Google’s AI Overviews now sit atop a meaningful slice of results pages, and when they appear, fewer people click through to websites. Pew Research Center’s March 2025 browsing study found traditional organic link clicks fell from 15% to 8% on pages with an AI Overview. Only about 1% of visits included a click on sources inside the Overview itself. Users were also more likely to stop browsing entirely after seeing an Overview.
How often AI Overviews appear and who they cite
In Pew’s sample of 68,879 Google searches, about one in five produced an AI Overview. Most summaries cited three or more sources, and the typical length was 67 words. The sources most commonly linked were Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit, while .gov sites appeared more often inside Overviews than in standard results pages. News links made up roughly the same share in both settings.
The query types most likely to trigger an Overview
Longer, question-style searches are far more likely to surface an Overview. Pew’s figures below explain where the risk rises.
| Query pattern | Share that triggered an AI Overview |
| 1–2 words | 8% |
| 10+ words | 53% |
| Begins with a question word | 60% |
| Full sentence (noun + verb) | 36% |
These patterns matter because they capture many non-branded, informational intents that publishers rely on for discovery.
What this means for audience acquisition
The practical implication is simple: expect more zero-click sessions. Pew recorded a higher rate of session endings where an Overview appeared, rising to 26% compared with 16% on pages with only traditional results. That aligns with broader reporting this year showing falling click-throughs on informational queries as Overviews expand.
Strategic responses for publishers
1) Measure by query shape, not just by rank.
Slice Search Console by question words, sentence-like queries and length buckets. Watch for impressions rising while clicks lag on those segments. This is a strong signal that Overviews are intervening on the page.
2) Write for “answer ownership”.
Lead with a compact, source-worthy summary of 60–90 words followed by depth. Use clear headings, definitions and scannable lists so extractive systems can identify a clean answer and the human reader still gets full context. Pew’s median Overview was 67 words, which is a useful yardstick for your opening paragraph.
3) Broaden surface area beyond blue links.
Because Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit are prominent in both Overviews and standard results, invest in high-quality explainer videos, publish useful Q&A that can earn citations, and maintain accurate entries in knowledge sources where appropriate. Government citations appear more often inside Overviews, so referencing up-to-date government data can help your piece act as a reliable source.
4) Strengthen entity signals and schema.
Maintain consistent bylines, organisation details and topical expertise across your site. Use structured data to clarify authorship, dates and page purpose. While schema alone won’t guarantee inclusion or clicks, cleaner signals support both ranking systems and any summary module that seeks trustworthy attributions. (Google also continues to adjust link presentation inside Overviews, which can influence how sources are shown to users.)
5) Rethink success metrics for informational intent.
For queries that reliably trigger Overviews, brand visibility on the SERP may matter as much as referral volume. Prioritise strong titles, favicons and descriptive meta that imprint your brand even when a user doesn’t click. Then shift content promotion to channels where the user is more likely to visit your site, such as newsletters or social posts tailored to that same topic.
6) Protect high-value pages with purpose-built content.
If an informational page underpins subscriptions, leads or ad yield, shore it up with complementary assets that Overviews routinely cite, such as a concise FAQ, a short how-to video or a data table with primary sources. This increases the number of legitimate touchpoints where your brand can appear in or around the summary.
Editorial planning checkpoints
- Query selection: Prefer head terms for traffic growth where feasible, while using long-tail question content to build authority and topical coverage.
- SERP inspection: Track which of your target queries fire an Overview, and note whether Google shows in-line links within the summary text or only in a side panel. This affects how visible your citation would be to a scan-reader.
- Benchmarks: Record pre- and post-Overview CTR for priority topics. If impressions surge while clicks stall, consider alternative distribution and on-page CTAs to capture value from fewer visits.
Bottom line
AI Overviews are moving attention upstream to the results page. The Pew study quantifies the shift: fewer traditional clicks, rare in-summary clicks, and more sessions that end early. Publishers that adapt page structure, diversify formats and measure by query shape will be better placed to keep visibility and influence, even when the click is less likely.
Take control of AI Overviews. Get a clear plan from Myoho Marketing to win citations, tidy schema, and lift on-SERP visibility for priority topics. Schedule a call.
