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Home / Insights / ＿

Is Google's AI Overviews in search results the beginning of the end for web traffic?

With Google answering questions for users, do they need to visit your website? For most businesses that rely on organic search traffic, this change has a far more profound implication: Is this the beginning of the end for web traffic as we know it?

Marty Drill
Marty Drill

05 August 2025

8 minute read

Arm in arm, the crowd sings 'we'll be riding on the horses, yeah yeah’. The song ends, and someone says ‘Did you know Daryl Braithwaite did not even write that song’. Several people begin to defend Daryl’s honour, and someone pulls out their phone and says:

OK Google, obviously Daryl Braithwaite originally wrote The Horses, is that the case?

Picture of an AI Overviews screenshot about who wrote 'The Horses'

Google responds, saying it was actually written by Rickie Lee Jones and Daryl covered it, making it a massive hit in Australia. While disappointed that your anthem was written by an American, you suddenly realise that you have brought an AI assistant to your mate’s 50th (and to every party from now on). 

The way people search has changed. If you use Google (most of us do), you've probably noticed a significant shift in both the way you search and the results you get. Google's AI, powered by innovations like Gemini, is no longer just helping you find answers; it's often giving them to you directly on the search results page. Have you found yourself typing (or asking via voice mode) more direct questions? The answers have improved, and therefore, we're asking more specific questions.

What happens to websites (and marketing teams) if everyone’s questions are answered by search engines?

For most businesses that rely on organic search traffic, this change has a far more profound implication: Is this the beginning of the end for web traffic as we know it?

It's a question many of us in the industry, and indeed across the globe, are grappling with.

The rise of ‘zero-click’ searches

The most immediate impact of AI in search is the surge in what we call ‘zero-click searches’. Historically, when we search, we would get a list of results, peruse the results and then click through a few to find our answer. Now, AI Overviews are often front and centre, serving up a concise, AI-generated summary right at the top of the page. 

People get their questions answered without having to visit a website and seek out the answer. While faster and incredibly convenient for the user, this means many don't need to click on any website at all. The answer is provided without further effort. 

A shift in user behaviour

It’s interesting to watch kids interact with AI. They already approach it like an assistant that gives them answers, rather than how adults have been using search engines. We're witnessing a fundamental change in how people interact with search. Instead of playing detective across multiple web pages, users are increasingly expecting instant results. They'll ask the AI their initial question, and often, follow up with more questions directly within the AI interface, rather than branching out to other sites. It's a testament to the power of these new AI models, but it redraws the map for web traffic. Over time, it will likely reduce both website traffic and search engine traffic, as people interact with the AI tool rather than the search engine. Google is set to release AI Mode (already available in the US) in Australia in the coming months.

Think about it this way, you are at the gym and you realise that the treadmill is in miles. When you finish your run, do you open the calculator on your phone to convert from miles to km or do you ask Google to convert it for you? (Do you even remember how many kilometres are in a mile?). Or are you likely to ask your AI assistant to convert it for you and add it to your running app for you? We are moving from looking up information and searching for answers to directly asking questions to answers. 

The shrinking click-through rate (CTR)

This convenience comes at a cost for brands. Data is already showing a significant drop in organic click-through rates (CTR) when AI overviews are present. Some reports indicate drops of 30-40 percent, or even more, for top-ranking results. Even paid ads aren't entirely immune to this effect.

Many of our clients have spent months or years building fantastic content, achieving a top spot (or high rank) in Google for their target phrases, only for an AI summary to appear above them, diverting those valuable clicks. It's a tough pill to swallow, and it could massively reduce your traffic. 

Who's most affected?

Websites that primarily offer informational content are feeling the pinch the most. Think ‘how-to’ guides, definitions, historical facts, or simple explanations. AI is incredibly adept at summarising this type of information, making it less likely for users to click through to the original source. With deep research functions from AI tools like Gemini, the need for comparison sites (e.g. health insurance comparison sites) may become obsolete.

