"Since Google introduced the feature last spring, organic and paid CTRs have fallen by 61 percent and 68 percent respectively. But there is a way brands can fare better in this shifted environment. Websites cited within AI overviews enjoy 35 percent higher organic CTRs and 91 percent higher paid CTRs, according to the study, which analyzed 3,119 search terms from June 2024 to October 2025."
""We cannot definitively prove that citation causes higher CTRs," writes Tracy McDonald, product development lead at Seer, because "it's equally possible that brands with stronger authority and higher baseline CTRs are simply more likely to be cited by Google's AI." "What we can say with confidence," she adds, "is that queries where you're cited consistently outperform those where you're not, regardless of the causal direction.""
"CTRs are still significantly down across the board. Even for queries in which a website is mentioned in an AI overview, organic and paid rates now sit at 0.70 percent and 7.89 percent on average-drops of nearly 49.4 percent and 53.9 percent year-over-year respectively, according to the study. When a website isn't cited, averages look even more dismal: 0.52 percent for organic CTRs and 4.14 percent for paid."
An analysis of 3,119 search terms from June 2024 to October 2025 found that Google’s AI Overview feature corresponded with steep declines in clicks: organic CTRs fell 61 percent and paid CTRs fell 68 percent since the feature's introduction. Websites cited in AI overviews experienced 35 percent higher organic CTRs and 91 percent higher paid CTRs than non-cited sites. Even when cited, average organic and paid CTRs dropped to 0.70 percent and 7.89 percent; non-cited averages were 0.52 percent and 4.14 percent. When no AI overview appears, organic and paid CTRs are notably higher. Optimization for citation and campaign adjustments are recommended.
Read at Inc
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