Do AI Overviews Hurt Organic Click-Through Rate?

Yes, AI Overviews tend to reduce click-through rate on the searches where they appear. Industry studies since the feature's broader rollout have consistently shown lower click rates on queries with an AI Overview compared to the same query type without one.

The effect is not even across every topic. Simple factual questions see the biggest click drop, since the overview alone often fully answers them. Complex or commercial searches still tend to send meaningful traffic through.

Being cited inside the overview itself, rather than losing the click entirely, has become the practical goal for a lot of sites facing this shift.

Chasing that citation, not just the old click, is central to how AI SEO tool approaches content.