Fresh data suggests Google’s AI Summaries are creating serious challenges for digital publishers. According to a survey by Digital Content Next (DCN), a nonprofit representing major outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, Fox News Digital, and NBC News, referral traffic from Google Search dropped significantly in May and June.
Median year-over-year referral traffic was down 10%, with some publishers seeing declines of up to 25%. Non-news brands were hit hardest, falling 14% year-over-year over the past eight weeks. News publishers experienced a 7% decline, though in certain weeks the numbers were far worse: news referrals fell 16% the week of May 25, while non-news publishers dropped 17% the week of June 22.
AI Overviews Alter User Behavior
Google’s AI Overviews, introduced in 2023 and rolled out more widely in May 2024, are changing how people interact with search results. A Pew Research Center study last month found that when users were shown AI summaries, only 8% clicked on a link in the results. In contrast, 15% clicked when AI summaries were absent. The study also showed that 26% of users ended their browsing session at the AI Overview, compared with 16% under traditional results.
DCN has proposed several remedies to address the problem. These include requiring Google to disclose auditable click-through rate data for AI Overviews, allowing publishers to block their content from being used in AI summaries without losing search visibility, and pushing for fair licensing deals. DCN also urged regulators to treat AI Overviews as part of Google’s broader search monopoly.
“This is not a call for special treatment. It’s a call to preserve the integrity of the open web,” a DCN spokesperson said. The group warned that AI-generated summaries could result in “fewer sources, weaker journalism, and a less informed public.”
Google Pushes Back
Google disputes these findings. The company insists that AI Summaries drive “high-quality clicks,” meaning users who spend more time on a site after arriving. Liz Reid, VP and Head of Google Search, said earlier this month that overall organic click volume has been “relatively stable year-over-year,” with average click quality rising.
She argued that studies from Pew and DCN often rely on “flawed methodologies, isolated examples, or traffic changes that occurred prior to the rollout of AI features in Search.”
Author’s Opinion
This conflict shows the growing gap between tech platforms and the publishers who depend on them. Even if Google is technically right about “quality clicks,” publishers can’t pay journalists with fewer clicks overall. Strong journalism needs sustainable traffic and revenue, not just assurances that some clicks are better than others. If AI summaries keep readers from leaving Google, the long-term risk is fewer publishers surviving, which means fewer voices shaping public understanding.
Featured image credit: Maxence Pira via Unsplash
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.