Publishers are waking up to a new search reality: Google’s AI Overviews are answering queries on the results page and slashing click-through rates. The Daily Mail’s SEO team says some keywords now see 80–90% fewer clicks when an AI Overview appears — a sharp increase from earlier in 2025 — but the fallout is uneven and fixable if publishers act fast.
The quick take
When Google surfaces an AI Overview for a search, users often get a concise, sourced answer without clicking through. The Daily Mail reports that for queries where an Overview appears, click-through rates can drop by as much as 80–90% versus queries without an Overview. Still, the publisher’s overall traffic hasn’t collapsed because many of its high-value keywords (especially breaking news) don’t trigger Overviews — yet.
What’s happening and what it means
- CTRs plunged: Daily Mail’s SEO lead reported clicks are 80–90% lower when an AI Overview is shown; that’s higher than the 56% drop she cited earlier in 2025.
- Not universal: AI Overviews appear less often for hard-news or very fresh queries, which cushions publishers from immediate catastrophe.
- Direct and branded traffic helps: Over 60% of Daily Mail’s traffic is direct, and most organic visits are branded searches — both make the site more resilient.
- Search is changing: More video, forums, and modules push traditional links further down, and users are increasingly searching on YouTube, TikTok and Reddit.
- Regulatory angle: Publishers are watching regulators (for example, the UK’s CMA) to see whether remedies or transparency requirements might be introduced for AI features that use publisher content.
Why publishers are concerned — but not panicking
AI Overviews are essentially “answers on the page.” For evergreen queries — how-tos, explainers, product info — that removes the need to click. But Daily Mail’s teams argue that many of the site’s most valuable queries are either branded or breaking news, where Overviews are less common. That means the immediate traffic loss is concentrated (big for certain pages, small overall), but it signals a structural shift in how search traffic is generated.
Turn Overviews into a visibility win
Daily Mail’s stance is instructive: rather than chasing clicks that may never return, publishers should treat Overviews as a credibility and discovery touchpoint. If your article is surfaced in an Overview, you still win brand exposure and potential direct visits later — especially for big, branded outlets. Reframe KPIs to include “visibility” metrics (impressions, brand attribution) and track how Overview exposure correlates with direct traffic and subscriptions over time.
Capture attention beyond search results
Search links are no longer the only gatekeepers of attention. Publishers that combine SEO with stronger direct channels (newsletters, apps, podcasts, short-form social video) will be more resilient. Push brand moments into platforms where users actively engage (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels) and design those experiences to funnel users back to owned properties — not just rely on a single Google click.
Practical steps publishers can take now
- Measure the damage by query: Build dashboards that show CTR, impressions and revenue by query and flag which queries trigger AI Overviews so you can prioritise mitigations.
- Optimise for branded intent: Double down on brand SEO — people searching with your brand name still click through at higher rates. Make those landing pages conversion-ready for subscriptions and newsletters.
- Publish for featured snippets and knowledge panels: If Google is going to provide answers, ensure your content is the authoritative source used in the Overview (clear sourcing, structured data, concise lead summaries). Even if users don’t click through right away, you’ll own the citation and brand credit.
- Invest in direct channels: Make subscribing frictionless, grow email and app push strategies, and create short, shareable video that lives on social platforms and drives brand recall.
- Test commerce and membership: With referrals under pressure, diversify revenue by experimenting with memberships, gated newsletters, events and commerce tied to editorial verticals.
Keeping an eye on policy and product changes
Publishers hope regulators will press for more transparency and a fair value exchange when platforms use publisher content for AI features. Meanwhile, product teams should keep watching Google signals — which queries surface Overviews, whether Overview coverage grows, and how Google attributes sources. That signal map will determine where to double down on direct-to-user growth versus SEO rescue tactics.
The takeaway
AI Overviews accelerate an existing trend: search is less about “10 blue links” and more about instant answers, video and platform-native discovery. That’s painful for publishers that still rely heavily on organic clicks, but it’s not game over.
