As AI rewrites search, publishers look for a lifeline

"With the rise of AI, more people are starting their online search via AI-powered chatbots like Perplexity, OpenAI's ChatGPT and of course, Google's Gemini. That shift in online search has started eating into publisher referral traffic, and sparking pushback with lawsuits here in the U.S. and an investigation into Google's market dominance over in the U.K. All said, publishers are losing ground in search and strategizing to find their footing in a changing digital landscape."

"Guaglione: It's a widespread problem that's being caused by AI overviews. The degree to which they're really existential [threats] or not, really depends on the publisher, what keywords they were targeting, how much evergreen content was part of their editorial strategy. Davies: In Europe, a lot of publishers are reporting higher and higher click-through drops and general referral drops. But it's really tricky still to get that clarity and transparency on the data and measurement. In May, Mail Online spoke at a conference in Poland here saying how they were seeing 50%-plus drops. But as Sara says, it really does depend"

AI-powered chatbots such as Perplexity, ChatGPT and Google's Gemini are shifting where users begin online searches and reducing publisher referral traffic. That change has prompted legal pushback in the U.S. and a regulatory investigation into Google's market dominance in the U.K. Reported referral drops vary by publisher, influenced by targeted keywords and the extent of evergreen content in editorial strategies. Some publishers report steep click-through declines, with Mail Online citing 50%+ drops. The situation lacks clear, transparent measurement, and the industry is reacting with strategic adjustments, criticism of remedies, and calls for regulatory inclusion of new AI systems.

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