In March 2024, website owner Morgan McBride was posing for photos in her half-renovated kitchen for a Google ad celebrating how the search giant had aided her family’s business growth. But by the time the ad aired about a month later, traffic from Google had plunged more than 70%, McBride stated. Charleston Crafted, which features guides on DIY home improvement projects, had navigated past algorithm changes and updates; however, this time, it didn’t bounce back. McBride suspected that users were obtaining more of their renovation advice from the AI responses at the top of Google searches.
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The now-ubiquitous AI-generated responses — along with Google’s changed search algorithm designed to support them — have led to plummeting traffic for independent websites, according to Bloomberg discussions with 25 publishers and their associates. This disruption poses a threat to a delicate, symbiotic relationship that had flourished for years: if businesses produce quality content, Google directs traffic to them. Many publishers expressed that they either need to shut down or reinvent their distribution strategies, a cycle that experts warn could eventually compromise the quality of the information accessible to Google’s search results — and to feed its AI responses, which have at times included inaccuracies, rendering them a poor substitute for publishers’ content. For home-renovation inquiries, Google’s AI might offer advice that is unsafe or simply erroneous, recommending specific products that aren’t real, according to McBride.
Google refuted claims that the rollout of AI Overviews caused declines in website traffic, asserting that it is “misleading to make generalizations about the causes” of falling traffic “based on individual examples.” A spokesperson added that traffic can fluctuate for numerous reasons, including seasonal demand, user interests, and typical algorithm updates.
However, the decline in traffic has been widely experienced across the internet, affecting various topics — fashion and lifestyle, travel, DIY and home design, and cooking — according to Bloomberg’s interviews and data from web-analytics firm Similarweb, which assessed traffic to a selection of small to mid-sized websites in these areas over the past two years. Similarweb indicated that AI Overviews might have played a role.
For McBride, this incident prompted her to reconsider her identity as a writer and educator, she noted. On some days, it was challenging to even rise from bed. While she hopes Google will help regain some traffic, she believes the long-term harm to her business is irreversible. “You can’t just sit around waiting for things to turn around,” she remarked in an interview. Since the year Charleston Crafted’s traffic declined, she revealed that display advertising revenue on her site has dropped 65% — translating to tens of thousands of dollars in lost income.
Evolving search
A Google spokesperson stated that the company is evolving search in response to new ways people consume information. The intent is to offer quicker answers and options for deeper exploration, they mentioned.
However, behind closed doors, the company has acknowledged the impact on publishers, even inviting a group of approximately 20 website creators to its Mountain View, California headquarters for discussions with search division employees last October.
Google representatives expressed apologies to the web creators and indicated that their sites embodied the type of helpful content the company aimed to highlight in search, according to attendees. Nevertheless, Googlers also conveyed that they could not assure any recovery for these websites, as the search product had fundamentally transformed in the AI era, as reported by multiple attendees.
Some creators argue that Google has made so many alterations to the search, alongside testing AI-driven features while attempting to eliminate AI-generated spam, that it has stifled traffic to independent websites in favor of forums like Reddit and Quora, as well as larger media companies. “I don’t understand how Google believes this is sustainable,” stated Jake Boly, founder of the That Fit Friend, which evaluates training shoes. “If you drive away all enthusiasts and small publishers, then we’re going to be inundated with spam and the few players who can afford to pay to play.”
A Google spokesperson asserted that their research indicated users seeking authentic, firsthand experiences tend to favor forum discussions and video content alongside blogs.
The introduction of AI Overviews, where Google summarizes content from the web to present answers in its own voice, has coincided with numerous other changes to search and ranking algorithms, resulting in creators struggling to adapt.
The company has consistently emphasized that website owners should focus on creating content rooted in experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness — referred to as “EEAT” in guidelines for publishers. This entails that creators should anticipate Google prioritizing travel sites where writers have genuinely visited the featured destinations.
Yet, creators argue that traffic has still diminished even for sites adhering to Google’s guidelines. “For years, Google has audaciously gaslighted us, saying, ‘Don’t write for search,’” expressed Mike Hardaker, founder of Mountain Weekly News, which reviews outdoor gear. “So then, who am I writing for?”
This narrative is becoming increasingly familiar for small businesses globally, navigating their relationships with Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, Google’s YouTube, or Amazon.com Inc. While the tech giants depend on a thriving ecosystem of creators, merchants, and influencers to generate content for their platforms, alterations to their revenue-sharing agreements or algorithms can have devastating consequences.
No guarantees
During the October 2024 web creator meeting, Hardaker conveyed to Google’s chief search scientist, Pandu Nayak, that the majority of the group had been grappling with little to no web traffic for over a year, based on detailed notes from the event reviewed by Bloomberg. Hardaker himself generated $250,000 in gross revenue in 2023. But by the meeting time, he stated he was relying on a food bank. “I need to know as a business owner and personally if you think there’s a possibility for some of our sites to recover,” he inquired at the event.
Nayak apologized, as per attendees. Nevertheless, he remarked that it would be unreasonable for him to guarantee anything to the publishers, as he couldn’t predict future occurrences.
