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Google’s AI search changes upended online publishing
Publishers spent years figuring out how to get clicks on Google. But new AI search features have torn that ecosystem apart.
Google’s AI search changes upended online publishing
Publishers spent years figuring out how to get clicks on Google. But new AI search features have torn that ecosystem apart.
The shifting relationship between search and publishers
The digital publishing industry has relied on Google for a very long time. Many outlets spent time and money optimizing their webpages to show up at the top of the search engine, with the goal of getting readers to click on their articles or discover their websites for the first time. For years, the relationship between Google and publishers was largely reciprocal; online publishers filled out Google’s search index with content, while Google supplied publications with exposure and traffic.
The launch of Google’s AI search features and ranking changes has made it harder for publishers to survive on search traffic alone. In 2024, Google introduced AI Overviews to summarize web pages at the top of search results with source links placed below. Instead of vying for clicks on standard search pages, publishers became dependent on an AI system that summarizes content without guaranteeing user clicks.
The News/Media Alliance warned that AI Overviews would harm web traffic. A 2024 Press Gazette investigation found that AI Overviews appeared in nearly a quarter of news-related searches in May 2024 and began replacing media sites in top search result positions by August.
In May 2025, Google launched AI Mode, replacing standard search with a chatbot interface that provides detailed summaries from web results.
Traffic declines and legal challenges
Traffic to online publishers dropped following the launch of Google’s AI search features. A June 2025 report from The Wall Street Journal revealed traffic declines for Business Insider, The Washington Post, HuffPost, and the WSJ since 2022. Similarweb data indicated that search traffic to The New York Times fell from 44 percent to 35.5 percent over three years.
Digital Content Next reported that 19 member outlets experienced traffic losses between 1 and 25 percent on Google between May and June 2025. DMG Media reported that click-through rates dropped by up to 89 percent between June and July 2025 due to AI Overviews. Pew Research also found that users are less likely to click external links when presented with an AI Overview.
These findings contrast with statements from Google executives. Google Search head Liz Reid stated that click volume remained stable and that AI search directs traffic to different types of websites, such as forums, videos, and podcasts. Senior vice president Nick Fox stated that the web remains thriving.
Publishers globally have filed lawsuits against Google over traffic losses, though many have faced setbacks. US District Judge Amit Mehta dismissed an antitrust case brought by Chegg and Penske Media, and also rejected a proposed class-action lawsuit filed by Arkansas newspapers regarding AI Overviews.
Publisher adaptation and ongoing adjustments
Online publishers have adapted by emphasizing social media, newsletters, and subscriptions. Some utilize a toggle allowing them to opt out of appearing in AI Mode and AI Overviews without affecting standard search visibility, an option rolled out following UK regulatory measures.
Publisher pushback has led to minor adjustments in Google’s AI search features. The company increased the prominence of sources in AI Mode and AI Overviews, adding pop-ups with article lists and images when hovering over links, and placed in-line links higher up in responses.
Google continues to test methods for compensating publishers. The company launched a News AI pilot program involving 400 publishers, including The Washington Post, CNN, Axios, and the Financial Times, to license content for new AI features.
By the way
• Google is burying blue links even further beneath AI Overviews. The search summaries have started to automatically expand for some queries, instead of requiring users to manually click a “Show more” button.
• The Wall Street Journal reports that Reddit is also considering cutting off Google due to dropping traffic.
• It’s not just publishers and online forums that are concerned about AI Overviews — the nonprofit Common Sense Media claims the search summaries pose an “unacceptable” risk to kids by failing to respond appropriately to children in crisis.
Read this
• This Decoder interview with Google CEO Sundar Pichai sheds a lot of light on the company’s vision for the future of search.
• This write-up from The New York Times shows how Google’s AI Overviews still struggle with accuracy.
• A survey from Nieman Lab reveals how more people are relying on AI chatbots to get their news.
