Visits to major U.S. news websites have experienced a significant decline since Google introduced its artificial intelligence search feature last year, with some sites seeing traffic drop by as much as 40%, according to new data. The analysis by SimilarWeb indicates that 37 out of the top 50 news domains suffered year-over-year traffic decreases following the launch of Google’s AI Overviews in May 2024.
This decline occurs despite a series of major news events, including the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last summer, his unexpected election victory over Kamala Harris, and the ensuing controversy over new tariff policies. Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of News/Media Alliance, commented, “The data absolutely shows the new AI products Google has announced are affecting news publishers’ traffic.” She added, “On top of all the SEO changes that have decreased traffic recently in traditional search, this is certain to negatively impact our ability to invest in quality journalism.”
Impact on Major News Outlets
The data reveals that Forbes and HuffPost were among the hardest hit, each losing 40% of their traffic. Other notable declines include DailyMail.com at 32% and CNN.com at 28%. The New York Post and its sister publication, the Wall Street Journal, saw declines of 27% and 17%, respectively. Fox News.com experienced a 24% drop. Notably, Fox News and The Post share common ownership under Fox Corp. and News Corp.
ComScore, employing a different methodology from SimilarWeb, reported that the NYPost Network, which includes nypost.com and affiliated properties like Decider and Page Six, saw a reduction from 433 million page views in June 2024 to 381 million in May 2025, marking a 12% loss. Meanwhile, WSJ.com and Fox News.com both posted slight increases, according to ComScore, making them some of the few publications to gain traffic during this period.
Google’s Response and AI Overview Features
A Google spokesperson refuted claims that the AI push is responsible for the traffic declines, stating, “More than any other company, Google prioritizes sending traffic to the web, and we continue to send billions of clicks to websites every day.” The spokesperson also noted inaccuracies in claims about traffic from Search, often based on speculative or incomplete information.
Google’s AI Overviews, powered by its Gemini model, provide automated summaries at the top of results pages, often answering user queries directly and reducing the need for users to visit the original source. Since their introduction, many publishers have reported significant declines in both traffic and click-through rates (CTR). Studies show that the average CTR for top organic results on queries triggering AI Overviews dropped from 7.3% in March 2024 to 2.6% by March 2025.
Broader Implications and Future Outlook
Despite Google’s assurances, the introduction of AI Overviews has raised concerns among news publishers about the future of digital journalism and the sustainability of their business models. The AI feature, which provides detailed, conversational answers to complex queries, was initially said to exclude “hard news topics” due to concerns over accuracy. However, instances have been reported where AI Overviews appeared for sensitive topics, prompting Google to refine its approach.
Google maintains that overall web visits and traffic from organic search have increased year-over-year in aggregate. It argues that AI Overviews enhance user experience by surfacing more links from diverse sources. Google also highlights that traffic fluctuations can result from various factors unrelated to AI, such as seasonal demand, changing user preferences, and regular algorithm updates.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, news organizations may need to adapt their strategies to maintain visibility and engagement. The ongoing developments in AI technology and search engine algorithms will likely play a crucial role in shaping the future of online news consumption.
