AI Search Optimisation vs Google AI Overviews – Recover a Fair Slice of Traffic

Why impressions are up, visits are down, and what smart brands should do before the robots eat the rest of the pie.

Between April 2024 and April 2025 the average UK website saw impressions climb but clicks collapse; Google’s new AI Overviews (AIO) are swallowing the traffic that once flowed to the search results. AIO now appears on roughly one-in-eight searches, doubles its footprint every few months, and chops 15–22 % off organic click-through rates (CTR). Unless you earn a citation inside the overview, or diversify beyond Google, expect another 25-30 % slide in the next year. 

The Traffic Mystery

Visibility Up, Visits Down 

Granite 5’s own snapshot is painfully typical: impressions +15.7 % YoY, clicks -65.5 %, CTR down from 0.97 % to 0.29 %. Pages that still rank #1 (“benefits of updating a website”, “why it’s important to update your site”) lost 70 % of their clicks since AIO started sitting above them. Zero-click is no longer a rounding error, inevitably, it’s the default outcome. 

Our experience 

AI Overviews have re-sorted the SERP, pushing classic blue links below the fold and creating a new zero-click ceiling. Even pages still ranking #1 can be buried, explaining why our “benefits of updating a website” post loses traffic despite holding top position and seeing impressions increase.  

What the Numbers Say 

Metric	Apr 2024	Apr 2025	Δ YoY
Impressions	35,167	40,677	+15.7 %
Clicks	342	118	–65.5 %
Click thru rate	0.97 %	0.29 %	–0.68 pp
Avg. Position	40.1	34.8	-5.3

 Clicks fell even on keywords still holding the #1 slot, e.g. “benefits of updating a website” (-70 % YoY). 

The Rise of AI Overviews 

 “Why should busy marketers care?” 

 AI Overviews are no longer an experiment; they’re fast becoming Google’s default answer box. If you don’t understand where, when and why they appear, you can’t protect the traffic you already own—or win the new real-estate that’s replacing it. 

Key points, translated 

Fact	Why it matters	Jargon buster
AIO fires on 13.14 % of all queries, up from 6.49 % three months earlier. Semrush	Reach is doubling quarter-on-quarter; ignoring AIO today is like ignoring featured snippets in 2016.	AIO = Google-generated summary that sits above normal search results.
Mobile sightings +119 % YoY; they now appear on 10.4 % of US desktop keywords. seoClarity	Mobile is where most discovery happens – losing above-the-fold space here hurts first.	Above the fold = content visible without scrolling.
60.85 % of 4-word+ “long-tail” queries trigger AIO. SE Ranking	Blog-style “how/why” articles are ground zero for disruption.	Long-tail query = a search with four or more words, usually specific and low-volume.

 

What It Does to Click-Through Rates 

Positioning statement – “Why CTR still rules the KPI roost.” 

Impressions look good on a chart, but clicks pay the bills. When AIO shows up, the average link’s ability to attract a click dives by double-digit percentages—sometimes, as we discovered, even for #1 rankings. 

Key findings 

Scenario – Δ Organic CTR	Take-away
700k-keyword study: -15.49 % average CTR drop when AIO present. Tech News World	Prepare for a permanent haircut in easy-win traffic.
Ahrefs sample (300k keywords): -34.5 % for position-1 links. rwdigital.ca	Even “pole position” is no longer safe.
Granite 5 test pages: -18 → -22 % CTR after AIO launch.	Confirms global trend at local level.
EU zero-click share now 64 %+. sparktoro.com	Majority of searches end without leaving Google.

Jargon buster
CTR (Click-Through Rate) = Clicks ÷ Impressions. A falling CTR means users saw you but didn’t visit you. 

Why Google Won’t Roll It Back 

• Convenience keeps users – Google says people “use Search more and are more satisfied” with AIO. blog.google 

• Bigger ad canvas – extra space appears directly above the organic links, boosting paid exposure. Search Engine Land 

• Arms-race optics – Alphabet positions AIO as its answer to ChatGPT and Perplexity. The Verge 

It’s Not Just AI – Freshness & Format Matter 

Outdated guides, meandering intros, and missing schema lose to concise sources that AIO can quote. BrightEdge data shows Google is “citing deeper” into structured pages for newer stats and clear definitions. Search Engine Journal 

AI Search Optimisation

or How to Make Friends with the Machines

 “AI search optimisation is the practice of structuring content so large-language-model search features can retrieve, summarise and cite it accurately.” 

