Google AI Overviews have fundamentally changed search behavior. Seer Interactive's September 2025 study reveals organic CTR plummeted 61% (from 1.76% to 0.61%) for queries with AI Overviews, while paid CTR crashed 68% (from 19.7% to 6.34%). But there's a survival path: brands cited in AI Overviews earn 35% more organic clicks and 91% more paid clicks. Traditional metrics like clicks and traffic are no longer enough, success now requires tracking share of voice, visibility in AI responses, and citation frequency.

The Data That Changes Everything

Between June 2024 and September 2025, Seer Interactive analyzed 3,119 informational queries across 42 organizations, tracking 25.1 million organic impressions and 1.1 million paid impressions.

For queries triggering AI Overviews:

• Organic CTR: down 65% (1.76% → 0.61%)
• Paid CTR: down 68% (19.7% → 6.34%)

Even without AI Overviews present:

• Organic CTR: down 41% (2.73% → 1.62%)
• Paid CTR: down 20%

The decline didn't happen overnight. July 2025 showed particularly severe drops, with paid CTR crashing from roughly 11% to 3% in a single month. While there's been slight recovery since, the message is clear: users are clicking less everywhere.

This isn't just about AI Overviews stealing clicks. The data suggests bigger shifts. Users now seek answers on ChatGPT (800 million weekly active users), Perplexity (780 million queries in May 2025), social platforms, or go directly to trusted brands they already know.

Why Traditional Metrics Are Failing You

For 25 years, marketers optimized for rankings, clicks, and traffic. These made sense when every search ended with someone clicking one of ten blue links. That world doesn't exist anymore.

Rankings tell an incomplete story. Research shows 92.36% of AI Overview citations come from domains ranking in the top 10. But high rankings no longer guarantee visibility, pages outside the top 10 now have better chances of AI citations than they did for traditional featured snippets.

Clicks don't measure influence. When someone reads an AI Overview that synthesizes your content without clicking through, you've still influenced their decision. You just can't track it with Google Analytics. Google claims AI Overview clicks are "higher quality" with longer time on site, but most brands never see these users arrive.

Traffic doesn't equal market presence. Your content could inform thousands of AI-generated responses daily without generating a single session in your analytics. You're educating the market and influencing purchases, all invisible to your dashboard.

The New Metrics That Actually Matter

Smart marketers are shifting to new success criteria:

Share of Voice in AI Search

Share of Voice measures how often your brand appears in AI-generated responses compared to competitors. If ChatGPT mentions three project management tools when someone asks for recommendations, and you're one of them, you own roughly 33% of that answer's share of voice.

Profound's June 2025 data showed Bank of America with 32.2% visibility across AI platforms in banking queries. Smaller financial brands like Navy Federal Credit Union achieved disproportionate representation in AI answers, gaining consideration where traditional advertising struggled.

How to calculate AI Share of Voice:

1. Build a prompt set representing your target queries (30-100 prompts)
2. Test each prompt across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini
3. Track which brands get mentioned and how prominently
4. Calculate: (Your mentions) / (Total prompts tested) per platform

Visibility and Citation Frequency

Visibility tracks how often you appear in AI responses. Citation frequency measures how prominently, being mentioned first carries more weight than appearing fifth in a list.

The Seer Interactive data confirms citation matters enormously:

• Cited brands in AI Overviews: 35% higher organic CTR, 91% higher paid CTR
• Non-cited brands on same queries: suffer the full 65% organic CTR decline

One AI citation can generate more qualified traffic than ranking #3 for the same query in traditional results.

How to Optimize Content for AI Overview Citations

Getting cited requires different strategies than ranking in traditional search. Here's what works:

1. Lead With Direct Answers

AI models prioritize content that immediately addresses user intent. Start every article with a 50-70 word summary that answers the primary query without requiring extensive reading.

Example structure:

Email marketing ROI averages $36 for every $1 spent, making it one
of the highest-returning digital channels. Calculate it by dividing
revenue generated by email campaigns by total email marketing costs,
then multiplying by 100 for a percentage.

This format makes it easy for AI to extract and cite your answer.

2. Use the CSQAF Framework

Content that gets cited follows specific patterns:

Citations: Reference 1-2 authoritative sources per major section. Almost all pages getting cited in AI Overviews include outbound links to trusted domains.

Statistics: Add relevant, current data points with proper attribution. Research shows ChatGPT prioritizes Wikipedia (48% of citations), while Perplexity favors Reddit (46.7%). Include both recent studies and foundational research.