A reduction in website traffic could affect most businesses. For most of our clients, their customers use their sites to engage in research about the product, which is often a high consideration item. If you were investing in a truck (we work with Daimler Trucks) or looking to change your superannuation fund (we work with several super funds), your questions will be more in-depth. It is likely that customers will use AI deep research to support their decision-making. So the question they ask will be far more specific. For example: 

I am looking for a superannuation fund that invests in future focused industries (no investment in oil and gas) that has on average returned above 8% over the last 15 years (if they have had negative years, please report them, though list the average of the sector in the same year) and has fees of less than 1.5% and provide your recommendation for the top 3 funds for a person aged 40 and is looking to retire in 2050.

People are now able to engage in deep research that supports their specific circumstances. This role is often provided by an intermediary or broker and will likely be replaced by AI. As such, businesses need to focus on being able to support AI’s deep research. In the case of super funds, providing access to a table of all results over time, along with supporting information that would help AI to analyse the data. 

Is there any good news?

It's not all doom and gloom, but it does require a strategic pivot.

  1. ‘Quality clicks’: There is potential that anyone who proceeds to your site after an AI Overview might be more ‘qualified’ – meaning users are better informed before they land on your page. This is likely to be tested with bounce rates and time spent on your site. 
  2. Being cited in AI Overviews: This will become the goal for many. If your content is authoritative and well-structured, there's a chance it could be cited or linked to within an AI overview. This still provides brand visibility and, in some cases, can drive traffic from users who want to dive deeper.  Impressions is the metric to track here - or if you pay for an AI visibility tool, you could get Share of visibility (vs. competitors) in AI-generated summaries.
  3. Brand search: We're also seeing a rise in branded search because of AI citations. When users see a brand name in AI results, they are more likely to search for the brand. Supporting these, we are also seeing more people clicking through to homepages than deeper pages in the site.

Transactional and navigational queries: AI's impact is less pronounced on searches where users intend to do something (like buy a product) or go somewhere specific (like a company's homepage). For now, visiting a website is still essential. In time, this will change as AI tools like OpenAI will soon allow businesses to submit a product feed. The assumption is that they will make an in-ChatGPT shopping experience, limiting the role of a website further.

Picture of a phone with ChatGPT on the screen

Adapting to the new reality

So, what's a website owner to do in this brave new world? Adaptation is key.

  • Cultivate direct relationships: In an increasingly AI-mediated world, fostering direct connections with your audience becomes paramount. This means focusing on community building, exceptional customer service, personalised experiences, and exclusive content that encourages users to come directly to you, rather than relying solely on search discovery.
  • Ramping up online PR: In this new world, brand citations are the new backlinks. And they don't need to be linked at all, just mentions. Look at the sites that are regularly referenced by AI for queries you want to have a voice in, and get your brand mentioned on those sites.
  • Go deep, go unique: Focus on creating highly comprehensive, in-depth content that offers unique perspectives, original research, or analysis that AI can't simply replicate or summarise easily.
  • Optimise for AI: Structure your content clearly with headings, use schema markup to provide structured data to search engines, and ensure your information is accurate and authoritative. This increases your chances of being featured within AI overviews and potentially even becoming a direct source for AI answers. (See Luminary's SEO Principal Shayna Burns' guide to writing AI-friendly content.)
  • Diversify your traffic: If you're currently 90 percent reliant on Google organic search, it's time to spread your bets. Explore social media marketing, email newsletters, direct traffic, partnerships, and other channels.
  • Focus on value beyond information: What unique value do you offer? Is it a community, exclusive tools, a specific product, or an unparalleled user experience? Highlight these aspects.

Optimising for AI is your best bet. The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and AI is just the latest, albeit significant, disruption. While web traffic may indeed reduce in aggregate due to AI answers, the businesses and creators who adapt, innovate, and continue to provide exceptional value will be the ones that thrive in this exciting, challenging new era.

What strategies are you already implementing to navigate this new search landscape?

Marty Drill
Marty Drill

05 August 2025

8 minute read

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