Following the launch of Google AI Overviews in May 2024, zero-click search surged to 69% by May 2025, marking a 13 percentage point increase. Concurrently, organic traffic to news sites plummeted from over 2.3 billion visits to under 1.7 billion. While Google executives assert that the web is thriving, their own reports reveal a stark decline in clicks versus impressions, which they do not differentiate between traditional web traffic and traffic driven by AI Overviews. Referrals from ChatGPT to news publishers rose dramatically, benefiting outlets like Reuters and NY Post.
Since the launch of Google AI Overviews in May 2024, zero-click search grew by 13 percentage points, reaching 69% in May 2025, while organic traffic to news sites declined significantly.
Organic traffic dropped from over 2.3 billion visits at its peak in mid-2024 to under 1.7 billion, illustrating a substantial decline in user engagement.
Referrals from ChatGPT to news publishers increased by 25x year-over-year, with major beneficiaries like Reuters and NY Post, while CNN was absent from the referral rankings.
Despite data showing the decoupling of impressions to clicks, Google executives consistently claim that the web is thriving, neglecting the impact of AI Overviews.
#zero-click-search #google-ai-overviews #organic-traffic-decline #news-publishers #chatgpt-referrals
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