Studies from Ahrefs and Seer Interactive show AI Overviews cut clicks on informational searches. Here is what the data says, how to tell whether it's hurting you, and a plan for B2B SaaS teams to protect pipeline.
What the studies found
Two of the most cited studies point the same way, with different methods:
- Ahrefs (April 2025, updated February 2026): comparing keywords with and without AI Overviews, it estimated that an overview was linked to a 34.5% lower click-through rate for the top result in its first study, and 58% lower in its December 2025 data. Ahrefs describes these as correlations.
- Seer Interactive (September 2025 update): across informational queries from 42 organisations, organic click-through on queries showing an overview fell about 61% from mid-2024. Brands cited inside the overview had higher click-through than those that weren't.
Both studies focus on informational searches. Other analyses have found branded searches far less affected. So the effect depends on what your traffic is made of.
Is it actually hurting you?
Falling sessions don't always mean falling results. Check these in Google Search Console and your CRM before changing strategy:
- Split queries into branded and non-branded. Branded traffic dropping points to a demand problem, not AI Overviews.
- Look at impressions and clicks separately. Stable impressions with falling clicks on question-style queries is the AI Overview pattern.
- Check which pages lost clicks. Glossary-style and how-to pages are usually hit hardest.
- Compare sign-ups, demos and pipeline from organic over the same period. If they held up, the lost clicks were mostly low-intent.
Self-assessment
Diagnose your organic traffic drop
Five questions, using your Search Console and CRM data.
0 of 5 answered
The plan: five moves for B2B SaaS
1. Report pipeline, not sessions
Move SEO reporting to sign-ups, demos and pipeline from organic, split by branded and non-branded. Sessions will keep drifting; pipeline is what matters. See organic traffic.
2. Shift effort toward decision-stage pages
Searches like "best X for Y", "X vs Y", "X pricing" and "X alternatives" carry buying intent and still get clicks, because people want detail before choosing. Our guide to bottom-of-funnel content covers which pages to build first.
3. Be the source the overview cites
Seer's data suggests cited brands keep more clicks. Open key sections with short, specific answers, use clear headings, add schema markup and keep facts current. The AI search optimization guide has the full checklist.
4. Give people a reason to click
An overview can summarise a definition but not a calculator, a template or a self-assessment that scores the reader's own situation. Add interactive tools to pages that answer common questions. You'll find examples across this blog.
5. Grow demand for your brand
Branded searches are the least affected. Founder-led content, LinkedIn and digital PR create people who search for you by name. See LinkedIn marketing for SaaS and digital PR.
Quick quiz
AI Overviews: quick check
Three questions on the data and the plan.
1. Which searches are most affected by AI Overviews?
2. Organic sessions fell but organic demos held steady. What does that suggest?
3. What did Seer Interactive find about brands cited in AI Overviews?
0 of 3 answered
Frequently asked questions
Google's snippet controls can limit it, but they also limit normal snippets. For most sites, being cited is better than opting out.
Yes. Decision-stage and branded searches still drive clicks, and AI tools draw on ranking pages. The aim shifts from traffic volume to pipeline and citations.
Seer's study also found lower paid click-through on queries with overviews. Watch paid search performance on question-style keywords.
