SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2026--
New research from Ahrefs, a leading marketing platform, found that Google's AI Overviews now result in a 58% lower average clickthrough rate for top-ranking pages, up from 34.5% just eight months ago. Despite Google’s statements that links in AI Overviews get higher clickthrough rates than if outside of it, the jump suggests that with AI Overviews in their current form, those clicks to websites won't come back.
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The study analyzed 300,000 keywords using Google Search Console data, comparing click-through rates from December 2023 (before AI Overviews) to December 2025. Out of every 100 clicks that once went to top-ranking websites, Google now keeps 58.
"Regardless of how you feel about AI Overviews, they’re already taking the majority of clicks that used to go to top-ranking pages. Businesses are definitely feeling the traffic loss,” said Ryan Law, Director of Content Marketing at Ahrefs. "Search is becoming zero-click, which means people's questions are answered directly on Google’s search results page, without a need to click any link.”
AI Overviews don’t just impact pages that rank in position one. The whole first page is affected. Ahrefs’ research also found that the pages in position two lost about half of their clicks, and even pages ranking tenth saw drops of nearly 20%.
These shifts mean businesses need to track not just traditional search rankings, but also brand visibility across AI, industry-relevant platforms, and beyond.
The impact of AI Overviews on website clickthrough rate is already very visible. Fewer people click on the top organic result, and that number continues to decline.
As part of this work, Ahrefs is monitoring every possible SERP feature (e.g., Discussions and forums, People Also Ask, Videos) for their impact, and continues to publish research to help marketers in this new AI era.
Methodology
Ahrefs selected 150,000 keywords with AI Overviews present and 150,000 informational keywords without AI Overviews from its Keywords Explorer database. Researchers used aggregated Google Search Console data to calculate average desktop click-through rates, comparing December 2023 to December 2025.
Media assets
High-resolution charts and the full methodology are available at https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-update/
Availability
Teams can monitor AI Overview impact on their rankings using the SERP features filter in Ahrefs' Site Explorer. Learn more at https://ahrefs.com.
About Ahrefs
Ahrefs is a bootstrapped, profitable marketing software company with over $100 million in annual recurring revenue, operating with a lean team in a crowded market. Without external funding, the company has continued to invest steadily in new capabilities, including AI-driven visibility and analytics.
Chart showing the impact of AI Overviews on CTR for the top 10 positions in Google
Chart showing the change in CTR impact from AI Overviews from March to December
Chart showing the impact of AI Overviews on Position #1 CTR
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2026--
ThetaRay, a global leader in AI financial crime compliance, today released The ThetaRay UK Banking & Fintech Trust Report 2026. The findings, launched on the eve of The Global RegTech Summit, reveal a systemic shift in consumer behavior: 88% of UK customers are prepared to abandon their primary financial institutions over failures in preventing money laundering or terrorist financing.
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Data at a Glance: The Economic Cost of Non-Compliance
“Compliance has moved from back office to front-line engine for customer retention,” said Brad Levy, CEO of ThetaRay. “Switching banks is no longer a major barrier for consumers, and they expect trust, convenience and strong AML practices from their financial institutions.”
“The data proves that legacy, rule-based systems are creating a double-edged risk: they are both too wide a net for modern criminals and too rigid for the modern consumer,” said Garima Chaudhary, VP Financial Crime & Compliance AI at ThetaRay. “For leaders, AI native infrastructure is now the only way to protect brand equity and prevent mass deposit flight.”
The Security vs. Convenience Paradox
While 88% of UK customers currently trust their banks, and have consistently ranked banking as the most trusted subsector in finance since 2023, that trust is fragile. 70% of respondents admitted that the speed and clarity of digital onboarding directly dictates whether they complete an application or abandon the process entirely.
The report reveals that 96% of respondents now demand “clear explanations” of onboarding requirements, and security-related delays, a level of transparency that traditional rule-based frameworks cannot provide at scale.
Methodology
The ThetaRay UK Banking & Fintech Trust Report 2026 was conducted by Centiment, on behalf of ThetaRay, surveying 1,023 UK-based respondents. The sample is representative of the UK population and distributed across a range of age groups.
Download the full report here.
About ThetaRay
ThetaRay harnesses the power of Cognitive AI for financial crime compliance, enabling financial institutions to precisely identify legitimate customers while flagging bad actors. The SaaS solutions overcome the limitations of traditional rule-based systems by shortening long implementation lifecycles, enabling efficient, risk-aware compliance operations. By transforming compliance from a regulatory obligation into a driver of growth, ThetaRay allows institutions to scale faster and expand confidently into new markets. By uncovering hidden criminal networks and delivering actionable insights, ThetaRay empowers organizations to combat evolving threats, maintain positive regulator relationships, and enhance customer experiences. Implemented at some of the world’s leading financial institutions, including Santander, Clear Bank, Mashreq Bank, Payoneer, Onafriq, and Travelex, ThetaRay helps financial institutions thrive, fostering trust and confidence across the global financial ecosystem. For more information, visit www.thetaray.com.
The ThetaRay UK Banking & Fintech Trust Report 2026
