Since Google launched its AI Overviews in search results, major news websites have suffered a traffic decline of up to 40%, data shows. The Google AI search traffic decline is now a growing worry for publishers who depend on Google for millions of monthly visits.
🧾 How Big Is the Drop?
- Forbes: down by almost 40% compared to the same month last year.
- HuffPost: lost around 40% of its traffic.
- CNN & DailyMail: traffic fell by 28–32%.
- New York Post & Wall Street Journal: dropped 27% and 17% respectively.
- Overall: the top 500 news sites lost an average of 27% of their Google traffic between Feb 2024 and Feb 2025.
🔍 Why Did This Happen?
✅ AI Overviews: Google’s AI now answers questions directly, so fewer people click through to news sites.
✅ Top-heavy citations: AI often shows content from a small group of big publishers, pushing out smaller or niche sites.
✅ Clickless search: Users read the AI summary and don’t click the links shown below.
🛑 What Are Publishers Saying?
- Many call this change “devastating” and a threat to free journalism.
- The News/Media Alliance in the U.S. urged regulators to step in.
- Some publishers plan to block Google’s AI bots or charge them for using their content. businessinsider
💡 What’s at Risk?
| Issue | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Ad revenue | Less traffic means less money from ads. |
| Small publishers | Could struggle or shut down if they can’t compete. |
| Quality content | Risk of “AI summaries” replacing detailed reporting. |
🔭 What Happens Next?
- Regulators in the EU and U.S. may check if AI search hurts competition.
- Publishers may look for new ways to reach readers—like apps, newsletters, and direct subscriptions.
- Google might adjust AI Overviews to show more direct links if pressure builds.
✅ Summary
The Google AI search traffic decline shows how AI is changing how people find news online. With some sites losing up to 40% of traffic, publishers fear losing both readers and revenue. What comes next could reshape digital journalism for years.
