TL;DR. The click-through rate is collapsing. 60% of searches now end without a click (Bain). AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and other answer engines synthesize one response instead of sending users to your site. You are no longer competing for page 1. You are competing to be in the answer.
What changed
- You compete to be positively mentioned in the source the AI cites, not for a blue link.
- 25–30% of all web traffic will be AI-driven by end of 2026 (Gartner).
- AI is now the #1 most preferred source of information among users (McKinsey).
- 90% of all B2B buying will be AI-agent intermediated by 2028 (Gartner).
What this means for your funnel
Non-branded end-of-funnel (transactional) and middle-of-funnel (consideration) queries are the first to migrate. First-of-stage queries migrate next, as users trust AI answers for product comparisons and "best-of" questions. Your branded search volume will hold longer than non-branded, but both are directionally down.
Do this now:
Check your Google Search Console for the last 12 months. Sort by impressions-to-clicks ratio. Declining CTR on informational queries is the early warning sign.
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