AI Overviews lead to fewer clicked links, study finds as web traffic falls - Google disagrees

"Only 8% of users click a link on a page with AI Overviews vs 15% on traditional search results, a drop of nearly 50%."

"26% of searches with AI Overviews are the end of usage on Google Search, with users ending the browsing session following the summary, up from 16% in traditional search."

AI Overviews in Google Search reduce user engagement significantly, as indicated by a Pew Research Center study. The study reveals that only 8% of users click links on pages with AI Overviews, compared to 15% on traditional search results. Additionally, just 1% of users engage with links found in AI Overviews. Notably, 26% of searches involving AI Overviews conclude user sessions, an increase from 16% in traditional searches. Publishers have raised concerns about reduced traffic, while Google disputes the study's methodology, asserting that AI features enhance user interactions.

Read at 9to5Google