AI Overviews: -30% Clicks, Semji Focuses on GEO Visibility

With the rise of AI responses in search, Semji observes that 40% of queries are already enriched, alongside an average decline of 30% in organic clicks. The company recommends focusing on performance through visibility in generated responses rather than traffic. An intervention at SEO Square promises unprecedented French data and a four-step method.

In 2026, visibility will be determined by engines and generative AIs

Nearly 60% of French people currently use generative AI, compared to just 1% three years ago. Information search has fragmented between Google, its AI responses, and assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude. In this context, being visible no longer simply means ranking first on Google, but being present where customers ask their questions. During the 11th edition of SEO Square, an intervention will announce this evolution of visibility expected in 2026 and present French data on the concrete effects of AI Overviews. Semji also notes that Google frequently cites YouTube and social media in its AI responses.

Measuring differently: from click metrics to brand ranking

Semji believes that traffic has become a vanity metric and recommends tracking SEO and GEO visibility, conversions, and revenue, including those from direct traffic and the homepage. Since competitors are also losing clicks, it is essential to compare one's visibility to theirs in Google, its AI responses, ChatGPT, or Gemini, and present this ranking to management when traffic declines. The proposed goal is to become the most visible brand in the market within AI responses, particularly in AI Overviews. Reporting should demonstrate this presence as well as sales evolution, rather than pushing for quick budget shifts towards advertising through click-focused tables. Semji indicates that in 2025, 20% of its clients were regularly engaging in GEO actions, compared to 65% today, and anticipates near-universal adoption by the end of the year.

Observation in France: 40% of queries with AI and -30% clicks

In France, AI Overviews and AI Mode are accessible, and Semji primarily observes a decrease in the number of clicks. This observation is based on the analysis of nearly 500,000 monitored keywords from over 500 French clients across 16 sectors, among which 40% already feature an AI-generated response. Since the introduction of AI Overview, there has been an average decline of 30% in organic clicks, with significant variations across sectors: searches for advice before purchasing in finance, health, or insurance are more often handled directly by Google, while the transactional commerce sector is less affected. According to Semji, AI Overview reinforces an already existing trend of declining clicks, in a context where Google multiplies presentation types, frequently adjusts its algorithms, and offers ads that resemble natural results. The company also notes that, among its international clients exposed for two years, the loss of clicks has not systematically translated into a loss of business, and urges marketing teams to focus on visibility in AI responses to support sales.

Concrete levers: top 3 cited at 75% and content to prioritize

Semji recommends accelerating SEO, as Google's AI does not indiscriminately cite sources. Among nearly 75,000 analyzed French contents, a page ranked in the top 3 has a 75% chance of being cited in AI Overview, whereas beyond the 30th position, this probability drops below 10%. AI responses primarily focus on explanatory content—articles, guides, and advice pages—and very little on sales pages; thus, it is advisable to identify and work on the pages that establish the brand's editorial authority. A four-step method is announced: choose the topics on which the brand wants to be cited, measure its position against competitors, identify the effective pages on both Google and in AI, and write them to maximize citation.