As web designers and bloggers, we always keep a close eye on how Google’s changes affect our websites. Recently, a report by Ahrefs caught my attention — and it’s something every content creator, blogger, and small business owner should know about.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are the new AI-generated summaries that Google shows at the top of some search results. These summaries give users quick answers — sometimes without them ever needing to click on a website.
They’re meant to make search faster and easier. But here’s the twist: they might also be reducing the number of visitors to our sites.
The Shocking Drop in Clicks
Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 informational keywords and found that when an AI Overview is shown in search results, the #1 ranking website gets 34.5% fewer clicks.
That’s right — even if your page is ranked first, you could still be losing over a third of your traffic.
📉 Why? Because people are getting the answer they need from the AI box, without visiting your site.
Why This Matters for Bloggers and Small Website Owners
If you run a blog, business site, or portfolio, you probably rely on Google for a lot of your traffic. This shift means less exposure, fewer readers, and potentially lost income.
Plus, Google doesn’t clearly show how much traffic comes from these AI summaries, so it’s hard to measure the real impact.
What Can We Do About It?
This change is a challenge — but also a chance to adapt. Here’s what I’m focusing on:
- Create deeper, more valuable content that AI can’t easily summarize.
- Build your brand and audience so people visit your site directly.
- Diversify your traffic sources through social media, email newsletters, and communities.
It’s more important than ever to connect with readers in ways AI can’t replace.
Final Thoughts
Google is always evolving, and while features like AI Overviews may improve the search experience for users, they also mean we need to work smarter as creators.
Stay original, stay human — and keep creating content that truly connects.
👉 Want to read the full Ahrefs report? Check it out here