Google added AI Overviews to search results in 2024. These summaries sit above organic links and often remove the need to click through. Publishers saw sharp drops in referral traffic as a result. Some reported losses of up to 89 percent in click-through rates. Google later rolled out an opt-out toggle for AI Mode and Overviews. It also made source links more prominent in AI-generated answers. Regulators and publishers have filed lawsuits over the traffic impact. Google claims overall web click volume remains stable. Publishers now rely more on social media, newsletters and subscriptions.
What changed
Publishers relied on Google search for clicks and optimized pages to rank high.
What it unlocks
Publishers can opt out of AI Mode and AI Overviews without losing standard search visibility.
- 19 publishers saw 1-25% traffic loss
- NYT search traffic fell from 44% to 35.5%
- DMG Media click-through rates dropped up to 89%
- AI Overviews appeared in 25% of news searches in May 2024
Sources