Google claims its latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing search, with more queries and higher-quality clicks. However, behind the hype lies a complex web of unanswered questions about the impact on publishers and creators.
A new Google blog post highlights AI-driven “Overviews” as a key driver of increased searches. These Overviews supposedly allow users to ask questions they couldn’t before, but the company fails to provide concrete data on how many queries lead to clicks or how much traffic is now fully answered without visiting a site.
Google also touts “relatively stable” year-over-year traffic numbers, citing slightly more quality clicks than last year. Yet, it leaves out key details such as the actual number of clicks and which sites are losing traffic.
The company asserts that AI Overviews display more links, increasing chances to click. However, data from Search Console shows for many sites that impressions are up while clicks are down. This could indicate that users may see links but ignore them due to ad clutter or other factors.
Regarding “click quality,” Google claims users don’t quickly click back, suggesting a higher interest in websites. Yet, this assertion doesn’t hold true for AI search clicks, which might not always be better traffic. Moreover, reports suggest Large Language Model (LLM) traffic isn’t as engaged as organic traffic.
Google also states that users are seeking out “authentic voices” on the web, citing a shift towards forums and videos. However, this trend may be influenced by Google’s favoring its partner platforms like YouTube and Reddit over natural search behavior.
A closer examination of Google’s metrics reveals inconsistencies. While billions of clicks are sent to websites daily, the distribution of that traffic is crucial for publishers whose traffic is dwindling. AI Overviews often repurpose web content, reducing the need for users to click, and Google’s framing of “highlighting” the web might be seen as summarizing creators’ work without compensation or credit.
Ultimately, Google’s lack of transparency hinders understanding the true impact of its AI-driven search upgrades. As a result, publishers, SEOs, and creators are left guessing about how much traffic is eaten by AI and what remains hidden.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-boosting-search-yes-but-460104