرسی | 12 | 8.6 | 0 |
| ملصق زعلان | 12 | 6.1 | 0 |
| line sticker size | 7 | 7.1 | 0 |
| كيف انزل ملصقات واتساب | 7 | 9.7 | 0 |
What this does and does not show: it shows that pages ranking 6th to 10th get a fair number of impressions and almost no clicks. It does not show why. We did not check whether the results pages for these queries have an AI Overview, and it may simply be that results in the lower half of page one get few clicks anyway. The sample is also small: the top query had only 15 impressions in 19 days. So we do not attribute the zero clicks to AI Overviews here.
What this data does tell us is what to look at next: for these queries, search them yourself and see whether the results page has an AI Overview, where you rank, and who the summary cites.
What should a small site do?
1. Look at your own data, not other people's percentages
In the Search Console Performance report, choose the “Web” search type and add the “Query” dimension to find queries with many impressions and few clicks. With small samples, look at specific queries rather than averages.
2. Search these queries yourself
Write down three things: whether the results page has an AI Overview, where your page ranks, and which pages the AI Overview cites. This is the only way to tell “the AI Overview took the click” from “the ranking is not high enough”.
3. Become the source that gets cited
The links in an AI Overview come from the pages it cites. Make the page answer a specific question, give data with sources and dates, and keep the structure clear; see How to appear in Google AI Overviews. Google's page says there are no extra requirements, and basic search optimization is what to do.
4. Write what AI cannot replace
Your own measured data, real sample images, working tools and side-by-side product comparisons can only be summarized in the overview; to see the detail people still have to click through. For how to write comparison pages, see How to write comparison pages that AI cites.
5. Look at conversions, not just clicks
Google itself suggests using tools such as Google Analytics to measure conversions and time on site. Fewer clicks that come from people more willing to sign up or pay is still a good result.
6. Measure the other sources too
Traffic from AI assistants has its own source in GA4; see How to see ChatGPT traffic in GA4. Then use AI visibility audit checklist to check whether crawlers can get in and whether you appear in AI answers.
FAQ
How many clicks do AI Overviews cost?
There is no single number. Pew's March 2025 US data is 8% against 15% (with against without a summary); Ahrefs' own analysis found position-1 click-through 58% lower. The methods differ, and neither is data for your specific market.
What does Google say about clicks from AI Overviews?
Google's AI features page says clicks from results pages with an AI Overview are higher quality and users are more likely to stay longer, and gives no click volume. The data is counted in the “Web” search type in Search Console.
Can I see AI Overview clicks separately in Search Console?
No. Google's documentation only says traffic from AI features is counted in the “Web” search type of the Performance report, with no separate filter. You can search specific queries yourself and see whether the results page has an AI Overview.
Impressions, rank 6–10 and zero clicks: is an AI Overview the cause?
Not necessarily. Pages in the lower half of page one get few clicks anyway; an AI Overview may also be there. Search the query to confirm. There are quite a few such queries in MochiStamp's data, but we did not check their results pages, so we draw no conclusion.
Do I need to change my site specifically for AI Overviews?
Google says there are no extra requirements, and basic search optimization is what to do: crawlable content, clear internal links, text content. On top of that, make the page answer specific questions and give data with sources.
Sources
- Pew Research Center · Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results （Published 2025-07-22, checked 2026-11-05; data is US users' browsing in March 2025）
- Ahrefs · Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 58% （Published 2026-02-04, checked 2026-11-05; 300,000 keywords）
- Google Search Central · AI features and your website （checked 2026-11-05）
- MochiStamp · Search Console data, Oct 17 to Nov 4, 2026 （Local data dashboard, read 2026-11-05）
- kagentx evaluations: the data on the case study pages; each example gives its date.