Quotations: Feature expert insights from recognized authorities in your space. Direct quotes signal credibility to AI systems.

Authoritativeness: Write confidently and demonstrate expertise. Add detailed author bios with credentials and accomplishments. AI systems check author qualifications before citing content.

Fluency: Create clear, well-structured content with logical flow. Use conversational language that answers questions the way a knowledgeable colleague would.

3. Optimize for Question Intent

Format content to match how people actually ask questions:

For informational queries: Use definition boxes, step-by-step tutorials with clear action-based headings, and Q&A formats.

For comparison queries: Create structured comparison tables, list pros and cons for each option, and include "versus" sections that explicitly compare alternatives.

For local queries: Add location-specific information, maintain accurate Google Business Profile data, and include local context.

4. Update Content Relentlessly

AI Overviews favor fresh, accurate information. Research shows AI prioritizes recent content over comprehensive older resources, that amazing guide from 2022 loses to mediocre content published yesterday.

Update priority:

1. Pages critical to your business
2. Content that used to drive traffic but doesn't anymore
3. Pages with declining engagement metrics
4. Anything with statistics over 12 months old

5. Build Topic Authority

Google's AI strongly favors content demonstrating Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). You prove this through:

Comprehensive topic clusters: Create interconnected content covering a topic from every angle. If you write about email marketing, cover strategy, technical implementation, deliverability, compliance, analytics, automation, and segmentation.

Consistent brand mentions: Get cited on Wikipedia, quoted in industry publications, featured in reputable sources, and participate actively in professional communities.

Subject matter expert content: Enable internal experts to publish on LinkedIn, speak at events, contribute to industry publications, and participate in podcasts.
‍

Measuring AI Overview Impact: The Practical Guide

Measuring AI Overview performance presents unique challenges. Google Search Console includes AI Overview data but doesn't separate it from traditional search results.

Using Google Search Console

As of June 2025, AI Mode clicks officially count toward Search Console totals under the "Web" search type. AI Overviews follow the same pattern, clicks appear in your data, but you can't filter them separately.

What you can track:

• Overall impression increases (you get two impressions when appearing in both AI Overview and traditional results)
• Click patterns on queries where AI Overviews appear
• Position data (AI Overview links share position 1, while AI Mode assigns individual positions)

What you can't track:

• Which specific clicks came from AI Overviews versus traditional results
• Citation frequency within AI Overviews
• Whether you're mentioned in AI Overviews without a link

Combining Data Sources

To get the full picture, you need to blend Search Console data with AI tracking metrics. SEO platforms can identify which keywords trigger AI Overviews and track competitor citations.

Practical tracking workflow:

• ‍Step 1: Use your SEO tools to identify which keywords trigger AI Overviews for your domain.‍
• Step 2: Manually test your top 30-50 queries monthly across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini to track citations.‍
• Step 3: Pull Search Console data for those specific queries to measure performance trends.‍
• Step 4: If you're tracking data from multiple sources (Search Console, Google Ads, Analytics, manual AI tests), you can consolidate everything with tools like Dataslayer to push data to Google Sheets, Looker Studio, or BigQuery for unified dashboards.

This consolidated view reveals which content performs better in AI contexts, whether citations drive qualified traffic, and how your share of voice trends over time.

Alternative Measurement Strategies

Form attribution: Add a "How did you hear about us?" field with options like "ChatGPT," "Google AI Overview," "Perplexity," or "Other AI tool."

Brand search spikes: Monitor branded search volume. Increases following AI mentions suggest influence even without direct traffic.

Direct traffic analysis: Since some users remember your brand from AI responses and type it directly, analyze direct traffic patterns alongside AI visibility metrics.

Content Formats That Win AI Citations

Based on analysis of thousands of citations, certain formats perform better:

High-performing formats:

• Structured comparison tables (especially for "versus" queries)
• Step-by-step tutorials with numbered lists
• Definition glossaries with concise explanations
• FAQ pages answering specific questions
• Data-driven reports with original statistics
• Case studies with concrete metrics

Lower-performing formats:

• Long-form narrative content without structure
• Opinion pieces without data backing
• Promotional content focused on products
• Generic listicles without unique insights

The pattern is clear: AI systems favor content that educates and provides unique value in digestible formats.

