Google AI Overviews are Eating into Top Organic CTR By 59% in Germany

A Noticeable Shift in Search Behaviour

Google’s AI-generated summaries are quietly changing how people use search. The online publishers in Germany are beginning to feel the impact.

A large-scale study by analytics firm SISTRIX, which examined over 100 million keywords, found that these AI Overviews are significantly reducing clicks on traditional search results.

When these summaries appear, the click-through rate (CTR) for the top organic result drops sharply from 27% to just 11%.

That’s a fall of nearly 60%, and it signals a major shift in how users interact with search pages.

AI Overviews are Now a Common Sight

The study shows that AI Overviews appear in about 20% of searches in Germany.

 In most cases, they are placed right at the top of the page above the usual organic listings.

This intelligent positioning matters and when users see a detailed summary upfront, they don’t feel the need to click further.

As a result of this condition, the share of searches that lead to any organic click drops from 57% to 33% when an AI Overview is present.

In a more easily understandable term, fewer people are leaving Google to visit other websites.

Millions of Clicks Lost Every Month

The scale of this shift is significant. SISTRIX estimates that publishers in Germany are losing around 265 million organic clicks every month due to AI Overviews.

Spread across all keywords including those without AI summaries-this equals an average loss of about 6.6% in clicks. While that may sound moderate, the impact is far from even.

Some Industries Hit Much Harder

Not all websites are affected in the same way. The study highlights clear differences across industries.

Websites focused on parenting and baby care have seen some of the biggest drops, losing over 24% of their organic traffic. Health and home improvement sites are also seeing above-average declines.

On the other hand, recipe websites have been largely unaffected, with losses of around 1%. News and media platforms are also relatively less impacted, seeing a drop of just over 7%. Shopping and travel booking sites show minimal change.

The reason is simple: AI summaries are better at answering informational queries. When users are looking for quick answers, they often find what they need without clicking further. But for tasks like booking a hotel or buying a product, users still need to visit a website.

Big Names, Big Losses

In terms of total traffic, large platforms are also seeing notable declines. Wikipedia leads the list, losing an estimated 31.6 million clicks per month in Germany.

Other affected sites include health and information portals, many of which rely heavily on search traffic. Some niche health websites are seeing losses of nearly 30% of their organic clicks.

Meanwhile, platforms like Booking.com and Amazon are noticing only marginal declines.

Germany vs The Rest of the World

Similar trends have been observed in other countries, including the United States. However, the drop in Germany appears more steep.

While some studies in the US show a decline in clicks when AI summaries appear, the reduction is not as sharp as what is being reported here in Germany.

It’s still unclear whether this difference is due to user behaviour or differences in how the data was collected.

Why This Matters for Publishers

For anyone working in search or digital publishing, these findings are hard to ignore.

A small average drop can hide much bigger losses in specific sectors. This means publishers can no longer rely only on keyword volume to predict traffic. Whether an AI Overview appears for a search term is now just as important.

What is Next?

AI Overviews are still expanding. Earlier last year, they appeared in about 17% of searches in Germany. That figure is now increasing and has risen to 20%.

The growth may be gradual, but the direction is clear. As AI takes up more space on search pages, publishers are rethinking their gameplan on how they can attract readers. This will help them in where their traffic will come from in the future.