Did AI Overviews Steal Your Clicks? Use Query Groups to Prove It and Win Back Traffic

1. The quiet traffic drop nobody saw coming

By late 2025, more sites started noticing a strange pattern: stable rankings, falling CTR, and traffic that looked “flatlined” despite decent impressions. The culprit isn’t poor SEO—it’s Google’s AI Overviews.

When an AI Overview gives users a ready-made summary, it absorbs the first click that used to go to your site. Users still search, but they no longer need to visit. This “no-click zone” now appears on an increasing number of informational searches.

You can’t turn AI Overviews off—but you can measure where they’re affecting your site and adjust your content format to compete inside that summary box.

2. Enter Query Groups — Google’s new early-warning system

Google recently added Query Groups to the Search Console Insights section. It’s a subtle feature, but incredibly useful.

Instead of showing you thousands of keywords in isolation, it clusters related searches together—think “how-to guides,” “best tools,” or “what is X.”

When one group suddenly drops in clicks while impressions stay stable, that’s a signal: either user intent shifted, or AI Overviews started covering that topic directly.

You can’t see “AI Overview” as a separate filter, but with Query Groups, you can infer it—especially if those queries are informational in nature.

3. How to identify AIO-affected pages (step-by-step)

Step 1: Export your Query Groups

Go to Search Console → Insights → Query Groups, export your top 20 groups, and compare the last four weeks against the previous month.

Step 2: Tag your groups by intent

Mark each group as either:

• Informational (definitions, comparisons, how-to)

• Commercial/Transactional (buy, price, near me)

AI Overviews mostly affect informational clusters, so focus there first.

Step 3: Compare CTR vs position

Inside your performance report, check for pages where CTR dropped by 20% or more while the average position stayed the same.

That’s your shortlist of possible AIO-impacted pages.

Step 4: Audit those pages

Open each page and ask:

• Does it give a clear, cited answer in the first 100 words?

• Does it include any data visualization (charts, tables, infographics)?

• Are subheadings written as natural questions?

If not, it’s probably losing to AI Overviews because your page is “too slow to satisfy” the intent.

Step 5: Refresh the format

Add a 2–3 sentence summary answer at the top.

Include one stat or insight from your own data or a reputable source.

Turn your subheadings into question-style H2s to match search phrasing.

Embed one simple chart or bullet summary near the intro.

Google’s AI model prefers clean, structured clarity—it’s not about keyword stuffing anymore.

4. Track recovery with ZerocostSEO’s Keyword Position Tracker

Once you’ve optimized those pages, track progress using the Keyword Position Tracker (internal link).

Create two segments:

• AIO-Likely Queries → informational topics

• Core Intent Queries → commercial/transactional

Monitor CTR changes over 2–3 weeks. You’ll usually notice small rebounds as the AI Overview starts quoting or referencing your improved page.

5. Build a repeatable template for “AIO-proof” pages

Here’s a structure that works consistently across niches:

H1: State the main question clearly

Intro (80–100 words): Provide the short answer immediately

Section 1: Supporting proof (stats, quotes, visuals)

Section 2: Step-by-step or actionable guide

Section 3: Quick facts or mini-summary

FAQs: 4–5 natural-language questions that clarify side-intent

CTA: Link to your Keyword Position Tracker to monitor updates

This format mirrors how AI Overviews parse answers and increases your odds of being sourced directly.

6. FAQs

Can I see AI Overview data directly in Search Console?

No, Google merges AIO traffic with normal search metrics. That’s why Query Groups are so helpful—they reveal sudden behavioral shifts in related topics.

Which keywords are most affected?

Informational ones like “how to fix,” “what is,” and “best tools for.” Anything Google can summarize quickly is a target.

Should I stop creating informational content?

Not at all. Just adapt it. Focus on expert insights, original visuals, and structured clarity—things AI can’t replicate fully.

Does adding schema help?

Yes, but only relevant schema (Article, FAQ, Organization). Don’t over-markup pages that no longer qualify for rich results.

7. Conclusion

AI Overviews aren’t killing SEO—they’re changing it. You can still earn visibility if you give Google’s AI the kind of clarity it wants: fast, sourced, and structured.

Use Query Groups as your radar, track patterns weekly, and rebuild your top pages into “answer-first” layouts. When the rest of the web complains about losing clicks, you’ll already be adapting.