The click is shrinking
In a study of 68,879 real Google searches from March 2025, Pew Research Center found that users clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits where an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% when it did not. Links inside the summary were clicked on only 1% of visits, and sessions were more likely to end on the results page.
The study is observational and US-only, but the direction matches what many site owners report: more impressions, fewer clicks.
What still works
Search engines and AI assistants still need sources. Pages that state facts clearly, cite their own sources, use structured data and stay consistent about who you are, where you are and what you do are easier to quote.
On our own site we publish FAQ and organisation structured data, a plain-language llms.txt file for AI crawlers, and sourced figures on every industry page. None of this is a trick; it is making your content easy to verify.
Outlook
Through 2030, expect the measure of success to move from rankings to citations and qualified enquiries. Track branded searches, direct traffic and leads alongside rankings.
For local businesses, a complete Google Business Profile with consistent name, address and phone details remains one of the highest-return tasks you can do this year.
Sources
Have a project like this in mind?
Talk To Our Team →
