Google announced:
On Thursday, Google announced that it will display links to various websites and articles more prominently and higher up within its AI-powered search results. This move comes in response to concerns raised by brands and media outlets regarding a decline in user traffic to their websites.
The Alphabet subsidiary began integrating AI-based features into its search results more than two years ago.
In May 2024, Google introduced a feature called “AI Overviews,” which generates a synthesized answer based on a user’s search query, rather than simply providing a list of links.
Subsequently, in March 2025, Google launched “AI Mode.” This feature opens in a separate window and offers more detailed responses—along with a greater number of links—compared to “AI Overviews.”
Moving forward, relevant links will appear more frequently and in more prominent positions within AI-generated content.
Additionally, Google will expand the global reach of its “carousel”—a display format located directly beneath “AI Overviews” that presents headlines and images from relevant articles in a card-based layout.
AI Search Raises Concerns Over Declining Website Traffic:
Google’s algorithm prioritizes content from websites that users have previously identified as “preferred sources.” It may also include information published on social media platforms or other online forums.
Furthermore, Google will make the links provided at the end of AI-generated summaries more visually appealing and noticeable, encouraging users to click through for more detailed information. While presenting the financial results for the second quarter of 2025, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated that the ‘AI Overview’ feature has reached over two billion users per month across more than 200 countries.
News Publishers Report a 40 Percent Drop in Google Traffic
Various studies indicate that the use of AI-generated summaries—in place of traditional search results—leads to a significant decline in the rate at which users click on external links. According to a report by the consultancy firm Chartbeat, publishers of news websites experienced a 40 percent drop in traffic originating from Google between July 2025 and July 2026.
In August, APIG—an organization representing French daily newspapers—filed a complaint with the country’s Competition Authority, arguing that these AI-generated summaries violate agreements previously established with various media outlets in 2022.
