Google users are less likely to click on sources cited in AI-generated search summaries, according to a study by the Pew Research Centre, a nonpartisan fact tank in the US.
This latest research adds to fears by digital publishers of a growing negative impact of AI-generated summaries on organic search traffic.
However, Google argues that AI summaries create new opportunities for people to connect with websites.
The Pew analysis drew on data from 900 adults who shared their browsing activity. In March 2025, nearly 58% conducted at least one Google search that displayed an AI Overview.
The report found that users were less likely to click links when AI summaries were present. And they “very rarely” clicked the sources cited within the summaries themselves.
Scott Purcell, co-founder of men’s lifestyle publication Man of Many, said the foundations of digital publishing are being eroded by a system that increasingly rewards scraping over sourcing.
“This isn’t just about publishers losing clicks; it's about the loss of the economic incentive to produce original reporting at all,” he told AdNews.
“The impact on the number one organic position is stark, with analysis from Ahrefs showing a 34.5% drop in click-through rate when an AI summary is present.
“When there’s no traffic and no incentive in return, why would anyone invest in real journalism?”
AI scraping of publisher content surged 87% last quarter, and while new industry protocols aim to rein it in, Purcell says these are unlikely to succeed without legislation – especially since blocking bots entirely could hurt content discoverability.
“That’s why publishers need to build sustainable, commercially viable business models that don’t rely on third-party platforms,” he said.
“We are building an owned-audience model through our new user sign-in system and first-party data framework. This isn’t just about survival; it's about creating a more resilient ecosystem.
“Ultimately, in an era of automated, context-free answers, the most valuable asset is a trusted, human-led brand that audiences actively seek out.”
Sam Makwana, head of SEO at digital marketing agency Impressive, said Google Search Console remains one of the most reliable tools for measuring search visibility, engagement and overall campaign performance.
“Recently, we’ve observed a significant disparity between clicks and impressions, particularly following recent core updates” he said.
“This trend, often referred to as ‘The Great Decoupling’, highlights a sharp rise in impressions for informational content, while clicks have remained flat or even declined.
“The primary cause appears to be the increased presence of informational queries in Google’s AI Overviews, which allow users to consume content directly on the search results page without visiting the source site.”
A Google spokesperson said the Pew findings overlook the broader value search continues to deliver to publishers.
“People are gravitating to AI-powered experiences, and AI features in Search enable people to ask even more questions, creating new opportunities for people to connect with websites,” the spokesperson told AdNews.
“This study uses a flawed methodology and skewed queryset that is not representative of Search traffic.
“We consistently direct billions of clicks to websites daily and have not observed significant drops in aggregate web traffic as is being suggested.”
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