September 24, 2025
Google’s new AI Overviews are here—and they’re rewriting the rules of search traffic.
If you’ve noticed your organic clicks dropping even though your rankings look stable, you’re not imagining things.
Publishers, marketers, and SEO pros are all seeing the same pattern: fewer clicks, more frustration, and no easy opt-out.
This post breaks down the latest data on traffic declines, explains why AI Overviews are hurting SEO, and gives you actionable strategies to adapt and win in the zero-click era.
A recent report from Digital Content Next (DCN) shows just how sharp the drop has been:
| Metric | Y-o-Y Change |
|---|---|
|
Median decline across all members |
10% |
|
Decline for news publishers |
7% |
|
Decline for non-news publishers |
14% |
|
Worst-case individual drops |
25% |
One lifestyle publisher even reported a query where CTR fell from 5.1% to 0.6% despite holding a first-page ranking.
Google’s AI Overviews generate detailed answers directly in the search results.
Users get what they need before clicking, leading to:
Publishers can block Google’s AI crawler—but that also blocks traditional search indexing.
Until regulators force a technical separation, you either feed Google’s AI or vanish from its search engine. The U.S. DOJ antitrust case may eventually create more control, but for now it’s Google’s world.
With all this being said, this isn’t the end of SEO – it’s an evolution. While there might be short-term hiccups leading businesses and brands to pivot to better ways of ranking and getting organic traffic, the basic rules of the game remain unchanged, with a few novelties.
Here’s how to stay ahead:
1. Optimize for AI Overviews (AEO)
Think Answer Engine Optimization, use clear Q&A structures and strong, concise summaries. Add schema markup (FAQ, How-To, Product) to help AI parse your content.
Include statistically backed statements and original research that AI can cite.
2. Invest in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity pull from authoritative sources.
Create long-form evergreen content with depth and expert authorship.
Build credible backlinks and highlight author credentials (E-E-A-T).
3. Strengthen Your Brand Moat
Clicks may shrink, but brand recognition keeps people coming back.
Grow email lists, push push-notifications, and foster social communities.
Encourage direct visits via memorable URLs and consistent branding.
4. Diversify Traffic Sources
Stop depending on Google alone.
Explore LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and newsletters for top-funnel reach.
Use paid discovery campaigns (native ads, social boosts) to maintain awareness.
5. Track the Right Metrics
Measure more than just organic sessions:
AI referral traffic from tools like Perplexity or ChatGPT’s browsing.
On-SERP impressions and brand mentions inside AI answers.
6. Double Down on Trust Signals
Google’s AI favors reliable sources.
Publish original research and cite data.
Show expert author bios, transparent sourcing, and date stamps.
Now that the SEO game has turned on it’s head, the smart Marketer needs to quickly step up and adapt to the new rules of the game.
Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate the space:
Google’s AI Overviews are not a passing experiment- they’re the future of search.
Marketers who cling to old-school SEO will keep losing clicks.
Those who embrace AEO, GEO, and brand-first strategies will capture visibility inside the AI experience and win loyalty outside it.
The algorithm will keep changing. Your job is to make sure your audience finds you – with or without a blue link.
Google AI Overviews are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results. They give users detailed answers without requiring a click, which can reduce traffic to the original websites.
AI Overviews deliver answers directly in the SERP, so users often get what they need without visiting your page. Your position hasn’t changed, but click-through rates have.
Not effectively. Blocking the AI crawler also prevents normal search indexing. Until regulators enforce a technical separation, opting out means disappearing from Google Search.
Focus on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO):
– Use Q&A style headings and concise summaries.
– Add FAQ and How-To schema markup.
– Provide original research and stats AI can cite.
GEO is the practice of creating content tailored to generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity so they can confidently reference and link back to your site.
Yes. Technical SEO, E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust), and long-tail keywords remain vital. They help both AI and human search engines evaluate your content.
Diversify. Build email lists, social communities, and brand recall so audiences visit you directly. Treat Google as one channel, not the only channel.
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The drop in CTR you highlighted really shows how disruptive AI Overviews have become for organic visibility. I think this pushes marketers to focus more on content that either can’t be fully summarized by AI (like in-depth insights or unique perspectives) or builds brand recall beyond the SERP. It’ll be interesting to see how publishers adapt when the search journey itself is changing so drastically.
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