A Google spokesperson asserted that the creators invited to this event aren’t representative of the entire web creator ecosystem. However, a larger analysis conducted by Similarweb of 67 small publisher sites, which included at least a dozen sites each across four categories — fashion and lifestyle, travel, DIY and home design, and cooking — indicated declines in web traffic across all areas. Travel, for which Google has recently launched robust AI features, experienced the most significant decreases, based on the data.
Google contested Similarweb’s findings, arguing that web traffic from this broader sample still fails to capture overall search traffic.
Part of the issue lies in the fact that low-quality websites Google aims to eliminate through its search algorithm updates — including the meteoric rise of AI-generated spam sites — can resemble indie websites, noted Lily Ray, senior vice president for search engine optimization strategy at marketing agency Amsive LLC.
Creators have recorded instances of Google’s algorithms seemingly favoring low-quality content, which they claim negatively impacts users. “Presently, Google is suggesting that some of the best advice on beach destinations near Philadelphia is coming from a luggage storage company and a driving school,” said Laura Longwell of the blog Travel Addicts. “The notion that any of this is based on experience or expertise is absurd.” In some cases, formerly popular sites whose domains were sold and repurposed by clickbait farms have been highlighted by Google.
AI overviews
Many publishers and creators are primarily concerned about AI Overviews. Raptive, a media company that represents 5,700 creators, estimates that websites may ultimately lose 25% of their traffic due to this product, although the initial impact on its clients has been less severe as Google increases the number of queries that trigger AI summaries.
Google claims that AI Overviews are driving additional traffic to a diverse mix of publishers, but it has not provided evidence to support that claim. According to data from BrightEdge, the sites receiving the most referral traffic from AI Overviews are mainly larger players, including TripAdvisor, Wikipedia, Mayo Clinic, and Google’s own YouTube, rather than smaller publishers.
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Without explicit answers from the company, creators have found it challenging to determine how much of their trouble is attributed to AI Overviews versus other search changes.
“They lack a means to claim, ‘Oh, this is my content that has been queried and is being used to respond to this particular search result,’” stated Brooke Hartley Moy, CEO of Infactory, an AI startup collaborating with publishers.
Gisele Navarro, managing editor of the air purifier review site HouseFresh, mentioned that based on internal web analytics she shared with Bloomberg, it seems that more individuals are encountering her content through AI Overviews. However, this is occurring at the expense of users clicking the link to visit her site. Websites do not generate revenue unless users click through to see ads or purchase products.
This trend — increased visibility of a website owner’s content on Google, but fewer clicks to their sites — is prevailing broadly, as stated by Nick Eubanks, a vice president at the digital marketing firm Semrush Holdings. He noted that AI Overviews are one of several factors contributing to this, and it is likely to persist as summaries are displayed for more queries.
‘Betrayed, that’s the word’
Google is implementing additional changes to provide users with answers without requiring them to click through to a website. The company has commenced testing a new recipe feature that summarizes food bloggers’ content directly in Google search. Creators participating in a pilot with Google are receiving direct compensation; however, it is insufficient to compensate for declines in their advertising revenue, according to Marc McCollum, Raptive’s chief innovation officer. If the feature is fully enacted, Raptive anticipates that traffic to food blogs could drop by half.
The power dynamic between Google and individual creators is so skewed that numerous publishers invited to join the recipe pilot felt they had little choice, remarked Lisa Bryan, author of the health-food site Downshiftology, who is not involved but is connected with affected creators.
“The major concern,” Bryan noted, “is that Google is severing our relationship with our communities and audiences.”
Google stated that the feature aims to help users determine their interest in a recipe prior to visiting a site.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted in a recent interview that Google aims to send publishers high-quality clicks, or readers genuinely interested in visiting their sites.
However, Danielle Coffey, president of the News Media Alliance, questioned whether Google is in a position to ascertain what’s beneficial for publishers. “Why are they unilaterally deciding what constitutes a high-quality click and how we should connect with our audience when we’re the ones creating the content?” she asked.
Pressure is building on Google to reassess its agreement with publishers. Raptive has partnered with several hundred of its largest creators to negotiate with Google and other major tech firms on their behalf.
Yet, for some, it may already be too late. At least three of the sites whose publishers were invited to Google’s creator summit have had to cease operations. Others have been exploring new distribution avenues.
Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil, a Toronto-based couple, launched the travel blog The Planet D in 2008. Initially, they relied on TV appearances and newspaper features to attract readers, but in 2015, they realized the potential of Google Search, which ultimately drove 90% of their traffic.
Unfortunately, their luck diminished in 2024 when Google introduced AI Overviews. In the months immediately following this product’s launch, Planet D’s traffic halved, and the couple observed their fellow travel bloggers shutting down one after another. Bouskill and Corbeil initially believed that they could sustain a smaller business, but their readership continued to decline, resulting in staff layoffs. Ultimately, when traffic fell by 90% from previous levels and revenue nearly followed suit, they made the decision to cease updating their blog.
Witnessing Google’s AI Overviews echo travel tips they once provided — particularly when the chatbot adopts their Canadian slang — has been painful for them. “I feel betrayed by Google,” Bouskill stated, as Corbeil added, “Betrayed, that’s the word.”
To rebuild their income, the couple has shifted their focus to YouTube, another Google-owned platform.
© 2025 Bloomberg
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