Ahrefs: AI Overviews Cut the Top Result's CTR by 58%

An Ahrefs study published on February 4, 2026 found that AI Overviews correlate with a 58% lower clickthrough rate for the top-ranking page. For keywords that later showed an AI Overview, the average desktop CTR of the number one result fell from 0.073 in December 2023 to 0.016 in December 2025. That is a sharp jump from the 34.5% reduction Ahrefs measured in the April 2025 version of the same study.

What the data shows

The decline is not limited to the top spot. Ahrefs measured the negative CTR impact across the first page, ranging from roughly -50.8% at position 2 down to -19.4% at position 10. Every position loses clicks when an AI Overview is present, but the highest-ranking pages lose the most in absolute terms.

Position	CTR impact with AI Overview
1	about -58%
2	-50.8%
10	-19.4%

How it was measured

Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 keywords, 150,000 with AI Overviews present and 150,000 without, using aggregated Google Search Console data for each keyword’s average desktop CTR per month from December 2023 to December 2025.

What it means for you

Ranking number one is no longer the click guarantee it once was. If your key terms now trigger an AI Overview, your top positions are likely earning fewer clicks than they did two years ago, even with no drop in rank. Two practical moves: check which of your money keywords show an AI Overview, and watch impressions versus clicks in Search Console for a widening gap. Then make the snippet you do control work harder. A sharper, benefit-first meta description can lift the clicks that remain, see how to write a meta description for the specifics, then check the draft against Google’s real pixel limits in the SERP snippet preview tool. You can read the full Ahrefs update here.

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[ FAQ ]

How much do AI Overviews reduce clicks?

Ahrefs found a 58% lower clickthrough rate for the top-ranking page on keywords that show an AI Overview, measured across 300,000 keywords using Google Search Console data.

Did the AI Overviews CTR impact get worse?

Yes. The April 2025 version of the study measured a 34.5% reduction. The February 2026 update measured 58%, so the impact roughly doubled.

Do AI Overviews only affect the number one result?

No. The negative CTR impact spans the page, from about -50.8% at position 2 down to -19.4% at position 10.