"Google's AI Overviews is the latest blow to referral traffic and ad revenues, intensifying just as the Department of Justice's ad-tech antitrust trial inches toward remedies. Publishers are watching the outcome of the remedies phase with a mix of bitter curiosity and grim resignation. Content to see some form of recompense, but cynical that any remedy will occur in time to repair the damage currently being done by declining referral traffic."
""Publishers have already gotten choked out," said Bill Morrow, publishing consultant and former NBC Universal vp of digital monetization and planning. "I'm not as worried about the heyday of display advertising and that someone was taking too much of a share from me and not letting me manage my own business properly. Now, they're [publishers] in panic mode almost, because of AI, and they've lost a bunch of search traffic, and have lost a bunch of social traffic over the years as well.""
Google's AI Overviews is rapidly reducing referral traffic and ad revenues just as the Department of Justice's ad-tech antitrust trial moves toward remedies. Publishers face sustained losses of search and social referrals and view potential remedies with bitter curiosity and grim resignation, fearing relief will arrive too late to reverse declines. Many publishers consider any fix years too late, after the peak of digital display advertising, and describe being 'choked out' and in near-panic as AI reshapes traffic flows. Legal action and antitrust suits are increasingly seen as one of the few remaining tools to apply pressure.
Read at Digiday
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