AI search at Google hits web traffic
The AI-generated summaries that Google has recently started using to answer search queries are causing website traffic to decline. For website operators, this can also mean a drop in revenue.
For several decades, web search engines worked according to a well-known basic principle: they presented a series of websites that matched the search terms. Users then looked for the information they were looking for themselves. However, this is changing with the rise of artificial intelligence. This is becoming clear at the latest now that the most popular search engine for years, Google rolls out the "AI search" function. The new principle: instead of presenting a list of possible results, the AI scans the pages itself and generates an answer text. Although Google lists the relevant sources, it is not uncommon for the AI answer to be sufficient for the user, so that they do not need to visit the source page.
Drastic decline
Fears to this effect had been voiced for some time, but only as a hypothetical scenario. However, with the roll-out of Google's AI search, it has become clear that this is more than just a theory. Small, independent website operators in particular are complaining about a sharp drop in traffic. This is reported by T3nwhich is based on a paywall article by Bloomberg refers to. The report features family businesses that lost 70 percent or more of their web traffic.
This loss is often accompanied by a decline in revenue, as can be seen in the case of the operator of a portal for outdoor and mountain tours. He explains in the report that in 2023 he was still generating a turnover of 250,000 US dollars, while he was now receiving welfare benefits. Bloomberg even mentions a travel blog that had to close down completely after its revenue fell by 90 percent within a year.
These losses are doubly painful because the AI models of Google and Co. draw on the content of these damaged website operators, among other things. T3n notes that Google met with a few website operators in the fall of 2024 to discuss the matter. The company apologized and praised the content, but did not present a solution, summarizes T3n summarizes the reactions of the participants. (René Jaun/dda)
