Position #1 on Google Is Now Worthless? Shocking New Data

Hey there,

Let’s talk about something we’ve all noticed—but now we’ve got the numbers to back it up.

📉 Google’s organic CTR (click-through rate) for the #1 spot has dropped 32% year-over-year.

That stat comes from a new GrowthSRC Media study analyzing over 200,000 keywords. And it confirms what many of us have suspected since the rollout of AI Overviews:

Being #1 on Google isn’t what it used to be.

What's really happening?

Google has changed.

AI Overviews are now taking up prime real estate at the top of the SERP. In some cases, they're pushing the first organic listing below the fold—sometimes under maps, People Also Ask, or shopping results.

So even if you “rank first,” your result might be the fifth thing users see.

Here’s what GrowthSRC found:

• 32% CTR decline for position #1
  

• 20%+ decline across positions 2–5
  

• Branded queries performed better, but CTRs still declined in certain industries

Now, for some in the SEO world, this is alarming.

For others, it’s just the next chapter in a story that’s been unfolding since Featured Snippets and Zero-Click Searches first arrived.

But here’s the key takeaway:

🔑 You can’t win SEO in 2025 by focusing only on rankings. You need to win attention.

What’s changing with user behavior?

Users are adapting to AI Overviews—and some are skipping clicks altogether.

Instead of scanning 10 blue links, many users now:

• Read the AI summary and stop there
  

• Click the source in the overview (if cited)
  

• Scroll past it entirely, looking for “real” content
  

• Use follow-up queries if the AI didn’t answer fully

We’re not just optimizing for algorithms anymore. We’re optimizing for how humans engage with AI results.

How do you win clicks now?

Here’s the playbook I recommend—especially if your traffic has dropped post-AI Overviews:

1. Optimize for AI visibility, not just rankings

Focus on being cited inside AI Overviews.
That means:

• Writing with clear topical focus
  

• Using structured, scannable formats
  

• Including definitions, how-tos, pros/cons, and data
  

• Building E-E-A-T to prove you’re a trusted source

You want to be the answer—not just a result.

2. Own the conversation beyond the SERP

People now find content through:

• TikTok searches
  

• YouTube deep dives
  

• Social media recommendations
  

• Chat-based AI tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity

You need to show up across all of them.

Create content worth sharing. Distribute it like a media brand. Think omnichannel, not just organic.

3. Re-engage visitors through brand

If your site gets fewer first-time visits from Google, make the ones you do get count.

• Capture email early
  

• Deliver a killer lead magnet
  

• Build a remarketing audience
  

• Make your content so useful to the audience that they return without a search

Great brands don’t rely on Google. They use it as one of many entry points.

4. Write with voice and velocity

AI summaries strip out personality. They summarize the what—but not the why it matters.

Double down on:

• Opinionated content
  

• Personal experiences
  

• Contrarian takes
  

• Fresh insights, not summaries

That’s what gets clicks. And it's what builds loyalty.

My take on this shift

We’re not in a “death of SEO” moment. We’re in a redefinition of SEO.

It’s not just about getting ranked. It’s about:

• Being the source that AI pulls from
  

• Being the result users trust and want to click
  

• Creating content ecosystems, not isolated blog posts
  

Ranking #1 used to mean traffic. Now it just means placement.

You still need traffic—but how you earn it is evolving fast.

Final thoughts

SEO isn’t dying. It’s just maturing.

The winners in this new environment are those who:

• Prioritize clarity over keyword stuffing
  

• Build true authority, not just link volume
  

• Create content humans and machines understand

Adapt to how people search now—not how they searched last year.

And if you need help making your site AI-ready and future-proofing your SEO, let’s talk.

👉 Book a strategy session with me

Keep optimizing,
Shane

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Shane Barker