How AI Overviews May Be Hurting Your Traffic (And What To Do)

If you’ve been watching your analytics lately and wondering why traffic is slipping even though your rankings look fine, you’re not alone. Across industries, site owners are seeing fewer visits from Google without any obvious explanation. In 2025, Google rolled out AI Overviews, an update that uses large language models (LLMs) to summarize answers directly at the top of search results. Users get the information they need right away, which means fewer of them actually click through to the websites that provided it.

It’s a major shift in how people interact with search. But once you understand what’s changing, there are smart ways to adapt and even find new opportunities in the process.

What Are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews are generated summaries that combine multiple pieces of online content into a single, AI-written explanation. They’re designed to save users time by providing context and quick answers directly within search results. Unlike featured snippets, which pull from one source, AI Overviews reference multiple websites. They also tend to appear on broad or informational queries, which are low-value searches where users are exploring a topic or looking for background information.

This placement at the top of the results page means users often see the summary before they see your page. While the overview might cite your content, it can also satisfy the user’s intent without sending them to your site.

Why AI Overviews Are Reducing Traffic

AI Overviews have altered the balance between visibility and clicks. Even if your pages still appear in the results, they may not be receiving the same level of engagement. 

Here’s why.

Zero-click searches are rising

When searchers get complete answers at the top of the results page, many never click through. According to research, click-through rates drop by as much as 70% when AI Overviews appear, especially on queries that can be answered in a few short sentences. That means users are still seeing your brand, but fewer are reaching your website.

Google’s design keeps users on the results page

AI Overviews often take up more space than traditional snippets, particularly on mobile devices. Because the overview appears first, the rest of the organic listings are pushed below the fold. Users must scroll further to reach them, and many never do.

Search intent is being satisfied earlier, with confidence

Before AI Overviews, users often clicked multiple links to gather context or verify information. Now, Google combines insights from many sources into a single, conversational summary. Because these overviews carry Google’s branding and present information in a confident tone, many users trust the summary as the final answer. The result is fewer exploratory clicks and shorter search sessions.

AI tools don’t return the favor

Although AI systems depend on web content to build their responses, referral traffic from those systems is minimal. In a recent study, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity generated 95–96% less referral traffic to publishers compared to traditional search engines.

How to Adapt and Continue Growing Alongside AI Overviews

AI Overviews are changing how users discover and interact with content, but there are still plenty of ways to maintain visibility and drive meaningful traffic. The key is to create content and experiences that add value beyond what an AI summary can provide.

Here are a few practical steps to start with:

• Make your content easier to reference. Use clear headings, concise summaries, and structured data so Google can easily cite or feature your pages within AI Overviews.
• Create content worth clicking. Build tools, templates, or deeper guides that give users a reason to go beyond the summary and engage with your site.
• Focus on brand and authority. Publish original insights, data, and thought leadership that reflect your expertise. Essentially, create content that AI models can’t replicate.
• Diversify your traffic sources. Grow your newsletter, community, and social presence to reduce dependency on search engines.
• Track quality, not just volume. Measure engagement, conversion, and return visits to understand which audiences bring lasting value, even if total sessions decline.

By focusing on depth, originality, and audience connection, you can continue to thrive even as AI reshapes how people search.

Need Help Navigating the AI Search Shift?

AI Overviews and LLM-based search results aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. If you want to maintain your market position, rankings, and relevant traffic, your strategy needs to evolve with the search landscape. That means optimizing for visibility within AI-driven results while building stronger direct relationships with your audience.

At Watt Media, we create comprehensive SEO and digital marketing strategies that help businesses stay visible and competitive in this new era. Our approach goes beyond chasing traffic; we focus on meaningful visibility, engagement, and conversions that grow your brand sustainably.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you thrive in the future of search.