3 Types of Keywords Still Getting Clicks Despite AI Overviews

AI Overviews Can Hurt Clicks, But Some Keywords Resist

You are probably noticing it already. Since Google began showing AI Overviews at the top of the results, your click-through rates may have dropped. It is not just you. This is happening to many sites, across all kinds of topics. Google’s answers are sometimes so thorough that users never visit the source. They see what they need right in the search page.

But let’s get precise. Some keywords keep driving clicks, even with AI taking so much space. These “AI proof” keywords are not a myth. They exist, and there are patterns that separate them from the rest.

I wanted to find out what makes these keywords different. So I dug into our own search data and compared it with what others reported. The patterns surprised me, and you might find them useful for your own SEO.

What Are ‘AI Proof’ Keywords?

Here’s the simple answer:

An “AI proof” keyword is a search term that continues getting user clicks from organic results, even when an AI Overview is present at the top of the page.

If your site is still seeing a good number of clicks for these queries, you may have hit on something important. And if your traffic is dropping, shifting your content towards these keywords can help you hold onto your audience, even as Google changes.

Why do these keywords survive? Let’s walk through some possibilities, based on actual data.

How AI Overviews Affect Clicks Right Now

Google’s AI Overviews are not subtle. They often take the first spot, and they are designed to answer the user’s question on the spot. That means fewer people need to click.

Here is what the data shows:

Most sites lose about a third of their organic clicks on keywords where AI Overviews appear, at least according to recent studies.

But not all keywords get hit the same way. Some are surprisingly resistant. What makes these outliers tick?

Three Patterns for AI-Proof Keywords

Studying the keywords that kept (or even grew) their click rates, I noticed three repeating patterns. If you recognize these in your own site, you might already have an advantage.

1. Keywords for Free, Interactive Tools

One trend jumps out. Keywords connected to free tools, especially tools that people actually use, not just read about, suffer less from AI summaries.

Say someone searches “free plagiarism checker” or “DNS record lookup tool.” Google’s AI can explain what a plagiarism checker is, but it cannot give users the actual experience of running a check right there. People want results, not just an explanation.

A searcher landing on your tool page wants to test something, generate a report, check a domain, or run a calculation. They need to click your site for that.

Here are examples of such queries:

• free mortgage calculator
• image compression tool
• website screenshot generator online
• check domain availability

What you notice here is that utility beats information. The AI can explain, but not do.

If your most visited pages are interactive or tool-based, you might notice less of a drop, even as AI Overviews become common.

2. Keywords Where Your Site Didn’t Rank Before

Sometimes, AI Overviews shake up the order in a way that benefits less-visible sites.

For example, maybe you were on page two for a keyword like “best time tracking integrations.” After the update, that same query gets an Overview, but your page is referenced. Suddenly, you appear toward the top, often in the sources section or in related results.

This offers a chance for new sites or second-tier results to surface. Is it common? Not as much as most of us would hope, but it does happen.

Also, some industries are more prone to this change. If you cover topics where Google wants to show a broader range of sources (maybe because answers evolve or there are many tools), you might score higher even if you never cracked the top five before.

This means:

• Improving your content still matters.
• Providing a unique angle or data can get you included by the AI summary, even if your ranking is not number one.

Were you ranking far from page one, but suddenly showing up in AI sections? That’s worth tracking.

3. AI Overviews That Are Not First on the Page

Not every AI Overview takes over the top result. Sometimes, you will see them show up below ads, local packs, or featured snippets. When that happens, the organic results above the Overview hold onto their click rates.

These keywords might look like:

• plumber near me open Sunday
• emergency vet 24 hours
• best Thai food Midtown

In these cases, urgency or intent may push Google to show map packs or business ads before the AI result. If your listing sits above the Overview, you are in a better spot.

Track where the AI Overview sits for each of your keywords. Some may move around week to week, and so can your click rates.

How to Find Your Own AI-Proof Keywords

If you are using Google Search Console, connect it to a keyword research tool or export the data to a spreadsheet. Here is a basic process you can follow:

1. Pull your keyword data for at least the last six months.
2. Filter for keywords with at least 100 impressions.
3. Look for keywords where your click-through rate did not fall or even increased after AI Overviews rolled out.
4. Cross-check those with SERPs that have an AI Overview.

You can add more columns to track:

• Current rank before and after
• Number of impressions before and after
• Click difference

This kind of analysis might sound simple, but it helps you zero in on the terms that keep working.

