Summary
Google’s VP of Search, Liz Reid, says AI in search is producing happier users and higher quality clicks, pushing back on reports of traffic declines. Some in the SEO industry, including FirstMotion, are seeing a different picture in B2B, where AI Overviews and AI Mode are reducing organic clicks for many sites.
Google has written a new blog post, claiming that AI within its search products is resulting in happier users and better quality traffic for website owners.
Key takeaways
- Google’s Liz Reid says AI in Search is producing happier users and higher quality clicks, not the traffic collapse some reports describe
- Google disputes third-party reports of dramatic traffic declines, calling their methodology flawed
- FirstMotion has seen click drops in a B2B context as AI Overviews and AI Mode reshape the buyer journey
- Reid argues remaining clicks are more valuable, since users click through when they want to dig deeper rather than for basic answers
The post published on Google’s search blog is written by Google’s VP, Head of Google Search, Liz Reid. In it, Reid writes that “Our data shows people are happier with the experience and are searching more than ever as they discover what Search can do now.”
The post directly addresses “third-party reports that inaccurately suggest dramatic declines in aggregate traffic”, claiming that the reports are using flawed methodologies to carry out their analysis, as Reid defends the changes Google has recently made to AI Overviews and more recently AI Mode, which many believe are responsible for declines in traffic/clicks.
In a B2B context, we have certainly seen some drops in clicks from Google as AI reshapes the B2B buyer journey. This is hardly surprising. If a user can get the information they need from Google without actually needing to click through to a website - why would they?
Reid acknowledges that some sites may be seeing less traffic, but explains the shifts in search behaviour as follows:
For many other types of questions, people continue to click through, as they want to dig deeper into a topic, explore further or make a purchase. This is why we see click quality increasing — an AI response might provide the lay of the land, but people click to dive deeper and learn more, and when they do, these clicks are more valuable. Liz Reid, VP, Head of Google Search
However, some parts of the SEO industry have reacted with a degree of scepticism. Like us, many SEOs are seeing clicks and traffic dropping as a result of AI in search - particularly AI Overviews, which has changed the shape of the search results page leaving less real estate for organic results.
We continue to crunch data and analyse search behaviour across all of our B2B SaaS SEO agency clients, and will be sharing some of our own data soon.
Want to know how AI search is really affecting your traffic?
We track click quality and AI referral data across our B2B SaaS clients as search keeps shifting. Our ContextualJourney™ platform shows you exactly what’s changing in your own traffic before we recommend anything. Talk to the FirstMotion team
What is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode is an experimental search setting that uses Google’s cutting-edge machine learning to deliver tailored results and predictions. It continually adapts to your search behavior, aiming to provide faster and more relevant answers whenever you look for information online.