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Leading news organizations are raising red flags about a sharp decline in online traffic as Google’s AI Overviews increasingly replace traditional search result listings.
These AI-generated summaries give users direct answers, reducing the need to click on actual news site links. It is an issue that media executives say could jeopardize the sustainability of digital journalism.
According to new research by analytics firm Authoritas, news sites that once topped Google’s search results may now see traffic drop by as much as 79% when their links appear below AI-generated overviews. The study adds to growing concerns that Google’s new format is pushing original sources further down the results page, out of reach for most users.
The research also points out that YouTube links, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, are now appearing more prominently in search results compared to before.
Publishers Say Traffic Is Already Suffering
Though Google claims its AI Overviews make up only a fraction of total searches, UK-based publishers report noticeable effects. MailOnline’s executive Carly Steven revealed in May that AI-generated search results have already triggered a 56.1% drop in desktop clickthrough rates and a 48.2% drop on mobile.
In response, a Google spokesperson dismissed the Authoritas analysis as “inaccurate and based on flawed assumptions and analysis,” citing outdated methods and unrepresentative search queries.
They further argued that “people are gravitating to AI-powered experiences” and emphasized that “AI features in search enable people to ask even more questions,” which could lead to “new opportunities for websites to be discovered.” Google also insisted that it continues to send “billions of clicks to websites every day.”
Pew Research Also Flags Sharp Drop in Clicks
A second, independent survey by the Pew Research Center analyzed nearly 69,000 Google searches over one month. Their findings echoed the Authoritas report: users clicked a link under an AI Overview only once every 100 searches. Google again disputed the results, stating the methodology was flawed and the query set was not representative.
Amid mounting pressure, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has received a formal legal complaint from a coalition that includes Foxglove, the Independent Publishers Alliance, and the Movement for an Open Web. The group argues that AI Overviews are reshaping access to information in ways that benefit Google at the expense of journalism.
Rosa Curling, director of Foxglove, described the trend as having a “devastating impact” on independent media in the UK. She added, “It would be bad enough if Google were simply stealing journalists’ work and passing it off as their own… but worse still, they are using this work to fuel their own tools and profits.”
Owen Meredith, CEO of the News Media Association, said Google’s behavior keeps users “within its own walled garden,” monetizing content created by others. He warned: “The situation as it stands is entirely unsustainable and will ultimately result in the death of quality information online.”
He urged the CMA to act decisively using its regulatory powers, before the impact on the digital news ecosystem becomes irreversible.
