Organic SEO Is Fundamentally Broken
Click-through rates are collapsing, zero-click searches are the norm, and AI Overviews now sit between your customer and your content. This report shows why legacy SEO is failing and how ASO adapts.
Key Findings
CTR collapse
28% → 19%
Position #1 CTR drop after AI Overviews (GrowthSRC).
Zero-click searches
58.5%
Share of U.S. searches ending with no external click (SparkToro/Datos).
AI Overviews growth
6.49% → 29.07%
Query coverage growth from Jan–May 2025 (Semrush).
Publisher traffic loss
10–90%
Publisher-reported organic traffic declines across 2024–2025.
How ASO Responds
ASO is built for the new reality: fewer clicks, more AI answers, and more places where customers start their journey.
AI Overviews eat clicks
ASO optimizes for AI citations and semantic alignment so you’re in the answer, not just the results.
Zero-click dominance
ASO builds multi-surface visibility: AI answers, voice, social, and classic search.
SERP feature crowding
Structured data + intent-focused content improves your eligibility for rich features and AI extraction.
Quality signal decay
ASO emphasizes verifiable expertise and citations, which LLMs and humans can trust.
Search fragmentation
ASO tracks performance across channels so you don’t bet your business on one gatekeeper.
Report Breakdown + ASO Response
AI Overviews CTR Collapse
Multiple studies show significant CTR drops when AI Overviews appear, with position #1 CTR falling from 28% to 19%.
ASO response: ASO optimizes for AI citation eligibility and builds content that models can extract reliably.
Zero-Click Dominance
58.5% of U.S. Google searches end without any external click, with mobile far worse.
ASO response: ASO focuses on multi-surface visibility so discovery doesn’t depend on a single click.
SERP Feature Crowd-Out
Organic results are pushed below the fold on most queries, especially on mobile.
ASO response: ASO uses structured data and intent alignment to win rich features and AI summary inclusion.
Search Quality Decline
Academic research shows top results often favor monetized, optimized content over usefulness.
ASO response: ASO prioritizes verifiable expertise, citations, and structured proof to stand out.
Platform Fragmentation
Users increasingly search via AI assistants and social platforms; Google’s share is slipping.
ASO response: ASO tracks and optimizes for AI, social, voice, and classic search in one system.
Antitrust Findings
Regulators have fined Google for self-preferencing and documented monopoly behavior.
ASO response: ASO reduces dependence on a single gatekeeper by diversifying demand capture.
Sources
- https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/
- https://growthsrc.com/google-organic-ctr-study/
- https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-ctrs-drop-32-for-top-result-after-ai-overview-rollout/551730/
- https://marketing.trialguides.com/news-insights/falling-website-traffic-how-google-ai-overviews-zero-click-searches-are-stealing-your-clicks-and-what-to-do
- https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-drive-drop-organic-paid-ctr-464212
- https://www.seerinteractive.com/news/seer-interactive-research-featured-in-inc.-analysis-of-ctr-and-ai-overviews
- https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/aio-impact-on-google-ctr-september-2025-update
- https://www.techmagnate.com/blog/ai-overview-impact-on-ctr/
- https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overview-growth/
- https://www.demandsage.com/ai-overviews-statistics/
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- https://www.semrush.com/blog/serp-features-guide/
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- https://www.sodaspoon.com/blogs/resources/mobile-vs-desktop-why-ctr-varies-across-devices-and-how-to-optimize-for-both
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- https://vertixmedia.com/over-50-of-google-searches-now-result-in-zero-clicks/
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- https://searchengineland.com/google-search-market-share-drops-2024-450497
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Want the Ad Waste Report Too?
See the paid-search waste evidence and how ASO avoids it.