Yasiru Senarathna
Yasiru Senarathna
  • Sep 12 2025
  • 13 min read

Why Your Site Gets Lots of Impressions but Few Clicks: What to Do About Google AI Overviews (SGE)

If your pages are still showing on page one but clicks are falling, you’re not alone. Many site owners are seeing this since Google started showing AI-powered summaries (formerly called Search Generative Experience, now AI Overviews) at the top of results. These summaries answer queries directly in the SERP, so users often don’t need to click anymore.

TL;DR: Google AI Overviews summarize answers in the search results and are widely rolled out. That drives impressions up but reduces organic click-through rates (CTR). Multiple studies show significant CTR declines when AI Overviews appear (top-result CTR drops of 30 percent or more reported in several analyses). Publishers are reporting traffic losses and exploring strategies like diversifying traffic, focusing on unique content, and brand building. Short-term fixes: optimize meta titles and descriptions for clicks, add high-value assets on pages (data, tools, downloads), use schema, and promote brand searches. Long-term: convert visitors to first-party channels like newsletters and apps.

1) What are AI Overviews (SGE) and how do they change search?

Google’s generative AI features create a short summary of answers and show it directly in the search results, often with supporting links and citations. The feature rolled out broadly in 2024. The effect: users can get a usable answer without clicking through.

2) The data: impressions up, clicks down

Studies and analyses report the same pattern:

  • Impressions: Increase because AI Overviews can appear for more queries and drive more search visibility.
  • CTR declines: Ahrefs, BrightEdge, and others show organic CTR drops of 15–35 percent where AI Overviews appear. One analysis found a 34.5 percent drop in first-position CTR when AI Overviews were present. Another showed top-result CTR falling from 28 percent to 19 percent after rollout.
  • Publishers: Major publishers describe steep referral traffic drops and call this a potential “Google Zero” problem, meaning Google could increasingly satisfy queries without sending visitors to original publishers.

3) Why clicks fall

  • Immediate answers: When the result already contains a clear answer, many users stop there.
  • Reduced attention to links: AI Overviews take top screen space, pushing organic links down.
  • Trust in summaries: Users assume the overview is trustworthy enough and click only for depth or images.
  • Query intent: Transactional or branded queries still drive clicks; broad informational queries are most affected.

4) What types of content are most impacted

  • How-to guides, listicles, explainers, and factual answers are easily covered by AI Overviews.
  • Long-form analysis, investigative pieces, local coverage, and original data are less likely to be replaced.

5) How to adapt

A. Make your SERP snippet demand a click

  • Rewrite meta titles with curiosity or benefits.
  • Use meta descriptions to highlight unique assets.
  • Add time and utility signals (e.g., "Updated 2025", "10–15 min read").

B. Give Google something it cannot show in a short answer

  • Original data and research.
  • Tools, calculators, and interactive widgets.
  • Multimedia and downloadable assets.

C. Use structured data

Add FAQ, HowTo, Article, and LocalBusiness schema where appropriate to claim additional SERP real estate and rich features.

D. Build brand and direct channels

Encourage branded searches and grow newsletters, push notifications, and social audiences to reduce reliance on referral search traffic.

E. Optimize pages for conversions

Add clear CTAs, email capture, and engagement hooks so each visitor delivers more value.

6) Measurement: what to track

  • Impressions and CTR in Search Console.
  • Organic sessions and engagement in Analytics.
  • Conversion rate on landing pages.
  • Branded vs non-branded traffic.
  • Newsletter signups and returning visitors.

7) Quick experiments

  1. Rewrite titles and meta descriptions on your top 10 pages (aim for curiosity + value).
  2. Add a downloadable asset to one popular post and highlight it in the meta description.
  3. Add FAQ schema to a low-performing page to increase SERP real estate.
  4. A/B test visible CTAs and lead magnets on landing pages.
  5. Promote branded queries via social or newsletters for a short campaign.

8) Templates and examples

Meta title example:

11 Kandy Cafes for Students | Free Map and Study Spots

Meta description example:

Find 11 local cafes in Kandy with quiet study corners, free Wi‑Fi, and the cheapest espresso under LKR 300. Includes a downloadable map and updated opening hours. 10–15 min read.

9) Longer-term strategy

Resilient publishers reduce dependency on search by building email lists, social communities, subscriptions, and apps. They also create content only they can provide investigations, local reporting, or proprietary datasets.

10) Final thoughts

Google’s AI Overviews are a structural change in search. Ranking is no longer enough. You must stand out in SERPs and convert visitors into loyal readers or customers. If you handle this well, you will still rank and build deeper relationships that last beyond search changes.

References

  • Google: Generative AI in Search
  • Search Engine Land: Google AI Overviews are hurting click-through rates
  • Search Engine Journal: Google CTRs Drop 32 Percent for Top Result After AI Overview Rollout
  • BrightEdge: SGE impact analysis
  • Financial Times: Publishers react to Google Zero risk