The short answer: yes, AI Overviews do reduce clicks for many searches, especially informational "how" and "what" questions. Pew Research found people clicked a result in 8% of Google visits that showed an AI summary, against 15% when there wasn't one, and Ahrefs measured roughly a 58% lower click through rate for the top result on keywords with an AI Overview by December 2025. Local, commercial and branded searches are generally less affected. To respond, check in Search Console which pages lost clicks while keeping impressions, then shift effort towards the searches that still bring buyers, make your pages the ones AI Overviews cite, and build channels Google doesn't control.

I'm Rustam, and I run Frame the Pixel, a web design, SEO and WordPress studio in Kuala Lumpur. Since AI Overviews rolled out more widely, I've had a steady stream of owners asking why their traffic fell while their rankings didn't. It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that some of that traffic isn't coming back. But much of what matters for a small business still is.

What the research actually says

There's a lot of noise on this topic, so I'll stick to studies with published methods.

Pew Research Center (July 2025)

Pew analysed the browsing data of 900 US adults in March 2025. In their published findings:

Users who saw an AI summary clicked a traditional search result in 8% of visits. Without a summary, it was 15%.
Users clicked a link inside the AI summary itself in just 1% of visits.
58% of respondents ran at least one search that produced an AI summary that month.

Google disputed the study's method in statements to the press, saying it doesn't reflect overall Search traffic. That's worth knowing, but Pew's is one of the few studies based on real user behaviour rather than estimates.

Ahrefs (April and December 2025)

Ahrefs, the SEO tool company, compared click through rates for keywords with and without AI Overviews using aggregated Search Console data.

In the April 2025 study of 300,000 keywords, the presence of an AI Overview correlated with a 34.5% lower average click through rate for the top ranking page.
In the December 2025 update, that gap had grown to about 58% for position one.
The April study also found almost all keywords that trigger AI Overviews (99.2% in their sample) were informational.

These are correlations from one tool's dataset, not controlled experiments, and they're US heavy. Still, they line up with what Pew saw and with what I see in client Search Console accounts.

What Google says

Google's position is that AI features send higher quality clicks and create new opportunities for sites. Its guidance on AI features and your website says people who click from AI Overviews tend to spend more time on the site. Google hasn't published click data to back the wider claim, so treat it as Google's view.

Which businesses are hit hardest

Based on the studies above, the pattern is fairly clear:

Most exposed: sites whose traffic came from general informational questions. Recipe sites, "what is" explainers, general how to guides, publishers.
Moderately exposed: service businesses whose blog posts brought in early stage researchers.
Least exposed: searches with local or buying intent ("dentist near me", "WordPress maintenance Kuala Lumpur"), branded searches for your business name, and transactional searches.

For most small businesses, that's mixed news. The blog traffic that was nice to have may drop. The searches that bring enquiries are usually holding up better.

How to check whether AI Overviews are affecting you

A hand holding a brass magnifying glass over seeds spread on linen, like checking Search Console data for AI Overviews impact

Rankings alone won't tell you, because your position may not change at all. You need to look at clicks against impressions. In Google Search Console's Performance report:

Set the date range to compare the last three months with the same three months a year earlier. Year on year avoids seasonal swings.
Tick Clicks, Impressions, CTR and Average position.
Open the Queries tab and sort by click difference.
Look for queries where impressions held steady or rose, position stayed similar, but CTR and clicks fell. That pattern is the AI Overview fingerprint.
Search those queries yourself in a private window and see whether an AI Overview appears and whether your page is cited in it.
Repeat on the Pages tab to see which URLs lost the most.

Search Console doesn't separate AI Overview clicks from regular ones, so this is detective work, not a precise measurement. Also rule out the boring causes: a site migration, broken pages, a slow site, or a Google core update. If your WordPress site has got slower lately, why is my WordPress site slow is worth a read before blaming AI.

What small businesses can do

Hands passing a paper bag of fresh bread across a bakery counter, representing small business customers who still arrive ready to buy

You can't switch AI Overviews off for other people's searches. You can decide where to put your effort.

1. Focus on searches that lead to customers

Look at which pages actually produce enquiries or sales, not just visits. Usually it's service pages, location pages and comparison or pricing content. Improve those first: clearer answers, better proof, stronger calls to action. A visitor who arrives ready to buy is worth fifty who wanted a definition.

2. Make your pages the ones AI Overviews cite

Google says pages are eligible as supporting links if they're indexed and eligible for a snippet. Beyond that, the pages that get linked tend to:

Answer the question directly in the first few lines.
Use headings that match how people ask.
Contain something specific: real experience, local detail, figures with sources.

Being cited won't recover every click, but the clicks that do come through are from people who wanted more than the summary. I go deeper on this, including ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, in how to get your business cited by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Google AI Overviews.

3. Write what a summary can't replace

An AI Overview can summarise "how to fix a white screen in WordPress". It can't summarise your judgement about a particular situation, your prices, your process, your case studies or your local knowledge. Content built on first hand experience gives people a reason to click.

4. Strengthen your local presence

For businesses serving a specific area, your Google Business Profile, reviews and local pages matter at least as much as blog content. Keep your hours, services and photos current, and reply to reviews.

5. Build channels you own

An email list, repeat customers, referrals, social channels where your customers actually spend time, partnerships with other local businesses. None of these depend on how Google lays out its results next year.

6. Measure leads, not just traffic

If traffic drops 30% but enquiries stay flat, your site is doing its job. Set up conversion tracking for form submissions, calls and WhatsApp clicks so you can see what really changed.

What not to do

Don't panic delete content. Older posts may still earn citations and links even if they get fewer clicks.
Don't block Googlebot to "protect" content. That removes you from Search entirely.
Don't buy "AI Overview ranking" packages. Nobody controls what Google's AI shows.
Don't rely on special files. Google says none are needed. See what is llms.txt and does your website need one? for the honest picture on that one.

Keep the technical basics solid

Every one of these steps assumes Google can crawl a fast, working site. Broken pages, expired SSL and plugin errors cost you visibility in AI features and classic results alike. The WordPress maintenance checklist covers the routine, and if you want someone else to handle it, my website maintenance service does exactly that.

How I can help

If your traffic has dropped and you want to know why, my search engine optimisation service starts with an honest look at your Search Console data to separate AI Overview effects from fixable problems, then focuses on the searches that bring customers. My AI ready websites service makes sure AI tools can read and cite your pages. I work with businesses in Malaysia, the UK, Europe and beyond, 9am to 5pm Malaysia time (GMT+8). Get in touch here or email contact@framethepixel.com.

FAQ

Do AI Overviews reduce website traffic?

For many informational searches, yes. Pew Research and Ahrefs both found substantially fewer clicks when an AI Overview appears. Local and transactional searches are generally less affected.

Can I stop my site appearing in AI Overviews?

You can use nosnippet or data-nosnippet to limit what Google shows from your pages, but that also affects regular snippets and may reduce clicks further. For most businesses it isn't worth it.

How do I know if AI Overviews caused my traffic drop?

In Search Console, look for queries where impressions and average position held steady but clicks and CTR fell. Then check those searches for an AI Overview.

Is SEO still worth it with AI Overviews?

Yes. AI Overviews draw on pages that rank in Google, and searches with buying intent still send clicks. The focus shifts towards pages that convert and content a summary can't replace.

Are AI Overviews shown in Malaysia?

Google has rolled out AI Overviews in many countries and languages, and I see them regularly on Malaysian searches. Coverage varies by query, so check the searches that matter to you.