Google AI Overviews and Website Traffic
Online websites, especially publishers like news websites, heavily rely on clicks for revenue generation. Recently, a significant concern has emerged for online publishers regarding the impact of Google’s AI Overviews on website traffic.
Google’s Perspective
In a recent interview with The Verge, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, expressed optimism about AI driving traffic to websites. He mentioned that Google is striving to strike a balance between directing traffic and meeting user expectations.
Contradicting Reports
Contrary to Google’s stance, research from the Pew Research Center contradicts the notion that AI Overviews have no effect on website traffic. The report reveals that a significant number of users received AI-generated results from Google searches in March 2025.
According to the research, users are less likely to click on website links when presented with AI summaries in their search results. In fact, the data indicates that users who encounter AI summaries clicked on traditional search result links at a lower rate compared to those who did not see AI summaries.
Additionally, users are more inclined to end their search sessions without clicking on any links when presented with AI summaries, as opposed to traditional search results.
Impact on Publishers
The Pew Research Center report highlights that websites like Wikipedia, YouTube, and Reddit are frequently cited in AI summaries, overshadowing news publishers that claim a decline in website traffic due to this phenomenon.
In conclusion, Google’s AI Overviews have shown to impact user behavior by reducing the click-through rate on website links and influencing the duration of search sessions.
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