Ever since AI came out, organic traffic has decreased for many. But here’s the catch.
The traffic drop has not been what everyone tells you it is. It’s ways less from AI platforms like ChatGPT and Claude taking market share, and more from Google changing their search interface to showing its AI overviews.
Google still owns the majority of search. All of your favorite AI platforms combined make up less than 1% of total search market.
Yes, a lot of people use AI, but most use it to write a post, research something deep, create an image or video. Way less use it for commercial queries.
The same company that spent all year shoving AI Mode in your face is now testing what search looks like without it. And here’s why.
Google just took one of its biggest single day stock hits ever, and on the earnings call they admitted ad revenue tied to AI Mode is underperforming. Makes sense. Way less display area, way less options, way less options for users to click through, way less ad exposure and revenue.
Add in that a New York Times report claimed AI Overviews gets the answer wrong about one time in ten times. And, Reddit’s CEO told shareholders last week that AI Mode does not drive traffic for anyone.
Google shot themselves in the foot.
I wouldn’t celebrate yet. It’s just testing, and there’s no confirmed large scale rollback.
I would love it if this becomes a thing though. Because, I don’t know about you, but I like choices way more than a forced, often wrong, single answer.
