The Click Collapse: How AI Retrieval Layers Replaced Search Discovery
Abstract
EA-CORP-01 — Market analysis documenting the replacement of search-engine discovery by AI retrieval layers. Data: 58% CTR decline (Ahrefs), 69% zero-click (Similarweb), 1% AI Overview click-through (Pew), ~5 citations per overview, $2B annual revenue lost (IAB Tech Lab). Three structural diagnoses: R1 Commoditization, R2 Capital Erasure, R3 Semantic Sovereignty. Why SEO and GEO do not solve this.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Information Retrieval and Search Behavior
Computational and Text Analysis Methods
Research Data Management Practices
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 14 April 2026
- Language
- EN