Google AI Mode is a Disaster for Publishers – Here’s Why
Google’s AI Mode is changing search—at the expense of publishers. With AI Overviews reducing clicks to websites, content creators face an uncertain future. Is this the end of organic traffic? This article breaks down the impact and what publishers can do to adapt.
Google seems to be backtracking—or maybe "gaslighting" is a better term. Google's VP of Product at Google Search, Robby Stein, was asked a critical question:
“How do you quell legitimate concerns from web publishers that you are scraping all their content and removing the incentive for users to click over to their sites?”
This is an important concern. Google’s increasing reliance on AI Overviews has led to a rise in zero-click searches—where users find answers directly on Google without visiting the source.
Stein responded by saying:
“The team is really focused on how we make it easy to click to sites—we have a lot more UI updates coming that we showed in our announcement post… AI Mode is going to respond to new types of questions, let people ask follow-ups to explore different facets, and ultimately create new opportunities for sites to rank.”
That sounds like a non-answer—more like a political deflection than an actual solution.
Despite Google claiming that AI Overviews increase clicks, they have not provided any transparent data to support this claim. Meanwhile, independent studies suggest that click-through rates (CTR) from AI Overviews are significantly lower than traditional search results. Google is even facing lawsuits over scraping content.
So, what’s happening? Google is no longer just showing us what’s on the internet—it’s telling us. AI Mode functions like ChatGPT, replacing traditional blue link search results with AI-generated summaries. But will this create new ranking opportunities for publishers?
How AI Mode is Hurting Publishers
The biggest problem with AI Overviews is that it eliminates the need to visit Manysources.
Compare this to ChatGPT, which at least includes reference links at the end of responses. Many users don't click those links because they already got their answer.
Google seems to be attempting a similar model, but without clear incentives for users to click through. This creates a massive challenge for content creators—especially bloggers, independent publishers, and small businesses.
Currently, publishers face a double-edged sword:
1. Too Many Ads & Paywalls
Many large publishers, like Forbes, have cluttered, ad-heavy websites that make it frustrating for users to read content. In some cases, they use aggressive paywalls.
Users bounce off these pages, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement. Google then interprets this as a negative ranking signal, further pushing these websites down in search results.
2. Google is Using Publisher Content Without Rewarding Them
Google extracts key information from publisher content to generate AI Overviews, giving users a clean, ad-free experience—while publishers get nothing in return.
This creates a vicious cycle:
- Fewer clicks from Google → Publishers struggle to monetize.
- More aggressive monetization (ads, paywalls) → Worse user experience.
- Users frustrated by ads → They bounce quickly.
- Google interprets this as poor quality → Rankings drop further.
This is why publishers are rightfully concerned.
What Can Publishers Do? Stop Relying on Google
Since Google isn’t going to change anytime soon, the best solution for small business owners, bloggers, and independent creators is to diversify traffic sources.
Here are alternative ways to build traffic without relying on Google:
- Reddit & Quora: Engage in niche communities and provide value-driven answers.
- Substack & Medium: Publish content on platforms that have built-in audiences.
- YouTube & Video Content: Add videos to blog posts and share links in comment sections.
- Direct Community Engagement:
- Start discussions on niche forums and include website links in your signature.
- Guest blog and cross-promote with other bloggers.
- Use email newsletter exchanges—promote another blogger’s work, and they do the same for you.
The Silver Lining: AI is Expensive
One unexpected advantage for publishers is that AI is extremely costly to run.
For example:
- OpenAI lost $5 billion in 2024, with 2025 losses projected at $14.4 billion.
- Anthropic lost $5.6 billion in 2024 despite making $918 million.
These losses suggest that AI companies are still struggling to monetize.
So, while AI Overviews may hurt publishers now, if Google can’t make it profitable, it may have to revert to a more traditional search model.
Final Thoughts
The best strategy for independent creators is to stop depending on Google and return to old-school methods of building traffic.
Instead of waiting for Google to change, build your audience elsewhere.
If AI continues to dominate search, the winners will be those who own their audience instead of renting it from Google.
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