Google swears it isn’t destroying the web with AI search

Google says its AI search features aren’t tanking website traffic despite recent reports suggesting otherwise. In a blog post published on Wednesday, Google Search head Liz Reid says click volume from the search engine has remained “relatively stable” when compared to the same time last year — though some types of websites are getting more clicks and others are getting less.

Reid’s argument that AI is actually helping the web comes just weeks after Pew Research published a report that said people are “less likely” to click on links when Google presents them with an AI Overview, or the AI-generated summary that appears at the top of Search. In her post, Reid says Google’s findings contradict third-party reports that are “often based on flawed methodologies.”

Recent changes to Google Search have sent ripples throughout the digital media industry. A recent report from The Wall Street Journal detailed how Business Insider, The Washington Post, and HuffPost have faced a decline in traffic in the wake of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot that has led some outlets to lay off staff. On top of that, shifts in Google’s algorithms have resulted in independent websites struggling to stay in search results.

Changing search patterns have brought about “decreased traffic to some sites and increased traffic to others,” with websites with forums, videos, podcasts, and “authentic voices” benefitting the most, according to Reid. Users are also more likely to visit sites containing in-depth reviews, original posts, or thoughtful analyses. “We continue to send billions of clicks to websites every day and believe that Search’s value exchange with the web remains strong,” Reid says.

Reid adds that while some users might not click citations within AI Overviews, people who do click through may spend longer on the website to learn more about a topic. “An AI response might provide the lay of the land, but people click to dive deeper and learn more, and when they do, these clicks are more valuable,” Reid says.