Amid various experiences suggesting that Google’s AI overviews are quickly eroding referral visitors, Google has responded by saying that this concern is actually being overblown, as a result of not solely are customers happier with its AI overviews, it really hasn’t seen a big decline in whole referral hyperlinks being despatched from Google Search outcomes.
Which, after all, Google would say, however in keeping with its official weblog publish, there’s no proof that it’s seeing to assist such claims.
Properly, at the very least when it comes to general referral numbers.
As per Google:
“Total, whole natural click on quantity from Google Search to web sites has been comparatively steady year-over-year. Moreover, common click on high quality has elevated and we’re really sending barely extra high quality clicks to web sites than a yr in the past (by high quality clicks, we imply these the place customers don’t shortly click on again — usually a sign {that a} person is within the web site). This knowledge is in distinction to third-party experiences that inaccurately counsel dramatic declines in combination visitors — usually based mostly on flawed methodologies, remoted examples, or visitors adjustments that occurred previous to the roll out of AI options in Search.”
Amongst these experiences, and the one which Google’s particularly taking purpose at, is a latest examine printed by Pew Analysis, which was based mostly on search historical past knowledge from a pool 0f 900 customers.
Pew’s knowledge confirmed that customers who had encountered an AI abstract within the SERP clicked on a conventional search outcome hyperlink in 8% of all periods, whereas those that didn’t see an AI abstract clicked on a search outcome almost twice as usually (15%).
That appears important, and marks a big shift in search exercise, and the examine has been extensively quoted and held up for example of the broader impacts of Google’s AI shift.
However Google has particularly referred to as this one out as being based mostly on flawed enter, on account of its comparatively small examine pool.
I imply, I assume 900 customers is a small pattern dimension, particularly when you think about that billions of individuals are utilizing Google every single day. However as an indicative measure, the info right here would doubtless counsel that there’s been at the very least some relative affect on referrals. Proper?
Google says no.
“With AI Overviews, individuals are looking out extra and asking new questions which can be usually longer and extra advanced. As well as, with AI Overviews individuals are seeing extra hyperlinks on the web page than earlier than. Extra queries and extra hyperlinks imply extra alternatives for web sites to floor and get clicked.”
So AI previews are literally higher for referral visitors, in Google’s view, and whereas it does concede some affect:
“For some questions the place individuals are in search of a fast reply, like ‘when is the following full moon,’ folks could also be glad with the preliminary response and never click on additional. This has additionally been true for different reply options we’ve added, just like the Data Graph or sports activities scores. However for a lot of different kinds of questions, folks proceed to click on by, as they wish to dig deeper into a subject, discover additional or make a purchase order.”
Its major rivalry is that whereas visitors is declining to some websites, it’s growing to others, together with these with boards, movies, podcasts, and posts, that are all seeing an uptick in Google visitors.
“Individuals are additionally extra prone to click on into internet content material that helps them study extra — equivalent to an in-depth evaluate, an authentic publish, a singular perspective or a considerate first-person evaluation. Websites that meet these evolving person wants are benefiting from this shift and are typically seeing a rise in visitors.”
So Reddit. Reddit is seeing extra visitors, and also you’ve little doubt seen extra Reddit hyperlinks showing in SERPs.
However nonetheless, possibly these notes offers some steering as to what you need to be together with in your websites to higher cater to AI previews, and evolving search behaviors. Although it’s additionally notable that Google hasn’t shared any particular knowledge factors to again these claims up.
Google’s simply saying that it’s all effective, that you simply’re most likely not dropping visitors, and in case you are, others are profitable out.
So it’s all good, the broader internet is healthier off general. Sufficient with the worry mongering, proper?
Properly, no.
As a result of as famous, that also implies that many websites are dropping visitors, and that’s having a big effect on many companies.
The Wall Avenue Journal, for instance, reported again in June that natural search visitors has declined for each main information group. Based mostly on knowledge offered by Similarweb, WSJ says that HuffPost’s natural search visitors has dropped by greater than half over the previous three years, whereas The Washington Publish and Enterprise Insider have seen comparable patterns.
“Enterprise Insider’s visitors from Google searches alone dropped 55% between April 2022 and April 2025, based mostly on knowledge from Similarweb.”
That, amongst different elements, compelled Enterprise Insider to chop workers by 21% again in June, citing “excessive visitors drops” as one of many challenges it’s dealing with.
A pessimist may say that this was opportunistic, as Enterprise Insider can also be experimenting with ChatGPT for content material creation, and it could be utilizing this as a purpose to again up its push to scale back workers. However the decline in general visitors is plain, and goes to affect all companies that become profitable from Google Adverts and the like.
And there are numerous different experiences:
The Present lately reported that visitors to the world’s 500 most visited publishers dropped 27% year-over-year versus February final yr
Final month, Digiday reported that because the U.S. launch of Google’s AI Overviews in Might 2024, the variety of searches for information that end in no click-throughs to information web sites has grown from 56% to almost 69%
Authoritas discovered {that a} web site beforehand ranked first in a search outcome may lose about 79% of its visitors for that question if outcomes had been delivered under an AI overview.
That mentioned, SimilarWeb, a key reference level for lots of such a knowledge, has additionally reported that AI referrals to web sites have elevated by 357% since June 2024, which can assist what Google’s saying a couple of re-distribution of Search visitors, versus the highest publishers taking over all of the SERP house.
It’s not clear if that’ll offset the losses which can be being reported, however possibly, that is indicative of Google’s statements.
Although the priority stays. Even based mostly on Google’s rationalization, many websites are certainly dropping out, and should reassess their visitors era course of.
And with AI Overviews solely at the moment being displayed for 20% of desktop searches, there’s additionally the query of what occurs as Google will increase this, and the way that can affect the broader internet.
Google says that it “cares passionately in regards to the internet ecosystem,” and that it’s very conscious of those impacts.
However proper now, Google says, there’s nothing to fret about.
In general phrases, at the very least.
