What the studies report
| Source and date | What it measured | What it reported |
|---|---|---|
| Pew Research Center, July 22, 2025 | Browsing by 900 U.S. adults, March 2025, 68,879 Google searches | Traditional result clicked on 8% of visits with an AI summary vs 15% without; a link inside the summary clicked on about 1% |
| Ahrefs, April 17, 2025 | 300,000 keywords, desktop Search Console CTR, March 2024 vs March 2025 | Position one CTR 34.5% lower on keywords with an AI Overview |
| Ahrefs update, February 4, 2026 | Same method, December 2023 vs December 2025 | 58% lower position one CTR; Ahrefs calls it a correlation, not proof of cause |
| Seer Interactive, November 4, 2025 | 3,119 informational queries, 42 client organizations, June 2024 to September 2025 | Organic CTR fell on queries with and without AI Overviews; brands cited in an AI Overview had higher organic CTR than uncited ones |
| Google, August 6, 2025 | Google's own data, numbers not published | Total organic click volume relatively stable year over year; slightly more quality clicks |
Why the evidence is mixed
The studies measure different things. Pew tracked real browsing; Ahrefs and Seer compared click-through rates on sets of keywords; Google reported aggregate totals without the underlying figures and said many outside reports rely on flawed methods. Ahrefs and Seer focused on informational queries, and none of the studies isolated legal searches. Seer also cautions that cited brands may get more clicks because they are stronger brands to begin with, not because they were cited. Google's own guidance adds that clicks from results with AI Overviews are higher quality, meaning visitors tend to spend more time on the site.
What to track for your firm
Google reports AI feature traffic inside the Web search type in Search Console, so watch your own clicks, calls, and consultations over time rather than borrowing an industry percentage. Pair that with dated question tests from tracking AI citations, and make the pages most likely to be quoted worth the click, as described in what an answer-first practice page is. For a practice where many searches start on a phone, see AI search for injury firms.
Go deeper
The AEO guide for law firms covers how answers are lifted from pages and what AEO can and cannot promise.
Keep reading
Sources
- Pew Research Center, "Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results" (July 22, 2025)
- Ahrefs, "AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 34.5%" (April 17, 2025)
- Ahrefs, "Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 58%" (February 4, 2026)
- Seer Interactive, "AIO Impact on Google CTR: September 2025 Update" (November 4, 2025)
- Google, "AI in Search is driving more queries and higher quality clicks" (August 6, 2025)
- Google Search Central, "AI features and your website" (last updated December 10, 2025)