Search Shake-up: How AI Overview’s Impact On CTR Differs Based On Position

Despite the many drastic Search effects that many publishers are seeing with the rise of generative AI — from referral-traffic numbers to advertising spend to changes in overall Googling behavior — Google is adamant that AI (through its AI Overviews and AI Mode) is actually a boon to its Search product, encouraging better queries, showing more links, and increasing click-quality.

Some publishers are angrily calling “BS” on that Google gaslighting, which not only holds Google’s feet to the fire in an attention-grabbing way, but lets fellow publishers know they’re not alone when it comes to their strategy-altering symptoms.

Keeping up on the latest stats is just as important, and new research from GrowthSRC Media on more than 200,000 keywords found a 32% decline (from 28% to 19%) on the click-through rate of Google’s top-ranked organic position from last year, and a 39% CTR decline (from 20.85% to 12.6%) for Position #2.

(Source: GrowthSRC)

“Post AI Overviews launch, we saw a 17.92% decline in organic CTRs across positions #1 to #5 from 2024 to 2025,” writes GrowthSRC’s Swapnil Pate. “While results ranking in positions #1 and #2 have enjoyed the highest click-through rates for the longest time, AI Overviews rollout seems to have affected them in the worst possible way.”

In looking at the history of those 200,000-plus keywords, the study found that 172,855 triggered AI Overviews in May 2025, up from only 10,000 the previous August. But with the CTR decreases seen across the very top, the study found that click-throughs for positions #6 through #10 actually increased by 30.63%.

“AI Overviews are not fully satisfying their intent, hence the user is clicking on results ranking lower in SERPs,” Pate writes of the possible reasoning behind this increase. “Repetitive pages ranking in AIO as well as the first 5 search results, leading to source fatigue among visitors.”