Google’s AI Search Revolution

Google’s AI search is rapidly becoming the default search option, whether users like it or not. In just a year’s time, Google’s AI-generated answers in search, known as AI Overviews, have gone from appearing in 15% of searches to 43%, according to a new report from Similarweb. This shift in how users consume information online is driving a change in how web users interact with search results.

Source: techcrunch.com

In a recent analysis of the generative landscape, market intelligence firm Similarweb noted that what began as an AI layer on top of search has become an integral part of the search journey itself, as Google drops users into AI Overviews, where they can then continue their research via Google’s more conversational AI Mode.

Source: techcrunch.com

During the same period, AI Mode visits rose from 126 million in June 2025 to 279 million by May 2026. The data illustrates a broader change in how users search the web — a shift from an era when Google provided a simple list of blue links to click through and read to one in which Google itself is the destination, sourcing its answers and information from the websites it indexes.

Source: techcrunch.com

This change has not been welcomed by publishers, who are losing out on referral traffic due to the rise of AI citations that don’t lead to clicks. Last year, Similarweb reported on this trend, noting in particular how devastating it was for news publishers. More recently, tech infrastructure company Cloudflare introduced tools that allow publishers to fight back by blocking AI crawlers from their websites unless those AI companies pay for access to their content through its marketplace.

While AI citations don’t always lead to users clicking through to a destination, the number of AI responses that include a citation has risen more than fivefold during the past year, Similarweb’s new report says. Still, just 6.8% of U.S. ChatGPT desktop queries included citations as of May 2026, despite this growth. (Some industries fare better, with travel, retail, and sports queries generating cited responses more frequently than others.)

There is some hope for publishers, however. In terms of ChatGPT at least, U.S. desktop referrals have improved after a May 7 search update, which saw the proportion of visits landing on webpages more than double from 25% in March 2026 to nearly 60% by May 30, 2026. This suggests that users are taking advantage of the more prominent blue links within AI-driven search results when they’re available.

Even with these improvements, the larger AI search trend remains unchanged, as Google transforms itself from a gateway to the wider web into a destination in its own right. The implications of this shift are significant, and it will be interesting to see how users, publishers, and AI companies adapt to this new reality.

Impact on Publishers

Publishers are struggling to adapt to the rise of AI search, which is changing the way users consume information online. The shift away from traditional search results and towards AI-generated answers is making it harder for publishers to get their content seen by users. As a result, referral traffic is plummeting, and publishers are losing out on revenue.

However, there is some hope for publishers. Cloudflare’s tools allow them to block AI crawlers from their websites unless those AI companies pay for access to their content. This gives publishers more control over their content and allows them to monetize it more effectively.

The Rise of AI Citations

AI citations are on the rise, with the number of AI responses that include a citation increasing more than fivefold during the past year. While this may seem like good news for publishers, it’s not all positive. The fact that AI citations don’t always lead to users clicking through to a destination means that publishers are still losing out on referral traffic.

However, there is some hope for publishers. In terms of ChatGPT at least, U.S. desktop referrals have improved after a May 7 search update. This suggests that users are taking advantage of the more prominent blue links within AI-driven search results when they’re available.