AI Search Is Reshaping the Web. Here’s How Brands Can Prepare.
In the last year, AI has fundamentally changed how people find and consume information online. For publishers and advertisers alike, Google’s rollout of AI Overviews has accelerated this shift. Where once a user clicked through to a publisher’s site for answers, many now stop at the AI summary—skipping the source altogether. The implications for website traffic, audience engagement, and brand visibility are profound.
At Vladimir Jones, we’ve been tracking this trend from the start. In our May 2024 POV on Google’s AI Overviews and our follow-up article on ChatGPT Search, we outlined both the opportunities and risks for brands. Now, new industry data confirms that the concerns we raised are becoming a reality.
The Data Behind the Decline
As outlined in a recent DigiDay article, Digital Content Next (DCN) surveyed 19 major publishers, including The New York Times, Condé Nast, and Vox, between May and June 2025. Their findings:
- Organic Google Search referral traffic declined between 1% and 25% per publisher.
- Median YoY decline was -10% overall, -7% for news publishers, and -14% for non-news publishers.
The leading suspect? AI Overviews. By delivering quick answers at the top of search, Google is often eliminating the need for users to visit the originating website.
This isn’t an isolated trend. Other studies echo the same story:
- Pew Research (March 2025):
Users shown an AI summary clicked on a search link only 8% of the time—down from 15% when no summary appeared. Links within the AI summary drew a mere 1% CTR, while “session abandonment” (ending the search without a click) rose to 26%, up from 16%. - BrightEdge via Search Engine Journal (May 2025):
While Google search impressions surged 49% YoY, overall click-through rates dropped 30%. AI Overviews are also reshaping how people search:- 7x increase in queries longer than 8 words
- 48% rise in technical terminology
- 400% increase in citations from results buried on pages 3–10
- Nearly 90% of citations are now pulled from beyond the top 100 listings
Together, these stats underscore a structural change: Google is evolving from a search engine into an “answer engine.”
What This Means for Publishers, Brands, and Advertisers
For publishers, the economics are stark. Traffic that once fueled advertising and subscription models is evaporating. Large, established platforms may weather the storm, but smaller, niche publishers risk being pushed further into obscurity.
For brands, the challenge is equally pressing. Organic search, once a cornerstone of discovery, is losing its role as a reliable traffic driver. Meanwhile, younger audiences like Gen Z increasingly look to AI tools, TikTok, and YouTube for information, bypassing traditional websites altogether.
This shift is more than a traffic problem; it’s a visibility problem. If your brand isn’t appearing in AI summaries, social feeds, or trusted owned channels, you may not appear at all.
What Brands Can Do Now
Short-Term Adjustments
- Optimize for AI Overviews (Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO):
Structure content for direct answers, concise Q&A, definitions, and how-to guides, to increase your chance of being cited in AI summaries. - Own the User Relationship:
Build direct access through newsletters, apps, communities, and memberships. Reduce reliance on Google as the gatekeeper. - Shape How AI Uses Your Content:
Use snippet controls and explore licensing opportunities that monetize your contributions to AI models. - Repurpose Content for AI and Social:
Reformat for conversational styles, chatbots, and both short-form and long-form storytelling. - Diversify Traffic Sources:
Invest in branded search, social visibility, influencer collaborations, and even offline channels to build awareness and type-in traffic.
Building Long-Term Resilience
The reality is clear: traffic patterns won’t revert to the old model. To prepare, brands should:
- Develop Brand Loyalty Beyond Search
Nurture communities and create experiences that build direct relationships and repeat engagement. Turning these moments into lasting differentiators supports both immediate growth and long-term legacy. This is where strategic partners like Vladimir Jones help design meaningful connections that strengthen loyalty. - Collaborate with AI Platforms
Explore inclusion and licensing deals that integrate your brand into the AI ecosystem. - Invest in Proprietary Discovery Tools
Create spaces, apps, forums, or voice skills that AI can’t easily replace.
Ultimately, resilience requires more than adapting to AI-driven search; it means building an identity and experience that your audience actively seeks out. Vladimir Jones helps craft experiences that sustain loyalty, evolve with technology, and leave a legacy.
Closing Thought
The shift from search to answers is not a passing trend; it’s the next era of the internet. For publishers, it’s an existential challenge. For brands, it’s a call to action. Those who adapt now by rethinking discoverability, owning relationships, and innovating beyond search will not only weather the disruption but thrive in a future where attention flows through AI, not just websites.
At Vladimir Jones, we believe that legacy brands are built by anticipating change and acting boldly. The brands that take this moment seriously will define the playbook for the next decade of digital marketing.
