Numerous studies indicate that the Change to AI -Search Functions and the use of Ai Babies kills traffic to publishers’ websites. But Google on Wednesday denied that this is the case, at least in aggregation. Instead, the search giant says that total organic click volume of its search engine to websites was “relatively stable” a year after year and that average click quality has increased slightly.
“These data unlike third-party reports that incorrectly suggest dramatic declines in aggregate traffic-frequently New blog -fixture.
Although Google has not shared any specific data to support its conclusions, even if we assume that Google’s claims are true, that does not necessarily mean that AI has no effect.
Even Google must acknowledge this, as Reid acknowledges that “user trends change traffic to various websites, resulting in decreased traffic to some websites and increase traffic to others.”
That word “some” makes a heavy lift here, because Google does not share data on how many websites earn or lose. And during chats like Chatgpt has certainly seen traffic to increase in recent months, that does not mean that online publishers are not suffering.
Google has renewed its search engine for years to answer more questions directly on the search results page, and is now doing so with AI with its “AI overlap” that appear at the top of search results. Google also allows users to interact with AI chat for some questions. However, Google denies that this significantly reformulates the search landscape. Rather, it points out that users change their attention to other sites to start their questions.
Reid explains, “People are looking more and more looking for and clicking websites with forums, videos, podcasts and posters, where they can hear authentic voices and first prospects.”
Reading between the lines, it seems that Google.com is not necessarily the first stop of people on the web today. But that’s something we knew some time ago. In 2022, Google -Execution even said that social sites like Tiktok and Instagram ate in Google’s core productssuch as search and maps.
“In our studies, something like almost 40% of young people, when looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google maps or searches,” said Google SVP Prabhakar Raghavan, who managed the company’s knowledge and information organization at the time (he is now its main technologist). “They go to Tiktok or Instagram,” he noticed.
Google has long been worried that Amazon.com became people’s first stop for online shopping searches, and Reddit.com became the first stop to explore interesting topics.
For many years, the company has tried to publish compelling features for consumers and traders who would attract more users to Google. These efforts included Universal shopping carts,, Local invention controls,, Agreements,, Shopping of product images on websitesand more. It even released their buying lists for merchants in 2020.
Meanwhile, as users complained that Google -Search quality has declinedThe search giant saw so much demand for Reddit that it is finally Added “Reddit” filter Allow users to narrow results on relevant search issues. (Now that filter simply reads, “Forums.”)
So maybe there is some truth in Google’s refusals – it’s not entirely responsible for killing a search. Search is dead.
Google’s new blog post is also trying to move the target posts a bit about what it means for websites receiving Google’s clicks. Now, instead of calculating clicks, it wants publishers to think about clicking quality.
The company says an average click -quality increased, and Google sends “slightly more quality clicks” to websites than a year ago. (Google explains that a quality click is one where users do not quickly click – they remain and read.) How much growth, however, Google does not say. The company only points out that when people click on AI -answer to the source, they tend to dive deeper, so those clicks are more valuable.
What’s more, Google paints AI as an opportunity for online publishers to get an increased exhibition, saying that “… with AI -overlaps, people see more links on the page than before,” as Reid writes. “More questions and more links mean more opportunities for websites to surface and click.”
But you have, During a growing reference sourceis not However, make up the difference As for clicks, reports showed. One recent study by SimilWeb indicates that the number of news on the site resulting in zero clicks to news websites has grown from 56% (when Google launched AI overgrows in May 2024) to 69% in May 2025.
Google seems to know that this is also a trend as it has recently launched Product for publishers This helps them monitor their diminishing traffic in other ways that do not rely on advertising, such as micro payments or information signatures.
The fact that Google pushes this “AI is not the end of search traffic! “PR now only makes the situation seem more terrible. It is as if Google wants publishers not to believe what their own eyes – and graphics and skills – tell them, but instead comfortable that Google is still sending” billions of clicks to websites “daily, as well as the poster claims.
