What the Data Says About AI Search: Numbers You Should Know

Pew Research, Ahrefs and others have measured how AI overviews change search behaviour: clicks on classic results are dropping by tens of percent. We summarize the most important numbers from the 2025 research and what they mean for your visibility.

Redakce Linketica · 29. 7. 2026 · 9 min čtení

Graf poklesu prokliků při zobrazení AI přehledu — S AI přehledem klikne na výsledek zhruba polovina uživatelů oproti stránce bez něj (Pew Research, 2025).

For a long time the impact of AI on search was mere speculation. Today we have hard data from large independent measurements – and it is worth knowing, because it changes the basic maths behind the return on content and SEO. Here are the most important figures from research published in 2025 and early 2026.

Pew Research: with an AI overview, half as many people click

Pew Research Center tracked the real behaviour of 900 adult users in the USA on a sample of roughly 68,000 searches. The result: when an AI overview appeared on the results page, users clicked a classic result in only 8% of cases. Without the AI overview it was 15% – roughly double. And only about 1% of users clicked a link placed directly inside the AI overview. In other words: the AI overview simply absorbs most of the demand for clicking.

Ahrefs: CTR drops by tens of percent

In spring 2025 Ahrefs first measured that the presence of an AI overview reduces clicks on the first position by about 34.5%. In an extended analysis of roughly 300,000 keywords with Search Console data, the CTR drop for position one with an AI overview shown came out even steeper – more than half. Independent measurements from 2024–2025 agree on a band of minus 30 to minus 50% of clicks wherever the AI answer appears.

What the numbers mean in practice

Position is no longer everything. You can rank first on Google and still lose half your clicks if an AI answer sits above you – one you are not part of.
Zero-click is the new norm. A growing share of queries ends without a visit to any website. Value is shifting from the click to the mention in the answer.
A brand in the answer beats a link below it. When the AI overview recommends three brands, users remember them – not whoever ranked fourth underneath.

It is not only bad news

The same research shows the other side of the coin: a visitor who does arrive from an AI answer is far more valuable and converts several times better (we cover the value of AI traffic in a separate article). The total volume of clicks is falling, but their quality is rising. The winner is whoever gets mentioned in the answers – and the loser is whoever relies on rankings alone.

What to do about it

Start measuring mentions, not just clicks. Ask AI assistants the questions your customers ask and watch whether they mention you.
Write quotably. Concrete numbers, definitions and clear answers – that is the material AI picks up.
Build brand authority. Mentions in trustworthy media are the signal models use to decide who to recommend. That is exactly what the Linketica marketplace helps with – PR articles and mentions in premium media without calling newsrooms one by one.

Ilustrace zero-click vyhledávání — Stále víc dotazů končí bez jediného prokliku – odpověď dostal uživatel rovnou.

Časté otázky

How much do clicks drop because of AI overviews?

According to Pew Research, 8% of users click a classic result when an AI overview is shown, versus 15% without it. Ahrefs measured a CTR drop of 34.5% for position one, and over half in an extended analysis. Independent measurements agree on minus 30 to minus 50%.

Do people at least click the links inside the AI overview?

Almost never – according to Pew Research it is about 1% of visits. The main value is therefore not the link in the overview, but the mention of your brand in the answer itself.

Does this mean the end of SEO?

No, but the success metric changes: besides rankings and clicks you need to track whether AI answers mention you. Content and brand authority must be built so that models cite you.