What happened
DMG Media told the UK's Competition and Markets Authority that click-through rates dropped by up to 89 percent between June and July 2025, citing AI Overviews. A June 2025 WSJ report also showed search traffic to The New York Times fell from 44 percent to 35.5 percent over three years.
Why it matters
These figures contradict Google Search head Liz Reid's claim that click volume remains 'relatively stable,' and suggest publishers can no longer rely on Google traffic, with some now suing the company over AI search.
Summaries like this, every morning.
The tension between Google and publishers stems from a long-standing reciprocal relationship that has flipped. Publishers once filled Google's search index with content in exchange for exposure and traffic, but the launch of AI Overviews in 2024 and AI Mode in 2025 changed that dynamic. Instead of competing for clicks on a results page, publishers now depend on an AI system that summarizes their work, with no guarantee users will click through to the source. The News/Media Alliance warned early on that AI Overviews would be 'catastrophic' to web traffic, and the data since then appears to support that concern. A 2024 Press Gazette investigation found AI Overviews appearing for almost a quarter of news-related searches, and by August they were replacing media sites in top spots for certain queries.
The consequences have been uneven but widespread. Between May and June 2025, 19 members of the trade association Digital Content Next experienced traffic losses on Google ranging from 1 to 25 percent. DMG Media's report to UK regulators of click-through rates dropping up to 89 percent is among the starkest figures. Pew Research also found that people are 'less likely' to click links when they see an AI Overview. These numbers stand in contrast to Google's public position: Search head Liz Reid has said click volume remains 'relatively stable,' and senior vice president Nick Fox told the BBC that 'the web is thriving.'
Publishers have responded by diversifying traffic sources and, in some cases, filing lawsuits, though many have been unsuccessful, including an antitrust case from Chegg and Penske Media dismissed by US District Judge Amit Mehta. Google has made some adjustments, such as making sources more prominent and offering an opt-out toggle for AI features following a UK order. It also says 400 publishers are part of its News AI pilot program and is testing a payment program. Whether these steps will repair the relationship remains uncertain, but the pressure from regulators and publishers shows no sign of easing.
Pick your industry and the AI tools you use, and get news related to your work every day.
Free · 30 seconds with Google · unsubscribe anytimeWhat is AIToday? →
Ask AI anything about this article. The AI reads this article, earlier AIToday articles, and Wikipedia, and cites its sources. Q&As are published on this page for other readers too.
