AI Search
AI Overviews Get Under 1% Clicks: How Local Businesses Still Win Customers
31 October 2026 · 5 min read · By Media Strategy Lab
Search Engine Roundtable reported on 30 October 2026 that a study measured click-through from Google AI Overviews and AI Mode at about 0.9%. Fewer people click through when Google answers the question itself.
For a local business, that sounds alarming. In practice it shifts where you need to be seen, not whether search still matters.
Why fewer clicks does not mean fewer customers
People searching for general information often get their answer and leave. People looking for a dentist, lawyer or plumber still need to choose a business, call or book. For those searches, the map results, your Business Profile and the businesses named in AI answers do most of the work.
That means the goal moves from getting a click to being the business that gets named, called or booked.
How to stay visible
- Keep your Business Profile complete: categories, services, hours, photos and booking links.
- Earn steady reviews that mention the service and area.
- Publish one clear page per service that answers what customers ask first.
- Get mentioned on trusted local and industry sites, since AI answers often draw on them.
- Track calls, bookings and enquiries, not only website visits.
Want to know whether Google and AI tools mention your business? Send us your website and we will check.
Book a callFrequently asked questions
- Is SEO still worth it with AI Overviews?
- For local services, yes. Customers still choose and contact a business. The work now covers your profile, reviews and mentions, not only rankings.
- Can you guarantee we appear in AI answers?
- No one can. We improve the signals AI tools use and report honestly on what changes.
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