What One Site's AI Opt-Out Test Reveals About Search Clicks

How Much Traffic Do AI Features Really Drive?

Cyrus Shepard, founder of Zyppy SEO, reports that AI Overviews and AI Mode accounted for an estimated 21 percent of one site's Google search clicks. He reached that figure by removing the site from Google's AI features for four weeks using the Search generative AI control in Search Console, then comparing click totals against the four weeks after it returned. He adds a small lift in regular listing clicks that he links to AI visibility, bringing the estimate to 23 percent. He is clear that this is one site and a directional yardstick, not a universal rule.

For brand builders and search teams, the value lies in the method as much as the number. Google does not separate AI-feature clicks from other clicks in its reporting, so anyone trying to size this exposure has to estimate it. The piece also flags a broader point about opting out before reviewing AI visibility data, which could mean giving up traffic you cannot yet measure. SEO leads, publishers and analysts weighing AI search should read it to understand the trade-offs.