Awhile ago, Google began displaying AI-generated summaries at the very top of search results. From our experience, these appear in about half of all searches. According to recent discussions in the industry, these AI Overviews (also called AI/O) tend to show up less when users are searching for a company website or something to buy, and more frequently when people are looking for information or trying to learn about a topic.
This is an extremely convenient feature for users, since they can get the information they need without having to click through to individual websites.
However…
From the perspective of website owners, this poses a serious threat.
Because these AI-generated summaries provide answers directly in the search results, fewer people are clicking on actual websites, including ones that used to receive steady traffic.
You’ve probably experienced this yourself: if the answer you’re looking for appears right at the top of the page, you’re less likely to scroll down and click on any of the links below. In other words, click-through rates (CTR) are very likely to drop overall. And it’s easy to imagine that websites offering rich, informative content could see a sharp decline in traffic.
This poses a major challenge for shopping sites or information pages that have traditionally attracted visitors through high-quality content, as well as for bloggers who generate income through affiliate ads by offering useful, well-researched information.
While the full impact hasn’t been seen yet, a significant drop in traffic seems likely in the near future.
