We’ve been noticing an odd phenomenon rippling across brands and industries: organic click-through rates are dropping dramatically, even for high-ranking articles. Before we dive into what this might mean, let’s start with a brief overview of what click-through rates are. 

Google reports on impressions — aka how many people saw your website show up in the search engine result pages (SERPs) — and clicks, or (as it says on the tin) how many people actually clicked through to your site. With those numbers, you can calculate the click-through rate, or CTR, of a page.

The “Before Times” of SEO

In the “before times” of SEO — really, only a year ago, before Google began dramatically shifting its algorithm and SERPs! —  you could make relatively accurate predictions of expected traffic growth if your article improved its keyword positioning. For example, let’s say you have an article targeting the keyword best litter box, which (according to Semrush) 6,600 people search each month. Currently, you rank in position #10, so moving into position #3 should see astronomical traffic gains. Right? 

According to click rate curves, which calculate the expected CTR for each organic position, your article should go from approximately 158 visitors a month to 726. (This utilizes an estimated 2.4% CTR for position #10, and an 11% CTR for position #3.)

Yes, there were variations based on industry and topic, and tweaking your metadata might improve your CTR — but historically, SEO professionals have been able to make relatively accurate estimations of traffic improvement based on average click rates.

The SEO Landscape of Today

Fast forward to today: As Google dramatically changes the way it presents SERPs, these expectations have been thrown out the window. We’ve seen pages in position #1 with a CTR below 3%, and we’ve frequently seen impressions and rankings grow dramatically… while clicks fall. If you pay attention while you Google, it’s easy to see why this is happening.

Scrolling down, you see Stores, Popular Products, and Reddit before you get to the first traditional editorial organic result.

This phenomenon continues for all sorts of article types — from editorial to evergreen and how-to content, all of which are plagued with AI Overviews, image carousels, and Things to Know rich results that answer key questions right there on the SERP. Google’s intention is clear: Keep searchers on Google for as long as possible. 

The Future of SEO

As SEO-oriented content creators, how can we respond? Is SEO worthless? The answer is a resounding no — there will always be searchers looking for smart, engaging, and well-written articles. However, the era of crafting articles specifically for search, and exclusively for search, is over. For years, publishers have been able to coast by creating basic, informational content simply because searchers had to click on an organic result to get their answers.

The first step for content creators is accepting that searchers no longer rely on your brand for basic information. If you have a glut of articles covering questions that can be easily answered via AI, it’s time to shift your strategy. 

Once you’ve accepted the new reality, it’s time to start crafting a new SEO content strategy designed to meet potential customers where they’re at. Instead of creating a lot of articles covering every topic tangentially related to your brand, focus on a strategy of curated content that is laser-focused on your customer’s needs and your business objectives. 

Ask yourself these questions:

1. What are common complaints, questions, or misunderstandings our customers have? 

2. How can we answer these questions thoroughly, taking advantage of our brand’s expertise?

3. Where do customers ask these questions? Via Google, ChatGPT, TikTok, Reddit?

4. What do we want searchers to do once they’re on our site? Purchase a product? Sign up for a newsletter? Follow us on social media? 

SEO strategies have to do dual-duty on every page. Not only should they be well-optimized for SEO, with unique insights from subject matter experts, but they should be ideated from customers’ actual questions and needs — not a list of vaguely relevant keywords. And at their core, they should be designed to push visitors toward a conversion goal. 

For example, a brand that manufactures supplements might publish an article explaining exactly how vitamin C improves mood (with a doctor’s input, of course!). And a cookware brand might interview chefs about the secrets behind their favorite recipes… all of which can be prepared to perfection with their products.

Instead of thinking of SEO like an excavator, scooping up all searchers willy-nilly, think of SEO like a keenly-tuned pincer, designed to meet potential customers wherever they’re located—and then depositing them onto a website, video, or article designed to expertly answer their question while also encouraging them to convert. And yes, sometimes that’s on TikTok or Youtube, not Google.

While the heyday of huge organic traffic numbers might be over, tactical content and SEO strategists can create highly customized, tailored campaigns designed to meet your customers where they’re at — and answer the questions that help them convert.