In a recent blog post, Google’s VP and Head of Search, Liz Reid, made a bold claim: despite all the noise, organic clicks from Google Search have remained “relatively stable” year-over-year. Not only that, but she adds that click quality has even “slightly increased.” Translation? People might not be clicking more, but when they do, they’re sticking around.
This rebuttal comes after numerous studies and publisher complaints that AI-powered search features—like those shiny new AI Overviews and chatbot summaries—are draining clicks from actual websites. Google insists the third-party reports are flawed, citing “isolated examples” and changes unrelated to their AI tools.
Still, even Google concedes that user behavior is shifting. Reid admits some sites are seeing less traffic while others are gaining. Which ones? Google doesn’t say. And that word “some” is doing Olympic-level lifting here.
The truth is, people aren’t using search like they used to. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, and Amazon have become the new default search bars for Gen Z and beyond. Google’s response? Slap a “Reddit” filter on search results, offer free Shopping listings to merchants, and keep telling publishers it’s all fine—promise.
Interestingly, Google now wants the focus to shift from “clicks” to “click quality.” Apparently, a “quality click” is one where users don’t bounce right back to search results. But without hard numbers, this sounds more like PR spin than proof.
While Google says AI Overviews lead to more visible links and thus more opportunity for clicks, third-party data tells a different story. Similarweb’s research shows that the rate of “zero-click” news searches has jumped from 56% to 69% in just one year.
In short: search traffic may not be dead, but it’s definitely evolving—and Google’s trying hard to convince publishers it’s not the one holding the knife.
Would you still rely on Google Search if the top results barely take you beyond the search page? Or are you already defaulting to TikTok, Reddit, or even ChatGPT for answers?
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