Google's transformation into an 'answer engine' is drastically affecting publisher traffic and revenue. As AI-generated overviews appear at the top of search results, users increasingly find answers without clicking through to websites. The proportion of web searches for news resulting in no clicks has escalated from 56% to 69%. Site visits have decreased from 2.3 billion to 1.7 billion since the introduction of AI technology. Publishers must adapt or face dire consequences as Google strives to retain users within its platform, signaling a major disruption in the relationship between Google and publishers.
Ask someone who is not in the digital world to look up something like 'what is the energy price cap.' Most won't click through. They'll read the AI-generated summary and move on.
The percentage of web searches for news that did not result in a click-through has risen from 56% to 69%, with site visits dropping from 2.3 billion to 1.7 billion.
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