Google isn’t rolling AIO back, so the smartest play is to become the source it quotes, or pivot into search spaces AIO ignores. 

Priority	Action	Why it matters	Plain-English tip
1	Win the citation inside AIO with 15-word definitions + FAQ/HowTo schema.	>70 % of AIO citations come from structured pages. seoClarity	Start answers with “What is …?” and keep it tweet-length.
2	Defend featured snippets (H2 matches query; 40–60-word paragraph).	Google still pulls 40–60-word blocks. Marketing Scoopmangools	Think “executive summary”, not essay.
3	Refresh evergreen guides every 6-9 months.	Freshness is a ranking factor and a citation magnet.SE Ranking	Schedule content MOTs like car services.
4	Shift to mid/bottom-funnel pages (comparisons, pricing).	Transactional terms trigger far fewer AIOs. Search Engine Land	Answer “which” and “how much” questions.
5	Publish proprietary stats or contrarian POVs.	Original data makes you quotable. Backlinko	Run a micro-survey; publish the numbers.

 

*Glossary snippet
Schema = hidden code that tells Google what your content means; FAQ schema marks Q&A pairs, How-to schema labels step-by-step guides. 

90-Day Action Plan 

Positioning statement – “From strategy to sprint: who does what by when.” 

A plan without dates and owners is just a wish-list. Here’s a three-month roadmap that turns insights into measurable wins. 

Phase	Task	Owner	Result
1-10	Audit pages with CTR < 1 %; flag those where AIO appears.	SEO	Baseline set & biggest leaks identified.
11-25	Rewrite metas + intros with definition hooks; add query-led H2s.	Content + SEO	Pages prepped for snippet grabs.
26-45	Implement FAQ/HowTo schema; request re-indexing.	Dev + SEO	Eligible for AIO citations.
46-60	Secure 25 fresh citations; update internal links.	Outreach	Authority boost & crawl depth fixed.
61-75	Publish 3 support articles + 2 YouTube Shorts.	Content	Diversified traffic sources.
76-90	Compare AIO impressions, citation share, revenue by intent; report to board.	SEO Lead	Proof of progress – or need for pivot.

 

FAQs

1. What is AI search optimisation?

AI search optimisation is the practice of structuring content—headings, definitions, schema, data—so that large-language-model features like Google’s AI Overview can easily retrieve, summarise and cite it. It’s essentially “SEO for generative search.” granite5.com

2. Why are my Google impressions up but clicks down?

Since April 2024 Google’s AI Overviews have expanded to roughly one-in-eight UK searches and sit above the classic blue links. Brands typically see impressions rise (+15 % YoY) yet clicks fall (-65 % YoY) because users find the answer in the Overview and never scroll to the organic results. granite5.com

3. How can I earn a citation inside an AI Overview?

Give Google a 15-word answer block that begins with “What is/How to…”, add FAQPage or HowTo schema, and keep paragraphs to 40–60 words. Over 70 % of Overview citations currently come from pages that use this exact structured format. granite5.com

4. Which schema types help the most with AI search optimisation?

FAQPage, HowTo, and definition-rich Article schema are the top performers. They label question-answer and step-by-step content so the Overview can quote and attribute you cleanly. Always include headline, author, dateModified, and publisher information for extra authority signals. granite5.com

5. Will Google roll back AI Overviews?

Unlikely. Google reports higher user satisfaction and increased ad real estate, positioning AIO as its answer to ChatGPT. Industry data suggests AIO coverage is doubling quarter-on-quarter, so brands should adapt rather than wait for a reversal. granite5.com

The Bottom Line 

Google has moved the goalposts, and put a robot in front of them. If you’re not inside the AI Overview, you’re outside the click-stream. Treat AIO like “Position 0”, bake structured answers into every evergreen piece, and seed your expertise across platforms you actually control.  

Understand the mechanics, measure the fallout, and engineer your content so the robot reads you first – because, as we are starting to realise, in 2025 the safest place to hide a body is no longer on the second page of Google search, it is under an AI Overview.