February 23, 2026, 5:33 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Google’s AI responses are causing massive click losses for websites because Google displays them at the top of search results for many queries. Now, the company wants to counteract this.
AI Summaries Reduce Click Rates
This new type of display has measurable consequences. According to an analysis by Ahrefs, users are significantly less likely to click on the top search results when an AI Overview is shown. The click rate drops by about 58 percent. Even pages that remain at the top lose a large portion of their visitors. For many users, the AI response seems sufficient, making direct visits to a website increasingly rare.
Google Responds with New Link Display
For website operators, this development is problematic. Google is therefore trying to counteract it. Robby Stein, head of Google Search, introduced a new display of links within the AI Overviews. Instead of simple references, Google shows an additional window when hovering over a link symbol with the mouse.
This window displays multiple sources, supplemented by images and short text excerpts. According to Google, these additional details are intended to encourage users to click on one of the linked pages more often. In internal tests, the new display increased user engagement.
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Why Google Wants to Combat Click Losses
Google does not want users to completely forgo visiting websites. The content of the AI Overviews comes from external sources. If these sites suffer massive click losses due to AI responses, they lose visitors and revenue. This would make it less attractive for operators to provide content that Google relies on in search. The new displays are intended to counteract this effect.
Opportunities and Risks for Websites
For many website operators, the new display is still a glimmer of hope. It could at least recover some of the lost clicks. However, this is not guaranteed. Many users might continue to stay on Google if they have already found their answer. Smaller and medium-sized websites, in particular, would rely on additional visitors, as more clicks generally mean higher revenue. Whether Google’s approach helps in the long term or the click problem persists will only become clear with the further spread of AI Overviews.