Tweet
Organic click-through rates (CTRs) for informational queries that trigger an AI Overview have plummeted by a devastating 61% since June 2024, confirming a new, non-negotiable floor for search performance. This seismic shift is the clearest indicator that users are consuming answers directly from the AI-generated summary at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), effectively byp***ing traditional organic listings. Your content may still hold a high rank. Still, its ability to drive traffic volume has been fundamentally reduced by nearly two-thirds, forcing an immediate re-evaluation of your search performance metrics.
The data, tracked consistently over 15 months, shows a relentless erosion. The average organic CTR for these AIO-prone keywords fell from 1.76% to a worrying 0.61% by September 2025. This isn't a temporary fluctuation; it represents a permanent change in user behaviour. When Google’s AI can synthesise a complete, satisfactory answer—often in a concise list or summary—the user’s motivation to click an underlying link vanishes.
The Non-AIO Myth: A Broader User Behaviour Shift
Crucially, the problem isn't limited to queries that include the AIO. Even queries where AI Overviews do not appear have seen their organic CTR fall by a significant 41% from their previous high. This powerful finding refutes the initial idea that non-AIO queries would become a safe haven for traffic volume. The decline across the board suggests that users are changing their information-seeking habits, increasingly turning to conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT, dedicated social media search, or going directly to trusted brands. Therefore, any viable SEO strategy must stop trying to avoid AI and instead focus on dominating it.
The Citation is the New Rank: The E-E-A-T Imperative
Winning the AI citation has become the single most critical factor for mitigating traffic crashes. Why? Because when your brand is cited in the AI Overview, you see a significant lift in performance, securing 35% higher organic CTR compared to when your brand is not cited at all.
This advantage proves that the citation is the new competitive moat. Being selected by Google's AI signals a high degree of authority and trust to the user. To earn this crucial visibility, your content must stop chasing fleeting ranking algorithms and instead focus entirely on demonstrating uncompromising E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Content that exhibits unique, first-hand Experience, is fact-checked for Trust, and is written by an accredited Expert is what the AI model selects, turning a traffic crisis into an opportunity for superior brand visibility and confidence.
Resource
