[IN THE NEWS]
AI
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NOVEMBER 4, 2026 — Search Engine Land published a guide to Google AI Overviews that featured Seer Interactive's 2026 research on how AIOs impact Google CTR (the third iteration of our study). And they weren't the only ones to cite our AIO CTR data recently. Our research was also included in other marketing publications: DesignRush, MarketSplash, and a second Search Engine Land blog about homepage traffic.
What We Found
In the April 2026 version of our study, we dove into which types of queries had the highest presence of Google AI Overviews: informational (36%), commercial (8%), and transactional (5%). Within the category of informational queries, we found AIOs appeared on the majority (95%) of comparison queries, AKA search queries of "x vs. y."
The Bigger Picture
AIOs will continue to infiltrate search results. According to Search Engine Land, they now appear in 4 out of 10 searches. There's no re-sealing that can of worms. But the decline in CTR isn't as steep as earlier versions of our study suggested - it's leveled out from 2025. This just shows how unpredictable AI search can be, and why you shouldn't let industry benchmarks dictate your approach. Focus on what your own data is telling you.
Our Take: What This Means for Marketers
AIOs are going to show up alongside your queries - there's no doubt about that. Instead of fretting over whether it's negatively impacting your CTR (it is), focus on adjusting your strategy for channels that still return value and building credibility with your audience.
Seer has seen better value from social, direct, and referral channels compared to organic and AI. So we focus on building content for those human-driven channels and assign them a higher value when tracking.
You can also focus on the foundational work of making sure AI is getting your brand narrative right when it does mention you (because it's probably sharing misleading information about your brand right now). Analyze what AI is saying about you and try to influence it if it's wrong. We call this a brand canon, and you can learn how to build one here.
Resources
Check out the Search Engine Land AIOs guide: Google AI Overviews: Everything You Need to Know
Read the 2026 version of Seer's AIO CTR study: AIO Impact on Google CTR: 2026 Update
View the DesignRush post: AI Overview CTR Rebounds 85%, Leaving Marketers With Less Reach
See the MarketSplash stats roundup: 41 AI Overviews Statistics to Plan Next Year's Organic Traffic
Read the second Search Engine Land blog on homepage traffic: 3 in 4 Homepages Lost Organic Clicks: An Analysis of 110 Sites