The US search market is where the Position 1 CTR decline is most advanced and most commercially significant. SISTRIX data and Glenn Gabe's post-I/O 2026 analysis confirm: Position 1 now receives approximately 11% CTR on US queries where an AI Overview is present. The US is the primary AI Overview deployment market, meaning this figure is more representative of the current US search reality than any global average.
For US SEO professionals, this is not a theoretical future concern. It is the current operating environment that affects every informational content strategy today.
The US CTR Data: Full Picture
Position 1 CTR in US search (informational queries with AI Overview):
| Year | Position 1 CTR |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 28-32% |
| 2022 | 24-27% |
| 2023 | 18-22% |
| 2024 | 14-17% |
| 2026 | ~11% |
The US has seen the steepest decline because AI Overviews were deployed first and most aggressively in the American market.
Full US CTR curve 2026 (AI Overview present):
| Position | CTR Estimate |
|---|---|
| 1 | ~11% |
| 2 | ~6% |
| 3 | ~4% |
| 4-5 | ~2-3% |
| 6-10 | ~0.5-1.5% |
For transactional and navigational queries where AI Overview is absent, Position 1 still achieves 22-28% CTR in the US market.
US-Specific CTR Patterns
Verticals with most severe US CTR suppression:
- Healthcare how-to queries - AI Overview present on 70%+ of symptom/treatment queries
- Financial how-to - AI Overview on most "how to invest/save/file" queries
- Technology tutorials - extensive AI Overview coverage on US tech how-to content
- Legal procedure explanations - high AI Overview density
US verticals maintaining stronger CTR:
- eCommerce transactional (product queries, local services) - lower AI Overview frequency
- Real estate and mortgage (complex + regulated, AI less definitive)
- B2B services (specific, relationship-driven queries)
- US local search ("near me" queries)
The Mobile Reality in US Search
US users conduct the majority of Google searches on mobile. On US mobile search with AI Overview:
- Position 1 CTR: approximately 8-9% (lower than the overall 11% average)
- AI Overview blocks occupy significantly more of the mobile viewport
- Users on mobile scroll less than desktop users
For US websites relying on mobile traffic, the 8-9% mobile figure is the more relevant benchmark.
US SEO Strategy Adjustment
Revalue transactional content
US SEO programs heavily invested in informational content ("answer every question") need to rebalance toward bottom-of-funnel US content: pricing pages, comparison pages with commercial intent, local service pages, and "best X to buy" content where AI Overview is less prevalent.
AI Overview citation strategy for US search
US brands cited in AI Overviews maintain SERP presence regardless of organic CTR. For US YMYL content (healthcare, finance, legal), this citation strategy requires E-E-A-T-compliant content: verifiable author credentials, organisational authority, and complete structured data.
Measure by query type, not overall position
US sites should segment GSC data by query type - informational vs transactional vs navigational - and report CTR benchmarks separately. An informational query at Position 1 with 11% CTR is performing normally. A transactional query at Position 1 with 11% CTR signals a problem.
Internal links
For AI Mode strategy: Google AI Mode SEO Guide 2026. For AI Overview CTR study: AI Overviews Reduce Organic CTR by 61% Study 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions About Position 1 CTR for US Search
Is the 11% Position 1 CTR figure specific to the US or global? The SISTRIX data is global, but the US figure is closest to 11% because AI Overview coverage is highest in the US. Other markets currently have slightly higher Position 1 CTR for informational queries due to lower AI Overview penetration.
Do US YMYL sites see the same CTR decline as general informational sites? Yes, and often more severely. Healthcare and financial how-to content in the US is among the highest AI Overview coverage categories. US YMYL Position 1 CTR on informational queries can be lower than the 11% average.
How should US companies adjust organic traffic forecasting? Update informational content CTR benchmarks from historical 20-28% to approximately 11% for queries where AI Overview is likely. Transactional queries maintain higher historical CTR. Separate forecast models for informational vs transactional content provide more accurate projections.
Is it still worth building informational content for US search if CTR is only 11%? Yes, for two reasons: AI Overview citation (informational content that earns citations maintains brand visibility), and topical authority (deep informational content supports the authority that helps transactional content rank and convert).
What US query types still deliver high CTR at Position 1? Transactional (eCommerce, local services), branded navigational, highly specific long-tail with no AI Overview presence, and complex queries where AI gives uncertain answers (legal, financial with regulatory specifics, medical requiring personalised advice).
