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Web and SEO terms made simple

I give clear definitions, map related terms, and link to reliable resources.
I update it as I learn.

About this glossary

Google Organic CTR – Glossary

Organic click-through rate. The percent of searchers who click your organic result on Google.

  • Formula: CTR = clicks ÷ impressions.
  • Where to measure: Google Search Console, Search results report.
  • Typical patterns: Higher for positions one to three. Lower at the bottom of page one.
  • What affects CTR: Query intent. Titles and descriptions. URL clarity. Device. SERP features like AI Overviews.
  • How to use it: Track by query. Segment branded vs non branded. Compare by device. Watch changes when AI features appear.

Benchmarks and caveats

  • Position one often sees the highest CTR. Results drop fast after the top few spots. Your mileage may vary.
  • Expect lower CTR on queries with Google AI Overviews. Focus on visibility, citations, and snippet quality.
  • Long, specific queries tend to earn higher CTR. Clear titles help. Keyword‑meaningful URLs can help too.

Benchmarks (pre AI Overviews)[1]

Typical CTR by position on page one:

  • Position 1: 27.6 percent
  • Position 2: 15.8 percent
  • Position 3: 11 percent
  • Position 4: 8.4 percent
  • Position 5: 6.3 percent
  • Position 6: 4.9 percent
  • Position 7: 3.9 percent
  • Position 8: 3.3 percent
  • Position 9: 2.7 percent
  • Position 10: 2.4 percent

Notes: Benchmarks vary by query intent, device, and SERP features. AI Overviews can reduce organic CTR on affected queries. Track impressions and CTR together. Segment branded versus non branded.

Benchmarks (after AI Overviews)

On queries with Google AI Overviews, organic CTRs are materially lower, particularly for informational searches. Citation in the Overview can partially mitigate the decline. See sources for current ranges and methodology.[2]

  • With AI Overviews (not cited): organic CTR down roughly 60 to 65 percent year over year.[2:1]
  • With AI Overviews (cited): organic CTR down roughly 50 percent year over year.[2:2]
  • Without AI Overviews: organic CTR down roughly 40 to 45 percent year over year.[2:3]
  • Positional impact: the top organic result can see about 30 to 35 percent lower CTR when an AI Overview is present compared to similar queries without one.[3]

Below are directional, position‑by‑position estimates applying observed AI Overview impacts to your pre‑AIO table. Use these as ranges, methodology varies by query intent, device, and SERP features.

PositionPre‑AIOWith AI Overviews (not cited)With AI Overviews (cited)
127.6%17.9% to 19.3%20.7% to 22.1%
215.8%10.3% to 11.1%11.9% to 12.6%
311%7.2% to 7.7%8.3% to 8.8%
48.4%5.5% to 5.9%6.3% to 6.7%
56.3%4.1% to 4.4%4.7% to 5.0%
64.9%3.2% to 3.4%3.7% to 3.9%
73.9%2.5% to 2.7%2.9% to 3.1%
83.3%2.1% to 2.3%2.5% to 2.6%
92.7%1.8% to 1.9%2.0% to 2.2%
102.4%1.6% to 1.7%1.8% to 1.9%
Note: Estimated ranges calculated from pre‑AIO CTRs using observed reduction factors for Google AI Overviews, results vary by query intent, device, and branded vs non‑branded.

Tips

  • Write clear titles, around 40 to 60 characters. Match search intent.
  • Use concise meta descriptions. Answer the query.
  • Keep URLs readable. Use words that reflect the page topic.
  • Monitor impressions and CTR together. Look for shifts by query group.
  • Improve structured data. Aim for rich snippets where eligible.
  • Track Google AI Overview presence and citations, adjust CTR expectations on affected queries.

See also

  1. Backlinko - We Analyzed 4 Million Google Search Results. Here’s What We Learned About Organic CTR.- Updated April 16, 2025. ↩︎

  2. Ranges and year over year context from study data and summary coverage: Search Engine Land, Seer Interactive, and positional benchmarks context from First Page Sage. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. Positional CTR delta with AI Overviews present from Ahrefs. ↩︎

Further reading

Article

Search Engine Land summary

Overview of AI Overviews impact on organic and paid CTR

https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-drive-drop-organic-paid-ctr-464212

Research

Seer Interactive analysis

Year over year CTR ranges with and without AI Overviews, citation effects

https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/aio-impact-on-google-ctr-september-2025-update

Research

Ahrefs findings

Positional CTR changes, top result impact when AI Overviews appear

https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks/

Research

First Page Sage table

Updated positional CTR benchmarks, methodology caveats

https://firstpagesage.com/reports/google-click-through-rates-ctrs-by-ranking-position/

Guide

AI features and your website, Google Search Central

How AI Overviews and AI Mode work, no special schema beyond SEO fundamentals

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features

Related terms

Google AI Overviews

Generative summaries that appear above organic results.

Google Search Console

Measurement context for CTR, impressions, and queries.

Meta tags

Titles and descriptions that influence CTR and snippet appeal.

Search intent

Planning and segmentation by intent, align content with query goals.

Search queries

How users phrase intent, track and compare by query group.

Schema

Enhancements that enable rich snippets and eligibility.

Structured data

Implementation details, validate for visibility and rich results.

Category:
Category
Technical SEO
· Metadata and queries

Last updated:

About this glossary

I’m building this glossary to become a better developer and website strategist, in my ongoing quest to build clearer, better websites. It maps how terms relate, adds practical examples, and highlights best practices so I can communicate more clearly with clients. If it helps others too, great.

It’s a living resource, I aim to cite sources clearly. If you spot errors or omissions, please contact me so I can update it. Drafts may be assisted by AI, I review and fact check before publishing. For details on how I use AI, see AI Use at Webmarks.