By Matt Cayless, Founder of Bubblegum Search
Google’s search results have changed dramatically over the past year, with AI Overviews, Google Shopping Ads, and rich SERP features taking up more space than ever before.
New data from AccuRanker’s latest white paper reveals how much this has impacted ecommerce brands, particularly those relying on organic search.
The study found that click-through rates (CTR) for transactional intent keywords have dropped significantly compared to 2023, particularly on mobile, where organic results are often buried beneath AI-generated content and paid listings.
For brands that depend on organic search, this shift represents a major challenge and an opportunity. In this article, we’ll break down:
- The data behind the CTR decline for ecommerce brands
- Why transactional intent keywords are being hit the hardest
- How to future-proof your ecommerce SEO strategy in a world of AI-driven search results
Ecommerce CTR Decline: What the Data Shows
The AccuRanker study revealed a sharp decline in organic click-through rates for transactional searches. Here’s how ecommerce searches have been impacted across mobile and desktop:
- CTR for transactional keywords is down, with mobile taking the biggest hit. The study found that organic results are pushed further down the SERP for high-intent searches due to the expansion of AI overviews and shopping ads.
- Google’s Shopping presence drastically lowers organic CTR. Even when no paid Shopping Ads appear, other SERP features—such as “Popular Stores,” “Shop the Look,” and image product carousels—still steal clicks from organic listings.
- Mobile CTR is often 50% lower than desktop for ecommerce searches impacted by AI and Shopping Ads. The study highlighted that mobile users are far more likely to engage with Google’s AI-generated responses and visually appealing shopping features, leading to fewer clicks on traditional organic listings.
- Holding the number one organic position for competitive transactional keywords still delivers strong value, but CTRs are lower than in previous years. This isn’t because organic SEO is ineffective, it’s due to evolving SERP layouts, where AI-powered recommendations and Google Shopping results take up more space. Brands must adapt by ensuring they appear in multiple search features while maintaining strong organic visibility.
This data confirms what many ecommerce businesses have already noticed: fewer people are clicking on their organic search results, even when they rank highly.
Why Are Ecommerce Click-Through Rates Dropping?
1. AI Overviews Are Reducing the Need to Click
Google’s AI Overviews provide instant answers at the top of the search results, often pulling product suggestions directly from the Google Shopping Graph. This is particularly impactful for top-of-funnel searches, where users previously clicked through ecommerce blogs and buying guides.
This shift has resulted in lower visibility and fewer clicks for brands that relied on informational content to drive conversions.
While studies on AI Overviews are still emerging, early findings suggest that AI-generated responses for ecommerce-related queries reduce click-throughs to external sites, particularly on mobile.
2. Google Shopping Ads Are Taking Over the SERP
Google’s Shopping Ads heavily target transactional searches, pushing organic results further down the page. The AccuRanker study found that CTR for organic listings drops significantly when Google Shopping results are present, especially on mobile.
Even when Shopping Ads are absent, other Google-owned features—like “Popular Styles” and “Shop the Look” – are still diverting users away from organic results.
3. SERP Features Are Competing for Attention
Google now uses multiple search features that impact transactional intent keywords, including:
- Organic Stores
- Shop the Look & Popular Styles
- Shopping Ads
- Popular Stores
- Image Product Packs
- Paid Ads
Each feature reduces the likelihood of users clicking on organic results, especially for mobile searches where these elements dominate the top of the page.
How Ecommerce Brands Can Adapt & Future-Proof Their SEO Strategy
1. Leverage Digital PR to Improve CTR & Brand Awareness
With organic search becoming more competitive, brand recognition is key to securing clicks. Users are more likely to click on a brand they recognise, even in a crowded search landscape.
Solution:
- Secure top-tier backlinks and media placements in industry-relevant publications.
- Use branded content marketing to ensure customers remember your name when they see your listing in search results.
2. Build Digital Authority Beyond Google
With the rise of zero-click searches and more users getting answers directly from search results, brands will struggle more to rely solely on traditional SEO rankings.
To drive awareness and engagement, SEO must evolve into what we call ‘Digital Authority PR’, ensuring your brand is not just ranking but actively influencing your audience where they already spend time, whether on industry blogs, social media, podcasts, or newsletters.
