AI Overviews are eating clicks. Here’s what still gets traffic.

Google’s AI Overviews now appear on a large share of informational searches, and the pages that used to win those clicks are feeling it. We pulled Search Console data for 4,200 queries across 30 client sites, comparing the 90 days before and after AI Overviews showed up for each query.

What lost clicks

Definition and “what is” pages took the biggest hit: a median 34% drop in click-through rate even when rankings held steady. If the answer fits in two sentences, the Overview gives it away and the click never happens.

What held up, or grew

• Pages with original data. Benchmarks, surveys and pricing studies were cited in the Overview and gained clicks from people who wanted the full table.
• Comparison and “best for” pages. Buyers still click through when the decision is expensive.
• Tools and templates. Calculators, checklists and downloadable files can’t be summarized away.

What we’re changing for clients

We’re folding thin definition pages into deeper guides, adding a quotable data point near the top of every key page, and marking up authors, organizations and products with structured data so the brand is easy to cite. We also track AI citations alongside rankings now, because a mention in the Overview is the new position one.

The short version: stop writing pages an AI can replace in a paragraph. Write the page the AI has to point to.