Cyrus Shepard opted a site out of Google's AI features and watched what happened. AI impressions vanished, but normal organic clicks fell as well.
Dominic Coutts
Switching off AI Overviews isn't a free way to protect your traffic. For most businesses we'd leave it on.
What happened
Cyrus Shepard used Google's controls to remove one site from AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI impressions, about 8% of the site's total, dropped to zero straight away. He estimates those AI impressions had been earning clicks at roughly 0.9%.
Normal organic clicks also fell while the site was opted out, and positions on the pages with the most AI visibility slipped, then recovered when he switched it back on.
What it means for you
Plenty of businesses ask whether they should block Google's AI features to stop it answering for them. This test suggests you may lose more than you protect. It's 1 site, measured before and after with no control, so it's a reason for caution rather than proof.
What to do
- Don't opt out of AI Overviews on the assumption it will win clicks back.
- If you're tempted, test it on a small section of the site first and watch Search Console closely.
- Keep that 0.9% figure in mind when someone tells you what AI visibility is worth in traffic.
Search Engine Land
Real and worth watching, but nothing to act on yet.
You still rank. But Google's answering for you.
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