Patterns That Don’t Hold Up

It is tempting to think certain keyword types are always “safe.” In my experience, there is no perfect formula. For example, some queries that sound like candidates for strong click-through, like “how to troubleshoot Windows errors”, lose ground fast after an AI summary shows up.

Even commercial intents are not immune. People searching “buy running shoes near me” might still find the AI’s summary helpful enough to delay their decision.

So, yes, the three categories above are strong patterns, but they are not guarantees.

Sometimes, a keyword completely flips. One month it is click-heavy, the next month it drops to nothing. Why? Maybe Google improved the AI summary or included more up-to-date links, shrinking the need for a click.

Data Table: AI Overview Position vs. Click Impact

This table gives you an idea of how AI Overview position can affect clicks. The numbers are estimated, based on multiple studies and private site data:

AI Overview Position	Average Change in Click-Through Rate
Position 1	-30% CTR
Position 2-3	-15% CTR
Position 4 or below	-5% CTR

Notice how the click loss drops as the AI Overview moves down the page. That means tracking both keyword type and AI Overview position gives you a better shot at saving your clicks.

What You Can Do With This Knowledge

So what are some ways to apply these findings? I think there are a few practical moves:

• Double down on tool-based or interactive content. People still need to use your site, not just read your text.
• Monitor keywords where you rose in rankings after AI Overviews rolled out. See what is special about those pages, structure, schema, or content style.
• Track SERP features for your important keywords. Watch week by week which result types come before the AI Overview and where your links sit.
• Refresh your optimization for near-miss keywords. Sometimes a tweak to the meta title, clearer instructions, or a unique graphic helps nudge you into source sections for AI Overviews.

Testing small changes on your pages and watching live results is smarter than chasing every new theory.

But, and this is important: not every click is worth fighting for. Sometimes, even the best information can be answered in a simple paragraph from Google. You might not win back those users, no matter what you do.

Should You Give Up On Informational Content?

It can seem like informational articles are doomed. But you might be throwing in the towel too early.

If your page solves a problem that is open-ended, subjective, or needs regular updates, users may still prefer original content over a machine-generated answer. Real-world examples, fresh data, or authentic opinions pull in people who do not trust summaries, yet.

So, maybe you tweak your approach:

• Add hands-on walkthroughs instead of just definitions.
• Update posts often so you get featured as a source in Overviews.
• Offer downloads, calculators, or checklists, something extra an AI cannot provide instantly.

Still, if your article covers common knowledge or basic “what is X” terms? Yes, you will probably lose clicks. No getting around it.

What if Your Keyword List Shrinks?

Feeling like your pool of “safe” keywords keeps shrinking? You are not alone.

Almost every website owner I talk to sees their ranking keywords go down after AI Overviews expand. The trick is not to panic, but to reassess. Look for small wins and be flexible enough to test new content that the AI does not handle well.

Sometimes, keywords you did not expect become “AI proof” for a while. Other times, you lose ground even after optimizing for intent. That uncertainty is the new normal. Getting comfortable with that, instead of chasing perfection, sets you up to adapt better.

Q&A: What Should You Track Next?

Question: “Can you give an example of a keyword that became AI proof, even though you did not expect it?”

Answer: I noticed that “online color blindness test” actually gained clicks for us after AI Overviews rolled out. I think this happened because the AI summary explained what a color blindness test is, but people still had to click to use the actual tool. Before the update, it was a mid-tier keyword for us. After AI Overviews appeared, the clicks did not drop, in fact, they went up a little. So, sometimes, the actual experience or outcome you offer matters more than the explanation itself.

Question: “How often should I check if my keywords are still AI proof?”

Answer: I track the top 100 keywords every one or two weeks, especially right after Google makes changes. Watch for sudden drops, but also be alert to new keywords climbing up. Patterns shift fast, so staying informed pays off.

Question: “Is it worth focusing only on tool keywords from now on?”

Answer: That is tempting, but it might be too aggressive. Tools are great if your audience needs them, but not every business has one to offer. If your value is in insights, creative work, or up-to-date guides, users will find reasons to click, even if less often. A balanced approach with both tool and expert content may cover more ground.

Hopefully, breaking down these patterns and showing some examples helps. The only constant in search is change. If you keep asking good questions about your data and move quickly, that is how you find the next source of clicks.

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