Google pushes back hard on claims AI search features are killing web traffic. On Wednesday, the search giant said total organic clicks to websites have stayed “relatively stable” year-over-year. It also claimed average click quality increased slightly.
The issue started with numerous reports showing AI chatbots and updated search features are slashing traffic to publishers. But Google disagrees, blaming flawed data and “isolated examples.”
Google VP and Head of Search Liz Reid wrote in a new blog post: 
“This data is in contrast to third-party reports that inaccurately suggest dramatic declines in aggregate traffic — often based on flawed methodologies, isolated examples, or traffic changes that occurred prior to the roll out of AI features in Search.”
Google admits user habits are changing, shifting clicks between sites. Reid says:
“User trends are shifting traffic to different sites, resulting in decreased traffic to some sites and increased traffic to others.”
No details on how many sites are winners or losers.
Google’s AI Overviews now appear atop search results and include an AI chatbot for some queries. Google claims this isn’t reshaping search overall but driving people toward forums, videos, podcasts, and “authentic voices.”
Reid adds:
“People are increasingly seeking out and clicking on sites with forums, videos, podcasts, and posts where they can hear authentic voices and first-hand perspectives.”
But social apps like TikTok and Instagram already eat into Google’s traffic. Former Google exec Prabhakar Raghavan said in 2022:
“Almost 40% of young people, when they’re looking for a place for lunch, they don’t go to Google Maps or Search. They go to TikTok or Instagram.”
Amazon also pulls traffic away from Google for shopping, and Reddit attracts users researching topics. Google has tried multiple features to boost Shopping and keep users on Search, including free listings and universal shopping carts.
Meanwhile, Google quietly added a “forums” filter (previously labeled “Reddit”) for relevant queries.
Google wants publishers to focus less on clicks and more on click quality—meaning users stay and read instead of bouncing quickly. The company claims:
Average click quality has increased, and Google is sending “slightly more quality clicks” to websites than a year ago.
Google says AI Overviews “show more links on the page than before,” creating “more opportunities for websites to surface and get clicked.”
But data from Similarweb shows a growing zero-click rate on news searches: 56% at AI Overviews launch in May 2024 rose to 69% in May 2025.
Google recently launched tools to help publishers monetize declining traffic through micropayments and newsletter sign-ups, beyond just advertising.
The push from Google that “AI isn’t the end of search traffic” looks more like damage control. The reality? Search traffic is already fragmenting, with users starting queries more often on social and specialized sites.
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