A recent data by Terakeet shows that Google AI Overviews effects the traffic of webpages immensely. Sites included in AI Overviews receive an increase in visitors, while those excluded experience a drop in clicks.
Webpages Benefit from AI Overviews:
The study found that pages included in AI Overviews receive higher traffic, even if they originally ranked lower in search results:
Top-ranked transactional queries: Webpages in AI Overviews get 3.2x more clicks than those excluded.
Lower-ranked informational queries: Pages included receive 2x more clicks than those appearing in search results without AI Overviews.
Lower-ranked transactional queries: Pages in AI Overviews get 3.6x more clicks than those without it.
Impact on Search Intent:
The study found that AI Overviews affect both informational and transactional searches:
Informational searches: Pages in positions 1-2 lose traffic, but those in positions 3-10 gain traffic.
Transactional searches: Webpages in AI Overviews benefit regardless of their ranking on page one.
Why This Matters:
AI Overviews are changing how users interact with search results. Websites that previously ranked high in Google search can no longer assume they will receive the same amount of traffic.
What Experts Say:
Adi Srikanth, senior data scientist at Terakeet, stated:
“Being excluded from AI Overviews causes significant harm to webpage traffic, while inclusion provides clear benefits.”
Meanwhile, some companies have already felt the impact:
Chegg, an education technology company, is suing Google, claiming AI Overviews have reduced its traffic and revenue.
NerdWallet CEO Tim Chen: AI Overviews actually answer straightforward educational questions well, resulting in less traffic for some of their non-commercial pages.
Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah : while AI Overviews show up in 12% of their leading queries, their analysis indicates no significant shifts in overall click-through rates.
Conclusion
AI Summaries are transforming search traffic patterns, helping some websites while penalizing others. Companies that bank on organic search positions must rethink their SEO plans in order to remain competitive.
