Google's AI search changes upend online publishing
Publishers that spent years chasing Google clicks now face AI summaries that often keep readers on the results page.
Money#02
89%
Maximum click-through drop reported by DMG Media
Image: The Verge
89%Maximum click-through drop reported by DMG Media
The short version
- Publishers spent years optimizing their pages to rank high on Google and attract readers.
- Google's AI Overviews show a summary at the top of Search, with source links placed below it.
- A June 2025 Wall Street Journal report showed traffic to several major outlets has declined since 2022.
- DMG Media told the UK's Competition and Markets Authority that click-through rates dropped by up to 89 percent between June and July 2025.
Why it matters
Search referrals have long been a core traffic source for publishers, and this shift shows how quickly that source can shrink. For developers, it signals that source visibility, licensing and compensation are becoming part of how AI search products are built.
“From our point of view, the web is thriving.”