Google search CTR shifts as desktop rates fall and mobile rises in Q2

A report from Advanced Web Ranking (AWR) reveals a shift in Google search behavior during the second quarter of 2026. While desktop click-through rates (CTR) at top organic positions declined, mobile CTR saw an increase, reversing the trend observed in the first quarter.

Specifically, desktop CTRs in the top two positions fell by a combined 5.27 percentage points, whereas mobile CTRs in those same positions grew by 6.59 points. For single-word queries, desktop CTR at the first position dropped by 4.15 points, while mobile rose by 7.42 points. Industry performance varied; the Law, Government, & Politics sector saw a significant mobile position one increase of 17.31 points, while the Style & Fashion sector experienced the largest desktop position one drop of 13.31 points.

The report also examined the impact of AI Overviews on user engagement using data from the United States. On desktop, the combined CTR for the first two positions was 29.05% on pages without an AI Overview, compared to just 10.04% on pages where the technology was present. On mobile, the first position CTR dropped from 35.95% without an AI Overview to 8.51% when the feature was active.