# Get cited, not just ranked

**Confidence: [H]** for CTR decline; **[M]** for the citation-compensation figure

Every independent study finds CTR decline under AI answers: Pew (2025-07,
real clickstream) — clicks fall 15%→8% of searches when an AI summary is
present; Ahrefs — ~58% lower CTR for the #1 result under an AI Overview.
But brands **cited inside** the AI answer earn ~35% more organic clicks
(Seer Interactive, 53 brands / 5.47M queries). The strategic objective moved
from "rank #1" to "be the cited source".

**How to apply:** measure citation share on priority queries, not just rank.
Content levers that earn citations: [[geo-content-levers]],
[[mentions-beat-backlinks]]. Treat "93% zero-click" claims as vendor
folklore — no independent panel backs that number.

**Evidence:** https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/ ·
https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-overviews-reduce-clicks-update/ ·
https://www.seerinteractive.com/insights/aio-impact-on-google-ctr-september-2025-update
