Google is still where most searches start, but fewer of those searches end in a click to a website. At the same time, the price of buying a click on Google Ads keeps going up.
The short version: organic clicks are shrinking because AI answers sit on top of the results, and paid clicks cost more every year. Brands that rely on Google alone are paying more for less.
Organic clicks are falling
When Google shows an AI Overview, people click less. Pew Research Center found that users clicked a regular search result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% when it didn't. Ahrefs measured the click rate on the number one result for searches with an AI Overview falling from 7.3% in December 2023 to 1.6% in December 2025.
Ranking first used to guarantee traffic. On searches with an AI Overview, it now earns a fraction of the clicks it did two years ago.
Paid clicks cost more every year
WordStream by LocaliQ's 2026 benchmark report put the average Google Ads cost per click at $5.42 in 2025, up from $4.66 in 2024, a 16% increase. Costs rose in 87% of industries. Conversion rates improved, but the average cost per lead still climbed about 5%.
Why both are happening
- AI answers resolve more questions on the results page, so fewer people need to click.
- The clicks that remain are more competitive, so more advertisers bid on them.
- Google's automated campaign types spend more freely unless they are fed real outcomes, such as leases or sales, rather than form fills.
What to do about it
1. Feed Google real outcomes
Send signed leases, sales or booked appointments back to Google Ads through server-side tracking and offline conversions. Bidding on real outcomes is the most reliable way to keep cost per result down when cost per click goes up.
2. Cut what doesn't convert
Review search terms weekly, tighten match types and pause campaigns that produce clicks but not customers.
3. Spread the budget
Microsoft Ads, Meta, Apple Maps and ChatGPT ads can reach the same buyers, sometimes for less. Test them with a small budget and keep what works.
4. Get cited in AI answers
Clear, specific pages, structured data and consistent business details make it more likely that AI Overviews and assistants like ChatGPT mention you. Being the cited source is now part of SEO.
5. Measure the whole funnel
Look at cost per lease or cost per sale, not cost per click. A channel with expensive clicks can still be the cheapest way to get a customer.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results, July 2025.
- Ahrefs, AI Overviews reduce clicks by 58%, February 2026.
- WordStream by LocaliQ, Google Ads benchmarks report, May 2026.