I just finished a new round of Looker Studio reports, and the pattern is becoming pretty clear. AI Overviews are no longer an experiment, they are changing the way we read YoY data.
The overall view looks like this: impressions are going up, average position is improving, but CTR is sliding down. On the surface it looks contradictory, but it actually makes perfect sense once you think about how people are using search engines today.
Why are impressions rising but clicks falling?
The data shows more impressions than before, and that’s logical because Google is serving more rich results and AI-generated summaries. Our content is still being seen, sometimes even in higher positions. The problem is that fewer people feel the need to click. CTR drops because the answer is already in front of them.
For blog content, especially informational posts, I’m seeing YoY declines as sharp as 50 percent. That is brutal, but at the same time, engagement metrics like time on page and engagement rate are going up. People who do land on the site are more intentional, more curious, and they stick around longer.
What does this say about user behavior?
You don’t need to be a specialized analyst to read between the lines. Users are no longer relying on Google or Bing in the same way. Many of them turn directly to LLMs for answers. And even if they are still searching, the “silver platter” answers from AI Overviews mean they have less reason to visit the actual website.
This shift explains why purely informational queries are losing ground while more transactional or experience-driven content still performs relatively well. The funnel is being cut shorter at the very top.
What’s the takeaway for SEO strategy?
If CTR is being eaten by AI, the fight has to move to areas where the click still matters. That means stronger focus on content that AI can’t fully replace: in-depth guides, unique perspectives, and experience-driven insights.
It also means doubling down on conversion paths and engagement, because the visitors who do arrive are often much warmer than before. The reports are not a doomsday signal, but they are a wake-up call. We are watching the search landscape being restructured in real time, and this is only the beginning.
Is Google Trapping Itself With AI Overviews?
The question that keeps bothering me is what Google’s actual business model is with AI Overviews. When my small brain tries to map out the domino effect, it looks pretty straightforward. Google wants to keep users inside its own ecosystem and stop sending them to external sites.
That move squeezes blogs and informational pages that survive mostly on ad revenue. Fewer visits mean fewer leads, fewer conversions, and less income. Simple math. But here’s the twist: Google also happens to run the biggest PPC machine in the world. If AI Overviews are draining traffic from partner sites, then advertisers have fewer places to be seen.
And if that visibility goes down, why would businesses keep paying the same rates for Google Ads?
Or maybe there’s something I’m not seeing here, which is very likely. Or maybe, just maybe, I’m the most brilliant analyst alive and I’ve spotted a snake eating its own tail. Either way, it feels like Google is walking a tightrope between protecting its empire and cutting off the very oxygen supply that keeps advertisers spending.
Time will tell.
Written by Peter Sawicki, an experienced strategist with a background spanning multiple industries, from private enterprises to government projects. Having worked across different countries and markets, I bring a global perspective and practical insights to every SEO strategy I design. As a diver and adventure seeker, I’ve learned to balance attention to detail with a drive to explore new solutions, a mix that shapes both my work and my life.
