09/02/2026
"How are we supposed to prove SEO is working if we can't measure clicks?"
If you find yourself with the same concerns, here’s what to know:
It’s true that AI Overviews steal clicks from organic traffic and as a result, clicks no longer tell the full story.
In our experience, when this happens to a client, it’s not uncommon to see impressions grow, clicks drop year-over-year (which looks bad), yet branded search traffic increases—all in the same time window.
That's not a coincidence.
That's users reading the AI Overview, getting the basic info they need at that point in time, then coming back later by searching your name directly.
The AI-generated answer became step one of their research, not the end of it.
When you miss that pattern, you risk making needless or harmful changes to your SEO strategy. But if you catch it, these insights help you understand what’s working, and where to double down.
Clicks are still the easiest number to pull. They're just not the only ones that tell you the truth. These days, we also measure AI Overview impressions, number of pages AI cites in related searches, and many other metrics that help tell a fuller story.
If your reporting stops at top-line clicks, that's the kind of blind spot we help clients overcome.
