Study: Missing from Google AI Overviews Hurts Webpages

A new study has revealed that webpages featured in Google’s AI Overviews experience a significant boost in traffic, while those excluded suffer a decline in clicks. This research, conducted by Terakeet, a brand management company that works with global businesses, sheds light on how Google’s AI-driven search results impact website visibility and user engagement.

A new study reveals that webpages excluded from Google AI Overviews lose significant traffic, while those included see a boost in clicks.

The Impact of AI Overviews on Website Traffic

Google’s AI Overviews are designed to provide users with quick answers by summarising information from various sources. While this feature may improve the search experience for users, its effect on website traffic has been a growing concern for businesses and content creators. The study by Terakeet confirms that inclusion in AI Overviews can dramatically increase a webpage’s performance, regardless of its original search ranking.

The research findings highlight the following trends:

Top-ranked pages (transactional queries): Webpages that were featured in AI Overviews received 3.2 times more clicks than those that were excluded, indicating that even high-ranking pages benefit from being included.
Lower-ranked pages (informational queries): Pages that appeared in AI Overviews saw twice as many clicks compared to those on search results pages without AI Overviews. This suggests that AI Overviews can significantly boost visibility for lower-ranking content.
Lower-ranked pages (transactional queries): When included in AI Overviews, these pages received 3.6 times more clicks than those that were not featured, demonstrating that AI Overviews can help improve traffic for less visible webpages.

The Challenges of AI Overviews

While AI Overviews create opportunities for some webpages to gain more exposure, the study also highlights concerns for those that are left out. Websites that are excluded from AI Overviews may see a drop in traffic, even if they previously ranked well in organic search results. This raises important questions about how Google selects content for AI Overviews and whether this process is fair to all publishers.

Additionally, businesses and website owners have voiced concerns that Google’s AI-generated summaries may reduce the need for users to click through to the original source, potentially diverting valuable traffic away from content creators. As AI-driven search continues to evolve, companies will need to adapt their SEO strategies to ensure they remain visible and competitive in Google’s search ecosystem.

The findings from this study highlight the growing influence of AI Overviews on search traffic, making it more crucial than ever for businesses and publishers to understand how this feature affects their online presence.

How AI Overviews Impact Informational vs. Transactional Queries

A recent study has shown that webpages benefit from AI Overviews regardless of search intent. However, the effects vary depending on whether the query is informational or transactional.

Informational queries: AI Overviews tend to reduce traffic for webpages ranked in Positions 1 and 2. However, webpages in Positions 3-10 actually see an increase in traffic when included in AI Overviews.
Transactional queries: Regardless of their position on Page 1 of Google, webpages featured in AI Overviews experience higher traffic, making inclusion a key factor in maintaining visibility.

Why This Matters

The introduction of AI Overviews has changed user behaviour, altering how search traffic is distributed. Traditionally, webpages ranking at the top of Google’s search results received the majority of clicks. However, this is no longer guaranteed. If a webpage is not included in AI Overviews, it may lose significant traffic—even if it ranks highly in organic search.

For businesses and website owners who have relied on securing top SERP positions to drive traffic, it’s now essential to consider how AI Overviews influence visibility. The assumption that ranking high in search will automatically result in clicks is no longer a given.

Expert Insights

Adi Srikanth, senior data scientist at Terakeet and author of the report, emphasised the impact of AI Overviews on web traffic:

“…We can say that generally speaking, being excluded from an [AI Overview] has measurable and significant harms for a webpage. Conversely, being included in an [AI Overview] has clear benefits for webpages. And overall, the presence of [AI Overviews] dramatically changes web traffic across webpages.”

As Google continues to refine AI-driven search experiences, website owners will need to adapt their strategies to ensure they remain visible and competitive in this evolving landscape.

The Impact of AI Overviews on Website Traffic

Education technology company Chegg has taken legal action against Google, claiming that AI Overviews have negatively affected its traffic and revenue. Beyond Chegg’s lawsuit, recent earnings calls from both NerdWallet and Ziff Davis have provided additional insights into how AI Overviews are influencing website traffic.

NerdWallet’s Perspective

NerdWallet CEO Tim Chen acknowledged that AI Overviews are having a noticeable impact on certain types of content. He stated:

“We’re seeing these features do a really good job of answering simple educational questions, and that’s affecting traffic to some of our non-commercial pages.”

This suggests that AI-generated answers are reducing the need for users to click through to NerdWallet’s informational content, potentially shifting traffic patterns across the web.

Ziff Davis’ Findings

Meanwhile, Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah offered a different take, suggesting that AI Overviews have had minimal impact on their search traffic. He explained:

“AI Overviews results are present in just 12% of our top queries. … Our analysis of year-over-year click-through rates, specifically comparing queries with similar positions that now include AI Overviews, shows no material aggregate impact on performance. … In our analysis of queries where AI Overviews are present today but were not present in the past, and our search rank remained unchanged, the overall click-through rate is also relatively unchanged.”

This insight contrasts with Chegg and NerdWallet’s experiences, indicating that the effects of AI Overviews may vary depending on the type of content a website offers and how heavily it relies on organic search traffic.

Why This Matters

As Google continues to develop AI Overviews, businesses and content publishers must closely monitor how these changes impact their visibility and traffic. While some companies, like Chegg, claim significant losses, others, such as Ziff Davis, report little to no impact. Understanding these differences will be crucial for businesses adapting their SEO and content strategies in response to evolving search trends.