Google: AI Overviews Aren’t Cutting Website Traffic

Concerns have been swirling that Google’s new AI Overviews are cutting into website traffic. But Google is pushing back, asserting that the total number of organic clicks from search has held “relatively stable year-over-year.” The tech giant insists that introducing generative AI into Search hasn’t lessened its role in sending users to publishers, even as external reports suggest otherwise.

Google’s Take: Improved Click Quality

According to Liz Reid, Google’s Head of Search, the company acknowledges that user interaction with search has shifted. However, she states that the overall volume of clicks directed to websites hasn’t dropped significantly. In fact, Reid claims that click quality has actually improved. Google suggests that users are now less likely to immediately bounce back to search results after clicking a link, indicating a more satisfying initial outcome. Furthermore, Google believes AI Overviews encourage more specific user queries and display more links per search, which helps to counteract any worries about content being directly presented on the results page.

Disputing External Studies

Google’s assurances come amidst several studies that paint a different picture, suggesting AI-generated summaries are indeed reducing the need for users to visit external websites. For instance, a BrightEdge study reported a more than 30% drop in average click-through rates for the top search result after AI Overviews launched. Similarly, Search Engine Land indicated even greater visibility loss for lower-ranked results. Google, however, firmly disputes these findings. The company labels these claims as “flawed,” citing limited data sets and outdated traffic analysis that may not accurately capture user behavior since the AI Overviews rollout.

Concerns for the Open Web

Despite Google’s stance, a significant alarm has been raised across the media and analytics sectors. Many fear that generative AI tools, particularly AI Overviews, could jeopardize the open web by summarizing content directly, thereby failing to direct traffic back to the original source. Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, notably warned that AI-generated search results could effectively “kill” the internet by removing the incentive for creating original content. As a result, some organizations are now taking action, either by blocking AI bots from crawling their sites or by demanding compensation for their content being used in AI training data or summaries.

Google’s Unwavering Stance

Despite the wave of criticism, Google stands by its position: AI Overviews enhance the search experience without negatively impacting publishers. The company emphasizes that it continues to send billions of clicks to websites daily, and users gain from more thorough answers and simpler discovery of diverse, relevant sources—ranging from videos to forums and personal accounts. Liz Reid reaffirmed that Google’s objective isn’t to slash web traffic, but rather to boost relevance and value for users. She stated:

“We believe the value exchange between Google Search and the web remains strong. Our goal is to connect people with the best information including from publishers and creators, as effectively as possible.”