The Impact of Google’s AI Overviews on Website Traffic: A Deep Dive

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May 2024

Google introduced AI Overviews—AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results. While designed to provide quick answers to users, these overviews have significantly impacted website traffic across various industries.

Understanding AI Overviews

AI Overviews are concise summaries generated by Google's large language model. They appear prominently at the top of search results, offering quick, digestible responses pulled from reputable websites, structured data, and context-aware algorithms. The goal is to save users' time by delivering the "best" answer without requiring a click.

Unlike traditional search results that relied on blue links, AI Overviews repackage the internet's information in a snapshot format, similar to how ChatGPT or Perplexity generates summaries. These summaries are often compiled from multiple websites, but rarely drive meaningful referral traffic because the key points are extracted and displayed immediately.

AI Overviews appear in an increasing percentage of queries, especially informational ones. According to a March 2025 report from BrightEdge, AI Overviews now appear in over 35% of all U.S. Google desktop searches and are trending higher on mobile devices.

The Decline in Click-Through Rates (CTR)

The presence of AI Overviews has led to a noticeable drop in CTR for many websites:

  • Mail Online reported a 56% decrease in CTR when AI Overviews appeared for their top-ranking keywords. (source)
  • A study by SurferSEO found that position 1 CTR dropped by 34.5% when AI Overviews were present. (source)
  • Conductor observed organic traffic drops as large as 60% on some pages following the rollout of AI Overviews. (source)

The broader SEO community has confirmed this with real-world data: users are increasingly satisfied with Google's top-layer summaries. They are less inclined to visit websites unless they want extensive details.

Industry-Wide Traffic Reductions

The impact of AI Overviews varies across industries:

  • Fashion, travel, DIY, and cooking websites have experienced declines in traffic, with some reporting up to a 70% drop. (source)
  • Chegg, an online education company, reported a 49% decline in non-subscriber traffic in January 2025 compared to the previous year. (source)
  • Small recipe and health bloggers have been walloped. According to Ahrefs data, some independent sites lost up to 65% of their top-page traffic since AI Overviews started appearing for "how to" and "what is" type queries.
  • Tech review and affiliate sites are seeing revenue plummet as buying-intent keywords like "best laptops for students" now trigger AI recommendations without sending users to review sites.

The Rise of Zero-Click Searches

AI Overviews are part of a much larger shift toward zero-click searches, where users find what they need without leaving Google. Before AI Overviews, zero-click searches already made up over 50% of total queries, according to SparkToro. With AI in play, this number is expected to climb toward 70% by mid-2025.

This trend spells trouble for publishers, bloggers, and e-commerce brands that depend on search traffic to earn ad revenue, collect leads, or drive conversions.

Google's Stance

Google claims that AI Overviews are designed to enhance the search experience, not to harm publishers. In blog posts and public comments, they’ve emphasized that:

  • Overviews include citations that link to source content.
  • Publishers benefit from visibility when their content is referenced.
  • The goal is user satisfaction, not click preservation.

However, many publishers see this differently. Google has weathered similar controversies, such as when Featured Snippets rolled out and began reducing traffic. At that time, Google offered webmasters a way to opt out. No such option exists for AI Overviews.

Industry organizations like the News/Media Alliance and the Coalition for Independent Tech have begun lobbying for transparency in AI-generated content attribution and fair compensation models.

What Website Owners Can Do About Lost Traffic

Just because Google shows answers up front doesn’t mean your site has to lose. Here’s how to stay competitive, even if AI Overviews take clicks away.

Optimize for AI Summaries — Don’t Avoid Them

It might seem like the best plan is to work around Google’s AI. But the truth is, you want your content inside those summaries.

  • Answer questions fast. Put a short, clear answer near the top of your page. Follow it with detailed content for people who want to learn more.
  • Use schema markup. Schema helps Google understand your content. FAQPage, HowTo, and Article schemas are especially helpful.
  • Write in plain language. Google prefers clear, simple language. Use short paragraphs, no jargon, and active voice.

"If Google is going to show an answer, make sure it’s your answer." - Chris Lottman, Director of Online Services at Whistler Billboards

Go Beyond What AI Can Summarize

AI Overviews are built for quick answers, not nuance. That’s your edge.

  • Create expert content. Write longer articles or opinion-based pieces that show real experience or deep knowledge.
  • Use first-hand examples. Case studies, personal stories, or local expertise can’t be easily summarized.
  • Add value AI can’t. Include custom tools, calculators, downloadable templates, or community-based content.

This is your opportunity to dig into E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Add author bios, cite sources, and ensure readers know who’s writing and why it matters.

If someone lands on your site from a newsletter or social media, they skip Google entirely.

  • Start a newsletter. Build a direct audience. Send weekly or monthly value-packed emails to your list.
  • Post more on social media. Short-form videos on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts can drive major referral traffic.
  • Use retargeting ads. If visitors leave your site, show them ads on Facebook or Instagram to bring them back.

Building a loyal audience means you don’t have to rely only on Google clicks.

Improve User Experience to Keep Traffic Longer

Once visitors visit your site, ensure they want to stay and return.

  • Make it fast. Speed is everything. You'll lose users if your page doesn’t load in under 3 seconds.
  • Simplify your layout. Clear navigation, readable fonts, and a clean design increase time-on-site and reduce bounce rate.
  • Optimize for mobile. Over 60% of searches happen on phones, so make sure your mobile experience is flawless.
  • Use internal links wisely. Help visitors discover more of your content by weaving in smart internal links.

Track the Right Data

Don’t just stare at traffic drops—understand where and why they happen.

  • Use Google Search Console. Look for which queries are still driving clicks. Double down on those.
  • Compare with past data. Did traffic dip right after AI Overviews launched? If so, that’s your baseline.
  • Track engagement. Even if traffic drops, you might be getting more qualified visitors. Focus on time on page, form fills, and conversions.

Tools like Matomo or Plausible can supplement Google Analytics and give you privacy-focused insight into behavior trends.

Diversify Your Search Strategy

Think beyond Google organic search.

  • Use Bing and DuckDuckGo. These engines don’t have AI Overviews at the same scale yet. Optimize content for alternative platforms.
  • Create YouTube content. YouTube is owned by Google but isn’t affected by AI overviews in the same way. Optimize your videos for SEO and link to your site.
  • Try AI platforms directly. Sites like Perplexity.ai and ChatGPT plugins allow users to discover content. Start formatting your content to appear in these channels, too.

My Final Thoughts

Google's AI Overviews have introduced a significant shift in how users interact with search results, leading to decreased website traffic for many publishers. But this isn’t the end of SEO—it’s a transformation.

Website owners who adapt by improving content quality, diversifying traffic sources, and adopting AI-aware formatting will survive and thrive. The future of search will be more competitive, complex, and creative than ever.

Adapt now—and win later.

https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/?feed_id=361&_unique_id=682dcfbbac5f9

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