Strategic Recommendations by Budget Level

You don't need enterprise budgets to compete in AI search:

Low Budget (Solo/Small Team)

Monthly actions:

• Update your top 5 performing articles with recent data
• Test 10-15 core queries manually across ChatGPT and Perplexity
• Add one authoritative outbound citation to each article
• Create one detailed comparison post
• Improve author bios with credentials

Cost: Primarily time investment (10-15 hours monthly)

Medium Budget (Small Agency/Growing Team)

Monthly actions:

• Update 15-20 articles with fresh data and examples
• Track 30-50 queries across AI platforms
• Create 2-3 comprehensive resources
• Build 5-10 quality backlinks through outreach
• Optimize 10 pages for E-E-A-T signals

Tools: SEO platform for keyword tracking, reporting automation

Cost: $150-450/month plus content creation time

High Budget (Established Agency/Enterprise)

Monthly actions:

• Update 50+ articles systematically
• Track 100-200+ queries across all major AI platforms
• Create 5-10 comprehensive resources
• Build 20-30+ quality backlinks and brand mentions
• Produce original research and surveys for citation-worthy data

Tools: Enterprise SEO platform, AI visibility tracking, automated reporting

Cost: $700-2500/month in tools plus significant content team

What's Coming in 2026 and Beyond

Google announced at I/O 2025 that AI Mode represents the future of search. AI Overviews now reach 1.5 billion users monthly across 200+ countries.

Expected developments:

• ‍AI Mode becomes default: Currently available as an option in the US, AI Mode will likely become the primary search interface.‍
• Increased SERP volatility: As AI systems pull from real-time data and multiple sources, featured domains will change more frequently than traditional rankings ever did.‍
• Platform diversification: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI platforms will continue growing as primary research tools. Optimizing for one platform isn't enough.‍
• New advertising formats: Google has tested AI-powered shopping ads and sponsored content within AI responses. Expect new paid opportunities specifically within AI contexts.

The Bottom Line

The 61% CTR decline for organic search and 68% for paid isn't temporary, it represents fundamental behavioral change. Users increasingly prefer synthesized answers over link lists.

This shift doesn't make your content worthless. It makes citation and authority more valuable than ever. When AI systems trust your expertise enough to reference your brand among only 3-5 options, you've earned something more valuable than a click, you've established market authority.

The marketers thriving in 2025 stopped optimizing for rankings and traffic. They optimize for trust, citation, and share of voice. They measure visibility in AI responses, track competitor mentions, and create content that educates rather than just attracts.

Traditional CTR is dead. Long live share of voice.

For a deeper dive into optimizing for AI search beyond Google, check out our guide on Generative Engine Optimization.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my content appears in Google AI Overviews?

You can identify AI Overview presence several ways. Use SEO platforms to see which keywords trigger AI Overviews for your domain, most major tools now include AI Overview tracking in their SERP feature reports. Manually test your target keywords in Google Search (logged in, US-based) to see if AI Overviews appear and whether your brand is mentioned. While Google Search Console includes AI Overview data in performance reports, it doesn't separate this traffic from traditional results, making direct attribution challenging. The most reliable method combines SEO tool data showing AI Overview presence with Search Console performance metrics for those specific queries. Track both impressions (which will be higher when appearing in AI Overviews and traditional results simultaneously) and clicks to understand your AI performance.

What's the difference between AI Share of Voice and traditional Share of Voice?

Traditional Share of Voice measures your brand's visibility across channels like paid ads, organic search rankings, and social media compared to competitors, essentially how much of the total market conversation your brand owns. AI Share of Voice specifically tracks how often your brand gets mentioned, cited, or recommended in AI-generated responses from platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini compared to competitors. While traditional SOV focuses on impression share and ranking positions, AI SOV measures actual inclusion in synthesized answers. This matters because AI platforms typically mention only 3-5 brands per response, making competition for inclusion more intense than traditional search where multiple brands could rank on page one. With ChatGPT alone processing over 1 billion queries daily, AI Share of Voice has become critical for understanding your brand's presence where research and discovery increasingly happen.

Can I still succeed with traditional SEO or do I need to completely change my strategy?

Traditional SEO remains essential, it's the foundation for AI citation success, not something separate. Analysis shows 92.36% of successful AI Overview citations come from domains already ranking in the top 10 organic positions. Strong technical SEO, quality backlinks, and authoritative content still drive visibility. What's changing is how you measure success and what you optimize for. Instead of focusing solely on rankings and clicks, you now track visibility in AI responses, citation frequency, and share of voice while maintaining core SEO practices. Think of it as SEO expansion rather than replacement. Continue building backlinks, optimizing technical elements, creating comprehensive content, and earning traditional rankings. But add new layers: update content more frequently (AI favors fresh information), structure answers more directly (to facilitate AI extraction), build more authoritative citations (AI systems verify expertise), and track your presence across AI platforms. Google explicitly states there are "no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews" beyond good SEO. Winners combine excellent traditional SEO with AI-specific optimization and measurement.

