Conversational queries from Google’s AI Mode have significantly increased in Google Search Console data but rarely lead to website visits, according to a recent analysis.
The study, conducted by Jan-Willem Bobbink of GSC Wizard, found that these AI-driven queries grew more than 20-fold over a 15-month period, indicating a notable shift in user search behavior despite their low engagement with external sites.
Raw AI responses, such as simple affirmations like “yes” or “ja,” appeared as search queries on 94 out of 155 analyzed websites, Bobbink reported. The occurrences of these basic AI responses increased 21-fold, from 5.6 to 116 per million impressions, between June 2025 and September 2026.
The analysis also showed a dramatic rise in follow-up questions within AI Mode, which multiplied by 39 times during the same period.
Despite this rapid growth in query volume, conversational queries demonstrated a significantly lower click-through rate (CTR) compared to overall search traffic. The study reported a CTR of 2.9 percent for AI Mode queries, in stark contrast to the 35.6 percent average CTR for all queries.
This disparity suggests that users engaging with AI Mode conversational queries are less likely to click through to external websites, potentially finding sufficient answers directly within Google’s AI interface.
Google integrates AI Mode data into Search Console, but it does not differentiate this traffic from other search types. This integration makes it challenging for website administrators to identify and analyze AI-specific query trends without applying specific filters, Bobbink noted.
The findings highlight an evolving search ecosystem where AI-generated responses are becoming more prevalent, prompting users to engage in more conversational interactions directly within the search platform rather than visiting third-party sites.
The GSC Wizard study underscores the need for website owners and SEO professionals to understand these changing patterns in user interaction with search engines, as traditional metrics like click-through rates may not fully capture the impact of AI Mode.
Source: Abondance