Solution:
- Invest in Digital Authority PR by getting featured on Reddit, YouTube, and niche forums where your audience is active.
- Get featured on podcasts, newsletters, and social media channels your ideal customers engage with.
- Instead of just focusing on your content, secure mentions in authoritative sources that AI Overviews and LLMs use to train their data. Being cited in trusted industry publications and widely referenced blogs increases the chances of your brand being included in AI-generated responses.
3. Optimise for Google’s Evolving SERP Features
With AI Overviews and Google Shopping influencing CTR, ecommerce brands must optimise for both organic search and Google’s product listing features.
Solution:
- Ensure your Google Merchant Center product feed is complete and up to date.
- Enhance schema markup, pricing data, and reviews to optimise organic product listings (not just paid ads).
- Implement structured data effectively. While FAQ schema has historically helped with visibility in Google’s “People Also Ask” boxes, there is limited evidence that it directly increases the chances of inclusion in AI Overviews. However, Google recommends a structured product schema (covering specifications, availability, and pricing) to improve ecommerce visibility in search results.
4. Focus on Demand Generation, Not Just Lead Capture
The days of passively waiting for Google traffic are over. Brands must proactively create demand rather than just capture existing search traffic.
Solution:
- Use paid social, influencer marketing, and remarketing campaigns to build demand for your products outside search.
- Develop a strong content strategy that engages users across multiple touchpoints, not just Google search.
- Ensure your email and social media strategy nurtures leads beyond initial search intent.
Future-Proofing with Digital PR & Authority Building in the Age of AI Search
While Google remains the dominant force in search, Large Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini and ChatGPT are beginning to shape how users access information. These AI models rely on trusted online sources to generate responses, pulling from high-authority websites, news outlets, and expert-driven content.
For ecommerce brands, being featured in credible, high-authority publications and widely cited sources is becoming even more important. Traditional SEO has focused on ranking well within Google, but as AI-driven search grows, brands need to ensure they are part of the conversation wherever these models pull their data.
This is where Digital PR and Digital Authority PR play a crucial role:
- Secure brand mentions and expert quotes in credible publications your audience trusts.
- Contribute thought leadership content to industry blogs, podcasts, and newsletters that frequently get cited.
- Gain visibility on high-authority platforms, including social communities and forums, where AI models often pull conversational data.
- Prioritise evergreen content that answers key questions your ideal customer is asking – the kind that might surface in both AI Overviews and traditional SERPs.
- By building this network of credibility, ecommerce brands increase their chances of being referenced by AI-generated results – not just in Google, but across emerging AI search interfaces.
That said, early research suggests AI search is still in its infancy and has yet to significantly disrupt Google. A study by SparkToro found that AI-driven search tools have made little impact on consumer search habits, with Google maintaining its dominance.
However, as AI search adoption grows over the coming years, brands that establish themselves as authoritative sources today will have a long-term advantage.
Future-proofing starts now. While ecommerce brands must continue optimising for Google’s evolving SERP features, they should also invest in building brand credibility and authority across multiple channels – from traditional SEO and Digital PR to becoming a recognised source of expertise in the spaces where LLMs gather their training data.
Conclusion: Adapting to a Changing Search Landscape
Click-through rates for ecommerce transactional searches are declining — and not by accident. As Google’s SERP continues to evolve, the space once dominated by blue links is increasingly filled with Shopping carousels, product packs, and AI-generated answers. These features, while designed to improve the user experience, make it harder for brands to earn organic clicks, even when ranking in top positions.
But this isn’t the end of SEO , it’s a signal that the playbook needs updating.
For ecommerce brands, success now depends on understanding and adapting to this new reality. That means shifting focus from rankings alone to visibility, authority, and brand recall across the search experience.
By doubling down on Digital PR to build demand and awareness, earning top-tier links to boost trust signals, and investing in Digital Authority PR to be seen in the spaces your customers already hang out, from social platforms to niche newsletters, brands can increase their chances of earning attention, clicks, and conversions, even in a zero-click world.
The search landscape is changing, but it’s still full of opportunity. Ecommerce brands that evolve with it , guided by data and driven by relevance, will continue to grow, even as the rules shift.