Google AI Overviews decrease CTRs by 34.5%, per new study

The news: A new Ahrefs study found that Google AI Overviews in search results significantly decreased clickthrough rates (CTRs) for top-ranking pages compared to similar informational keywords without AI Overviews.

• The presence of an AI Overview in search results correlated with a 34.5% lower average CTR.
• The average position one CTR for informational keywords in March 2024 was 0.056; this dropped to 0.031 in March 2025.
• Top CTRs for AI Overview keywords was 0.073 in March 2024; this dropped to 0.026 in March 2025.

Zooming out: The findings bolster claims that Google operates an illegal ad tech monopoly as it increasingly controls both the search experience and the advertising ecosystem.

• Google received a ruling last week declaring that it is a monopolist for the second time in under a year.
• The Ahrefs findings indicate that AI Overviews keep users on Google’s properties and away from publishers’ websites, creating a walled garden effect where Google can reduce organic traffic and maintain control over user attention. This could direct more advertisers towards paid Google ad placements to recover lost organic traffic, forcing brands to increase ad spend with Google to maintain visibility.
• This strengthens antitrust arguments that Google wields its search power to entrench its ad tech dominance.

Our take: Google is claiming high value ad inventory by prioritizing its AI features, reshaping the competitive landscape to favor its products—and requiring advertisers to adapt.

• Ongoing antitrust investigations could fundamentally alter Google’s market practices. Advertisers likely won’t reduce their dependency on Google due to its large reach—but they should mitigate risks and monitor ongoing developments. A diversified approach serves as both a defensive strategy and a critical preparation for a rapidly changing regulatory landscape.
• It’s essential that advertisers optimize content for AI Overview visibility when possible. Structuring content to increase the chances of being featured in AI summaries can help reduce the damages caused by this feature.
• Advertisers should anticipate potential cost increases on Google inventory as brands compete for paid visibility because of reduced organic traffic. Allocating resources to alternative platforms could help with budgetary concerns.