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Can You Trust Google’s AI Overviews? The Negative Impact on Web Traffic Explained
I want to help you understand what’s really happening with Google’s AI Overviews. I’ll keep it simple and clear, like I’m talking to a friend who wants the facts, not fancy words.
What Are Google’s AI Overviews?
Google’s AI Overviews show up at the top of search results. They try to answer questions with quick summaries. But these summaries don’t always help. Sometimes, they act like a salesperson, pushing products—even ones that don’t exist.
Fake Products and Flawed Facts
A group called House Fresh checked how Google’s AI Overviews work. They made up air purifier names that aren’t real. Google’s AI still gave glowing reviews for these fake products. It didn’t stop there. Almost half the facts in these AI Overviews came from companies trying to sell things, not from real experts or independent reviews.
When someone asked about the bad side of a product, the AI would twist it and make it sound good. Only if you asked for “good reasons not to buy” would it give honest answers. This means the AI is often just repeating what marketers want you to hear.
Web Traffic Drops for Publishers
Google said its AI Overviews would help websites get more visitors. But House Fresh looked at 507 websites and saw something different. Four out of five lost visitors since June 2023. Almost half lost at least 60% of their Google search traffic. Even websites that Google once praised in their “Success Stories” lost visitors—81% of them, in fact.
Reddit’s Big Traffic Boost
While most websites lost visitors, Reddit got a huge boost. Its Google search traffic went up by 990%. This happened after Google made a $60 million deal with Reddit in early 2024. Now, Reddit shows up in almost every product review search. But this also led to more product spam, as marketers found ways to get their links into Reddit posts.
Keeping Users Inside Google
Google wants you to stay on their site. If you search for “dinosaurs,” you get lots of chances to click on ads or start new searches, but very few chances to leave Google and visit other sites. This keeps users inside Google’s world, making it harder for other websites to get noticed.
Even Google’s own staff have said that while more people might see your website in search results, fewer will actually click through. This means your site might show up, but you won’t get more visitors.
What Can You Do?
If you don’t want to see these AI Overviews, there are ways to turn them off. Some browsers and tools can help you skip them, so you get real search results instead.
The Bigger Picture
Regulators are starting to notice. The European Union has started looking into Google’s AI Overviews. Cloudflare, a big web company, now blocks AI crawlers by default. Even the BBC says Google’s new AI Mode could change the internet as we know it.
Google used to help people find websites. Now, it’s using other people’s content to keep users on its own platform. This hurts web publishers and content creators. The old deal—Google sends you visitors in exchange for your content—is broken. Google is now a competitor, not just a helper.
If you create content or run a website, it’s important to know how these changes affect you. Stay alert, look for honest sources, and use tools to get the search results you want.