SEO study finds AI Overviews clicks near 0.9%, but the data is thin

SEO consultant Cyrus Shepard shared a small case study on 30 October 2026. He used Google's opt-out controls to block his site from AI Overviews and AI Mode, then compared impressions, clicks and click-through rate (CTR) with and without those features. Search Engine Roundtable reported the results.

His estimate is that impressions inside Google's AI features earned a CTR of about 0.9%. He reached that figure by taking the site's overall CTR and impressions and subtracting the known AI impressions during the test. AI impressions made up about 8% of the site's total impressions, and they fell to zero as soon as he opted out.

Why it matters

The number is low, and it will be quoted widely. Treat it with care. It covers one site, and the article calls it a small sample with no stated duration. The 0.9% is a calculated estimate, not a figure Google reports.

The more interesting finding is the side effect. Regular organic clicks also dropped when AI features were switched off. The article gives no exact size for that drop. Shepard's reading is that appearing in AI answers may help regular results, an idea he calls a halo effect. That is his interpretation of limited data.

There is a second caveat. AI Overviews still appeared on the results pages during the test. The site was just absent from them, so the study does not compare clicks with and without AI answers on the page. Greg Sterling also pointed to Near Media research suggesting AI Overviews can create brand lift that leads to later searches and clicks.

What to do this week

• Check your own data. Look at your Search Console reports for AI features and compare clicks with impressions on your pages that appear most often.
• Do not opt out on one study. The test suggests that leaving AI answers may cost organic clicks too. Run your own comparison on a small set of pages before you change anything sitewide.
• Track mentions as well as clicks. If few people click, being named still shapes what buyers shortlist. Measure how often assistants name your brand against your competitors.
• Capture visitors who do arrive. When fewer visits reach your site, each one counts more. Make sure someone can answer their questions and collect their details at any hour.