There’s been a lot of buzz lately about AI-powered search and how it’s impacting organic traffic. Headlines tell you that you’re losing clicks, impressions are tanking, and AI is cannibalizing everything. Some reports even cite 40%+ drops for top publishers. That’s not just alarming — it’s paralyzing.
But here’s the truth: this isn’t the full story. Not for everyone. And maybe not for you.
Warning: If you’re only reading industry headlines, you’re missing the nuance. These reports are real, but they often come from massive publishers or sites with edge-case visibility. That’s rarely an apples-to-apples comparison for your site.
This article is for anyone looking to calmly investigate what’s really happening with their traffic, without falling victim to panic or generalizations. Whether you’re a solo publisher, content marketer, or in-house SEO, here are quick, practical checks and investigations you can run — using your own data — to make smarter decisions.
Don’t Panic — But Do Get Curious
AI Overviews (AIO) have been live for some time in the U.S. and continue to impact a growing number of queries. The fear? That users never click through anymore. But let’s back up.
Tip: Google Search Console does count impressions and clicks from AI Overviews — but only when your link is visible or scrolled into view. They’re not just tallied because your site is technically referenced.
This insight was confirmed thanks to ongoing testing and documentation by Brodie Clark.
- When your site is cited in an AI Overview block, it shares the same position (usually Position 1) with other links in that block.
- Impressions are only counted if your citation is visible to the user — if it’s hidden or below the fold, it won’t count.
- Clicks behave like any other result: if clicked or tapped, they count normally in GSC.
This means a rise in impressions with low or no clicks with very low average ranking positions — may indicate AIO visibility — but not engagement.
That’s something to investigate, not fear.
7 Quick Checks You Can Do Right Now
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Review High-Impression, Low-CTR Queries
GSC → Performance → Queries
Sort by Impressions. Add CTR. Look for informational queries with falling CTRs over time — especially if your average position remains strong. -
Compare by Page
GSC → Pages → Add Query
Check whether core evergreen content has lost clicks, but still earns impressions. This could point to your link being cited in AIOs, but not clicked – especially as AIOs push your historically strong rankings down the visual SERP. -
Look for Flatline Clicks on High-Ranking Content
Content that holds top 3 positions but sees declining or stagnant clicks might be replaced (or again, pushed down) by AI summaries. Compare the time window before and after AIO rollouts.
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Check Query Types That Trigger AI
Run test queries (incognito, U.S. IP) like “how to,” “best way to,” or “can I…” to see if they trigger AI results. Then see how your content performs for those searches. Study the current SERPs for insights into how you can improve your content.
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Use Regex Filters to Track Trendable Patterns
GSC → Queries → Filter → Custom (Regex)
Try:^(how|what|when|why|can|does)\s
This helps isolate AI-prone queries and shows you performance at scale. -
Compare Intent Match
Look at the actual queries sending impressions to your pages. Do the page titles and content reflect that intent? If not, AIOs may be winning that click with better alignment.
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Track Click & CTR Delta Over Time
Export GSC data and plot impressions, clicks, CTR weekly. AIO influence usually shows as stable impressions + falling CTR, with some volatility post-rollout.
Remember: The best way to fight fear is with familiarity. The more you learn to interpret your GSC data through the AI lens, the better you’ll understand where your strengths — and risks — really are.
Who’s Surfaced the Signal Amidst the Noise?
Much of this thinking is made possible by those doing deep public work on AI + SEO. If you’re ready to go further, start here:
- Brodie Clark’s tracking of AI Overviews in GSC – the definitive technical overview (July 2025)
- iPullRank’s breakdown on AIO visibility – complete with UI behavior analysis
- Rand Fishkin on Zero-Click Content – larger philosophical look at what this trend means for creators
Bookmark those. Then dig into your own site’s data. And remember: you’re not trying to predict the future of search — just understand your role in it.