Google AI Overviews Take Nearly Half of Clicks Away from Websites

How User Behavior is Changing

• Fewer clicks to websites: AI summaries answer directly in results, so users don’t need to visit other websites.
• More ended sessions: 26% of people who received AI answers ended their search immediately – without further clicks or questions.
• Continued searching declines: 32% continued searching, which is slightly less than with classic results (35%).

What This Means for E-shops and Publishers

Don’t Rely Only on SEO

Organic search has been the main driver of traffic for years – for many e-shops even the decisive source of new customers. However, if Google starts providing answers directly in search results at scale, part of this flow will simply be lost. AI summaries can satisfy users without them needing to click further. This means that even if you invest in optimization and content, the resulting effect may show up as lower traffic than you’d expect. SEO thus stops being a certainty and becomes more of a complement to the entire marketing mix.

Diversify Acquisition Channels

Those who rely only on Google are taking risks. It’s already clear that social networks, newsletters, or new advertising formats like connected TV will have greater importance in reaching customers. For e-shops, this means bigger investments in brand building and working with audiences where AI summaries don’t push out competition. Newsletters can be a direct sales channel, while social networks are places where customers discover or recall brands. CTV advertising allows reaching households in an environment that’s less saturated than classic online banners.

Build Direct Customer Relationships

Publishers and brands face the same challenge: if referral traffic from search engines decreases, customers and readers need to be “anchored” differently. Whether it’s a newsletter subscriber database, community within social platforms, or subscriptions, it’s a way to maintain direct contact without intermediaries. For e-shops, this could be loyalty programs and personalised communication, for publishers it’s strengthening premium content and greater focus on brand-direct ad sales. The common denominator is owning a channel that remains in the company’s hands, not Google’s.

AI Search Spreads Rapidly, But Not Without Problems

A growing share of users utilizes AI summaries when searching – according to YouGov, more than a third of Americans claim they use them in half or more of their searches. This means the trend will only accelerate and the impact on SEO and referral traffic will continue growing.

On the other hand, a survey by Yext and Researchscape shows that up to 40% of people feel frustrated when AI tools get complex or multi-step questions. For e-shops, this signals that while AI can handle simple questions alone, there remains space for unique content and reviews with more complex decisions.

In the e-commerce environment, this means a new balance of power: fewer clicks from SEO, more importance for paid campaigns and owned channels. For publishers, it’s a challenge for faster content monetization outside Google.