Google CTR Is Tanking – Here's How to Adapt
You don’t need a crystal ball to predict this one: organic click-through rates are in freefall.
Page one CTR has dropped to an average of 15%. The rest is swallowed by ads, featured snippets, and AI-generated answers.
But this isn’t just on Google. Users have shifted their behavior. "Zero click searches" are now the norm—people get what they need straight from the SERP. If your content play still assumes a high-CTR environment, you're fighting the wrong battle.
So What Does This Mean Strategically?
SEO isn’t dead—but its function is shifting.
In 2026, content should be:
- a reliable data source for AI systems,
- a way to shape and protect your brand,
- and visible in the places where real attention lives.
That takes a different approach.
1. Create What AI Can’t
Feeding ChatGPT with generic how-tos? You’re training the machine for free. Time to flip the script.
Focus on original content rooted in real-life experience:
- Show your own process and client results.
- Interview real people – AI can’t fake this.
- Publish first-party data – not third-hand research.
- Build small tools or calculators – still underused, still powerful.
2. Control the Narrative
When someone googles your brand, Google pulls info from your site first.
So if you don’t publish pricing, competitor comparisons, or clear positioning, someone else fills in the blanks—for better or worse.
Target mid-to-bottom funnel content like:
- “Best [category] tools”
- “Alternatives to [competitor]”
- “Competitor A vs B vs You”
Bonus: That last format lets you rank for both the two-way and three-way comparison. Hardly anyone’s doing it.
3. Technical Foundations Matter
You don’t need a full SEO overhaul. But these four basics are non-negotiable:
- Use HTML-rendered pages (not JS-only)
- Build strong internal linking
- Speed up your site
- Don’t block AI crawlers
Especially that last one—resisting AI visibility is self-sabotage.
4. Move Content Offsite
Here’s the big shift: Your best content shouldn’t live only on your site.
Split your strategy:
- Owned Channels like LinkedIn, YouTube, and email are fully in your control—great for long-term brand.
- Earned Attention on Reddit, Quora, or niche communities can drive outsized impact if you get it right.
I had a topic recently where my blog post wouldn’t rank—but a focused YouTube version hit page one in days. Same insights, different format, radically better exposure.