CTR is plummeting: AIOs push organic links far down the page

[megri]

This statement describes a significant shift in how people interact with search engine results pages (SERPs), primarily due to the rise of "AIOs" (AI Overviews, formerly known as Search Generative Experience or SGE). Here's a breakdown:

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): This is the percentage of people who click on a specific link after seeing it in search results. A high CTR indicates that a link is relevant and appealing to users.
• AIOs (AI Overviews): These are AI-generated summaries and direct answers provided at the top of search results. They aim to give users the necessary information without requiring them to click on traditional website links.
• Organic Links: These are the traditional website links listed below the AIOs, based on search engine algorithms' relevance ranking.
• Plummeting CTR: The statement indicates that the CTR for organic links is decreasing drastically.
• Pushing Organic Links Far Down: AIOs take up significant space at the top of the SERP, pushing the organic links further down the page, sometimes requiring users to scroll excessively (over 1200 pixels) to see them, especially on mobile devices.
• CTR Drops of Up to 70%: This highlights the severity of the decline in clicks on organic links.
• Zero-Click Searches: In these searches, users get the information they need directly from the AIO or other SERP features (like featured snippets) without clicking on any website links.
• Sharp Rise in Zero-Click Searches: The statement indicates that the decrease in CTR for organic links directly contributes to an increase in searches that do not result in a user clicking on a website.

In essence:

The increasing presence of AI-generated summaries in search results is changing user behaviour. Instead of clicking on traditional website links, users often find the answers they seek directly within the AIO. This leads to a significant reduction in clicks on organic links and a rise in "zero-click" searches.

Why this is significant:

• For website owners and content creators, this means a potential decrease in organic traffic, which can impact revenue and visibility.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) strategies are evolving to optimise content for AIOs and other SERP features, not just traditional organic rankings.
• The fundamental way users interact with search engines is being altered.

[megri]

he statement describes a decline in Click-Through Rate (CTR), which is the percentage of users who click on a link after seeing it in search results. Here's a breakdown:

• CTR is plummeting: Fewer people click on organic (non-paid) search results.
• AIOs (AI Overviews): AI-generated summaries or answers displayed at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs), like Google's AI Overviews, push traditional organic links lower.
• Organic links far down the page (sometimes over 1200 pixels): Organic results are displaced vertically, often requiring users to scroll significantly (1200 pixels is roughly a full screen or more on many devices) to reach them.
• CTR drops of up to 70%: The lower placement of organic links reduces their visibility, causing click rates to fall dramatically by as much as 70% in some cases.
• Sharp rise in zero-click searches: Users are increasingly finding answers directly in AI summaries or other SERP features (e.g., featured snippets, knowledge panels) without clicking any links, leading to searches with no clicks at all.

In short, AI-driven search features dominate SERPs, reduce visibility and clicks for organic links, and drive more users to get answers without visiting websites.