Google Says AI is Boosting Search: The Real Story Behind the Numbers
Google has recently hailed AI as the most significant upgrade to Search in its history. According to their claims, this transformation has led to more queries, higher quality clicks, and a healthier web. However, a recent blog post by Liz Reid, VP and Head of Search, raises questions about who is actually benefiting and who is not—along with the extent of control publishers retain.
What Google Claims, and What’s Missing
1. AI Overviews Drive More Searches
Google’s Claim: “People are able to ask questions they could never ask before… searching more than ever.”
The Catch: While this claim sounds promising, Google hasn’t provided data on how many queries lead to actual clicks or how many results are fully answered without a need to visit external sites. This lack of data makes it hard to gauge true effectiveness.
2. Traffic Remains ‘Relatively Stable’ Year-Over-Year
Google’s Claim: “We’re actually sending slightly more quality clicks to websites than a year ago.”
The Catch: But what do they mean by “slightly” and “quality”? Without concrete data or definitions, we’re left guessing at what’s really happening. They also don’t reveal how many total clicks are down or which sites are losing out.
3. More Links = More Chances to Click
Google’s Claim: “People are seeing more links on the page than before.”
The Catch: Data from Google Search Console indicates that many sites have seen an increase in impressions but not in clicks. Yes, users might see more links, but just like a flashy ad, these links might be completely ignored.
4. Enhanced Click Quality
Google’s Claim: “Users don’t quickly click back… typically a signal that a user is interested in the website.”
The Catch: But wait! AI-generated traffic doesn’t always mean better engagement. A report suggests that traffic stemming from AI isn’t as engaged as traditional organic traffic. However, there’s still limited data to support this claim.
5. Users Are Seeking ‘Authentic Voices’
Google’s Claim: “People are increasingly seeking out and clicking on sites with forums, videos…”
The Catch: This trend may not be organic. It could just be a result of Google favoring its partners like Reddit and its own video platform, YouTube, rather than a genuine shift in user preferences.
6. The Web is Healthy and Thriving
Google’s Claim: “We continue to send billions of clicks to websites every day.”
The Catch: While billions sound impressive, this number lacks context. The distribution of that traffic is crucial—especially for publishers who may be seeing their traffic dwindle. We know that Google handles over 5 trillion searches annually, but that’s just a number without further insight.
7. Highlighting the Web
Google’s Claim: “It’s not the web or AI — it’s both.”
The Catch: In reality, AI Overviews often repackage web content, which may reduce the need for users to click through to original sources. Google’s assertion of “highlighting” could be interpreted as summarizing rather than promoting original creators’ work.
Bottom Line
Google is eager to take credit for expanding the web’s reach, yet it hesitates to provide the data that truly confirms this. Without transparency, it’s challenging to pinpoint the real impact on traffic for creators, SEOs, and publishers. For now, they are left navigating uncertainties about how much of their traffic is being diverted to AI-generated content and how much is simply disappearing from view.
The blog post is ongoing. AI in Search is driving more queries and higher quality clicks.
(Stay tuned for updates!)
