• by Nikki Lam , July 14, 2026

With the rapid rise of assistive and generative AI technology, AI overviews have become commonplace. A feature in search engines that uses generative AI to summarize an answer to any search query, AI overviews can mean fewer clicks for you, even if visibility remains. 

Impact on traditional searches
AI overviews are changing the way discovery works, giving searchers quick access to information, but also reducing click-through rates, especially for extensive, research-heavy searches. Businesses rely on these in-depth searches to rank at the top of SERPs and drive more traffic through their funnels. 

The impact of this shift to AI overviews has been more than noticeable, with queries being answered before a searcher can even reach a business’s site. The decline in click-through rates has been dramatic for many businesses — up to 89% for some. 

However, the prevalence of AI overviews doesn’t mean that your site or its content has lost any value. It simply means that the path from search to visit has gotten shorter. Often, users stop before reaching the last step in the discovery process because they have already found the information they need. 

Redistributing attention
So, are AI overviews stealing clicks? In a word, yes. But that isn’t the whole story. 

In a broader sense, this is a redistribution of attention. Brands and businesses that have been used to dominating searches by ranking first now have to go back to the drawing board and find out how to win visibility and clicks with the answers themselves. That entails creating content that is clear, structured, credible, and easy for AI systems to quote in overviews. 

The days of focusing on pageviews may be coming to an end, but all is not lost for businesses fighting to be seen. The smartest response is adaptation, not panic. 

Businesses should complete audits that show them which pages are losing clicks and identify which queries are most likely to trigger an AI overview. With this information, they can strengthen their content and make it more authoritative, specific, and trustworthy.

This new approach may mean shifting budgets away from informational terms and toward high-intent inquiries for paid ads. For SEO content creation, it means answering questions better than your competitors and giving people a reason to click through to access more in-depth information.

AI overviews have not killed traditional searches, but they are changing how online queries work going forward. The brands and businesses that find a way to adjust to this changing tide will continue to gain attention in their markets, even as AI continues to influence search.

— Nikki Lam, Senior Vice President of Earned Media for NP Digital, is a seasoned SEO expert who oversees the Organic Search offering, leads a growing team of passionate search strategists, and assists in pitching and formulating award-winning SEO campaigns for NP’s growing roster of enterprise and Fortune 1000 clients. She also collaborates with NP Digital's growing global Earned Media teams to ensure consistency, foster innovation, nurture collaboration, and uphold operational excellence. She has helped elevate the online presence of global brands like Adobe, Lenovo, Samsung, Under Armour, Levi’s, T-Mobile, Office Depot, American Airlines, Western Union, SoFi & more. 

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