Google's AI Overviews Are Eating Click-Through Rate for Informational Queries. What's Left to Rank For?

For years, creating an informational blog was fairly straightforward.

Find a useful question, create a better answer than the pages already ranking, and try to earn the click.

That's still important.

But the search results page has changed.

With AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google can now provide an AI-generated answer alongside links to supporting pages. That means someone may get enough information from the search results to decide whether they actually need to visit a website.

So I've started asking a different question before approving an informational topic:

“Is this topic likely to earn a click, or can the search result answer most of it?”

Not Every Informational Query Is the Same

I wouldn't say you should stop writing informational content.

That's too simplistic.

Some topics need a quick answer. Others need examples, original research, comparisons, detailed explanations or expert experience.

The second type can give a reader a much stronger reason to click.

That's why I look at the actual SERP before deciding whether a topic is worth pursuing.

What I Check Before Writing

I usually start with Google Search itself.

Search the target query and look at what's actually appearing.

Then I use Google Search Console to see which queries and pages are already generating impressions and clicks. Search Console's Performance report lets you compare clicks, impressions, CTR and average position.

For keyword research and competitor analysis, tools such as Semrush or Ahrefs can help identify related queries and ranking opportunities.

The tool isn't the important part, though.

The SERP is.

What About Being Cited in AI Overviews?

This is where things get more interesting.

Google's current guidance says pages appearing in AI Overviews or AI Mode don't need some separate “AI SEO” trick. The same fundamentals still matter: useful content, strong technical SEO and pages that are eligible to appear in normal Google Search.

And there's now a much better way to see whether your site is appearing in these AI experiences.

Google's Generative AI performance report in Search Console shows impressions from AI Overviews and AI Mode, including which pages are appearing and where those impressions are coming from. Google rolled this reporting out worldwide on August 31, 2026.

That's something I'd definitely include in a 2026 SEO report.

So, What's Left to Rank For?

Quite a lot.

I just wouldn't choose topics based on search volume alone.

I'd look for topics where your content can offer something the search result can't easily replace:

• Original research
• Real examples
• First-hand experience
• Product comparisons
• Detailed tutorials
• Expert opinions
• Case studies
• Unique data
• Tools or templates

A 300-word article answering a basic definition may struggle to create a reason for a click.

A detailed article showing how you actually solved the problem gives the reader a much stronger reason to visit.

That's the direction I'm taking with content now.

Don't just answer the query. Give people a reason to keep reading.