Tech giant claims traffic remains stable while publishers report massive losses as AI features take over search results
Google is pushing back hard against claims that its new AI-powered search features are destroying website traffic, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Multiple independent studies are painting a troubling picture for publishers and website owners who depend on Google for visitors.
What Google Claims vs What Studies Show
Google’s defense is simple: The company says website traffic from search has remained “relatively stable year-over-year.” Liz Reid, Google’s Vice President and Head of Search, insists that the quality of clicks has actually improved, with users spending more time on websites instead of immediately bouncing back.
But here’s where it gets interesting – the data from independent researchers tells a completely different story.
A major study by the Pew Research Center tracked 900 real internet users and found some shocking results:
- When Google’s AI Overview appears on search results, only 8% of people click on website links
- Without AI summaries, 15% of people click through – nearly double the rate
- Only 1% of users actually click on the sources cited in AI summaries
- Most people just read the AI answer and move on
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Click rates are crashing across the board. BrightEdge, a major SEO company, found that while Google searches increased by 49% in the past year, actual clicks to websites dropped by a massive 30%.
Even more alarming, Similarweb reported that search traffic to websites has fallen by 55% between April 2022 and April 2025. Major news sites like HuffPost and Washington Post have seen their Google traffic cut in half over three years.
Here’s what’s happening industry by industry:
- Healthcare and education: AI summaries now appear on 90% of searches
- B2B tech: Jumped from 36% to 70% coverage
- Insurance: Rose from 17% to 63%
- E-commerce: Actually dropped from 29% to just 4% (good news for shopping sites!)
The Zero-Click Problem
The real issue is what experts call “zero-click searches” – when users get their answers directly from Google without visiting any website. This trend was already growing, but AI summaries have supercharged it.
Before AI Overviews existed, about 60% of searches ended without clicks. Now, with AI summaries providing instant answers, that number is climbing even higher.
Why This Matters for Regular Websites
Small and medium websites are getting hit the hardest. Unlike big-name sites that might get cited in AI summaries, smaller publishers are seeing their traffic vanish as Google’s AI simply copies their information without sending visitors their way.
The problem is especially bad for:
- Health and medical websites
- Educational content creators
- News publishers
- How-to and tutorial sites
Google’s Counter-Argument
Google isn’t backing down from its position. The company argues that:
- Traffic is just “shifting between different websites”
- More search queries mean more opportunities for clicks
- The quality of clicks is better because users stay longer on sites
- Critics are using “flawed methodologies” in their studies
But Google hasn’t shared detailed data to back up these claims, while independent researchers have published extensive studies with clear numbers.
What This Means Going Forward
The battle over search traffic is far from over. While AI search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity currently drive less than 1% of website traffic, that’s expected to grow rapidly.
For website owners, the message is clear: The old days of relying purely on Google search rankings for traffic are ending. Publishers need to focus on building direct relationships with readers, improving their brand recognition, and creating content that can’t be easily summarized by AI.
The bottom line: Despite Google’s denials, the evidence strongly suggests that AI-powered search features are indeed reducing website traffic. While Google benefits from keeping users on its platform longer, publishers and content creators are left scrambling to adapt to a new reality where their content might be consumed without anyone ever visiting their sites.
As this technology continues to evolve, the tension between Google’s business interests and the broader web ecosystem is only likely to intensify.
