Google’s AI search is rapidly becoming the default, new data shows

New data from Similarweb indicates that Google’s AI Overviews have expanded significantly, appearing in 43% of searches compared to 15% a year prior, making AI search rapidly become the default. This shift is transforming Google from a gateway that directs users to external websites into a self-contained destination where users spend more time engaging in conversational queries. While this change increases user engagement on Google's platform, it has raised concerns among publishers who face declining referral traffic due to AI citations that often bypass clicks. Despite these challenges for content creators, recent updates show that prominent blue links in some AI-driven search results can still drive web traffic, offering some hope for publishers navigating the evolving digital landscape.

(Source：TechCrunch)