Two independent datasets now agree on the size of the effect: when Google shows an AI answer above the results, far fewer people click the first organic link.
The numbers
First Page Sage's September 2026 report, built from Search Console data covering 3.67 billion impressions on 1,184 domains between March and August 2026, splits CTR by whether an AI answer was shown:
| Position | No AI answer | AI answer shown | Blended |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 22.6% | 3.6% | 7.1% |
| #2 | 10.2% | 1.4% | 3% |
| #3 | 5.8% | 0.8% | 1.7% |
| #4 | 3.7% | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| #5 | 2.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| #6 | 1.8% | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| #7 | 1.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| #8 | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| #9 | 0.7% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| #10 | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
First Page Sage, Google Click-Through Rates (CTRs) by Ranking Position in 2026 (2026-09-22)
Ahrefs measured the same thing differently. Its first study (April 2025, 300,000 keywords) found AI Overviews correlated with a 34.5% lower CTR for the top result. Its re-run with December 2025 data found position 1 desktop CTR fell from 7.6% to 3.9% over two years, and on AI Overview keywords from 7.3% to 1.6%. Ahrefs, AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 34.5% (2025-04-17); Ahrefs via MediaNama, Google AI Overviews reduce clicks by 58% (Ahrefs re-run, reported by MediaNama) (2026-02)
How many people see AI answers
Google said at I/O 2026 that AI Overviews reach 2.5 billion users a month, and by its Q2 2026 earnings AI Mode had passed 1 billion monthly users. Dataconomy (reporting Google I/O 2026), Google says AI Overviews reach 2.5 billion monthly users (2026-06-12); Google, Alphabet Q2 2026 earnings call, CEO remarks (2026-07)
What it means for your keyword list
- Informational keywords are worth less traffic than their volume suggests. They still build trust and can earn citations in AI answers, but don't forecast traffic from them at old CTRs.
- Local and transactional searches hold up better, because the searcher needs to act: call, book, buy, get directions.
- Featured snippets still earn clicks: First Page Sage puts them at 11.4% CTR where they appear (6.8% of queries).
- Brand demand matters more. People who already know your name click through.
How to be cited in AI answers
Google says no special markup or AI text file is needed; pages must be indexed and eligible for snippets. Clear direct answers, original data, fair comparisons and consistent facts about your business help. In June 2026 Google clarified that llms.txt has no effect on Search. Google Search Central, AI features and your website (checked 2026-09)
Search Console's Generative AI performance report, rolled out worldwide by 31 August 2026, shows AI Overview and AI Mode impressions per page. Pair it with conversions; an impression isn't a customer.