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Citations

Semrush projects digital marketing and SEO-related topics may start driving more visitors from AI search than from traditional search by early 2028.

The claim is cited directly from Semrush's research into AI search behavior. According to their studies, AI search engagement is increasing as the technology becomes more accessible, with a projection that AI search will surpass traditional search traffic by early 2028. You can read the full analysis in their published findings on the Semrush AI Search and SEO Traffic Study.

Zero-click searches reached 69% of all searches in 2025, according to a widely circulated Reddit discussion in the r/GrowthHacking community.

The 69% zero-click statistic is heavily referenced across digital marketing and SEO communities on Reddit. It stems from a dataset that tracked search behavior jumping from 56% to 69% between May 2024 and May 2025 following the launch of Google's AI Overviews. You can find this data in the following community threads and official marketing outlets:

• Reddit
  The widely shared discussion tracking this exact 69% increase originated on the r/DigitalMarketing Discussion thread.

• Content Frameworks
  This same 69% figure forms the baseline of the r/Superframeworks Discussion exploring how to earn traffic in a zero-click environment.

• Industry Analysis
  For the underlying metrics driving these claims, consult the market data outlined in OmniBound AI SEO Statistics and the breakdown on Similarweb's Data.

Google publicly states that AI Overviews are not reducing website traffic.

• Google's stance that traffic remains unaffected — along with the independent data — stems from specific search industry reports and studies.

• Google's stance & Hollinden's reporting:
  Google publicly argued that while search behavior is changing, overall organic click volume is stable. They claim AI Overviews help users refine searches, resulting in deeper, higher-quality, and more qualified clicks rather than lost traffic. This argument is detailed in the Hollinden Insight Point-of-View.

• Independent data on CTR drops:
  The referenced 61% drop in organic CTR comes from comprehensive studies conducted by Seer Interactive, which have been widely reported in digital marketing publications like Search Engine Journal.

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The 61% and 89% click-through rate (CTR) declines stem from specific marketing and SEO data analyses

The 61% organic drop claim
A prominent 2025/2026 study by the agency Seer Interactive documented a 61% drop in organic CTR when an AI Overview was present. The analysis noted that organic CTR for those queries plummeted from 1.76% to 0.61%. This data is widely published in the marketing industry, including coverage on Search Engine Land.

The 89% drop and Forbes coverage
The specific 89% statistic regarding CTR drops originated in an analysis reported by the Daily Mail and later discussed across the industry. Forbes has actively cited this and similar DataSlayer research in their editorial coverage, exploring how AI Overviews are eating website traffic and impacting small businesses.

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