Why are my impressions increasing in Google Search Console but clicks are dropping?

This is expected behavior when AI Overviews appear on your keywords. Google counts impressions separately for both AI Overviews and traditional organic results, meaning when you rank on page one and also appear in the AI Overview for the same query, you receive two impressions. This double-counting inflates your impression metrics significantly. However, clicks don't increase proportionally because many users find their answers directly in the AI Overview without clicking through to any website, these "zero-click searches" have surged since AI Overviews rolled out. One documented case showed impressions up 27.56% year-over-year while clicks dropped 36.18% and CTR fell from 5.98% to 3.35%, despite average rankings improving 14.01%. This pattern is widespread: even queries without AI Overviews present experienced 41% organic CTR declines, suggesting users are clicking less across the board. The inflated impressions combined with zero-click searches creates exactly this scenario. The solution isn't more traffic-focused optimization, it's shifting to metrics that capture your actual visibility and authority in AI responses.

Should I block AI crawlers from accessing my content if I'm not getting traffic from AI citations?

Blocking AI crawlers is generally counterproductive unless you have specific concerns about content reproduction. Even without direct traffic, appearing in AI responses provides valuable brand exposure and authority building. Google's AI Overviews pull from the same crawl used for traditional search, controlled by robots.txt directives for Googlebot, blocking them means losing traditional search visibility entirely. For other AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude, blocking their crawlers removes your brand from consideration when millions of users ask questions in your domain. Research shows prospects who encounter brands inside AI answers often skip research steps, moving faster to pricing or product proof even if they don't click immediately. Brand recall from AI citations drives direct traffic and branded searches that appear in your analytics later. The better approach: optimize content to be cited properly, ensure AI systems reference you accurately, and build comprehensive brand presence across AI platforms. Monitor whether your content appears with correct information using AI visibility tracking. Only block AI crawlers if you face specific issues like content scraping for competing services. For most businesses, AI visibility represents opportunity rather than threat.

How long does it take to see results from AI-specific content optimization?

AI citation improvements often appear faster than traditional SEO results, with initial changes visible within 2-8 weeks for well-executed optimizations. When you update existing content with direct answers, current statistics, and better structure, AI systems often incorporate those changes within their next major crawl or training update. For ChatGPT and similar models, some content updates appear within weeks as they pull from real-time web searches or recently updated training data. Google AI Overviews typically reflect changes faster since they draw from current search index data. However, establishing consistent AI Share of Voice across multiple platforms requires sustained effort over 3-6 months. You need to build citation history, develop authoritative backlink profiles, earn brand mentions on quality sites, and demonstrate sustained expertise in your topic area. Research found that adding specific statistics and structured answers often produces the fastest AI citation improvements, these tactical changes can impact visibility within 30-45 days. But building the kind of market authority where AI systems consistently choose your brand among thousands of options demands longer investment. Track early wins on specific queries while building toward comprehensive topic authority. Most brands see meaningful Share of Voice improvements within one quarter of dedicated AI optimization, with compounding returns over subsequent quarters.

What industries are most affected by AI Overviews?

Data from the March 2025 core update showed dramatic AI Overview growth across specific verticals: entertainment (528% increase), restaurants (387%), and travel (381%). These industries saw particularly rapid expansion because they handle queries with clear informational intent where AI-generated summaries provide obvious value. Healthcare and education already had high AI Overview presence before this surge. Informational and educational content across all industries faces the most significant impact, the Seer study specifically tracked these query types because they're "most vulnerable to AI Overviews." Queries seeking factual answers, definitions, tutorials, comparisons, or how-to guidance trigger AI Overviews most frequently. Commercial queries with transactional intent (people ready to buy) see fewer AI Overviews, though this is gradually changing. Local searches increasingly feature AI summaries, especially for questions like "best restaurants in [city]" or "things to do in [location]." SaaS companies, B2B services, publishers, and content-heavy sites face substantial traffic shifts as users find answers without clicking through. However, every industry now needs an AI visibility strategy since AI Overviews appear in approximately 13-19% of all searches as of mid-2025, with this percentage rising steadily as Google expands the feature to more query types and international markets.