Google search boss says AI isn’t killing search clicks

Google has often bristled at the implication that its obsession with AI search is harming web traffic, and now search head Liz Reid has penned a blog post on the topic. According to Reid, clicks aren't declining, AI is driving more searches, and everything is fine on the Internet. But despite the optimistic tone, the post stops short of providing any actual data to back up those claims.

This statement feels like a direct response to a recent Pew Research Center analysis that showed searches with AI Overviews resulted in lower click-through rates. Google objected to the conclusions and methodology of that study, and the new blog post expands on its rationale.

The banner claim in this post is that Google is not sending fewer clicks to websites. According to Reid, "total organic click volume" has remained "relatively stable year-over-year." Meanwhile, Google is seeing more searches on its end, which is the most important metric for the company. Google's blog also notes (fairly) that the web is unfathomably vast, and it's common for trends to shift.

Google apparently sees AI Overviews as an evolution of what it has done in the past with Knowledge Graph or sports scores. Reid says those features didn't reduce clicks, either. In fact, Google sees higher-quality clicks in search results, which it identifies as people clicking on links without immediately backing out. However, the company isn't providing any numbers, which undercuts the argument.

Uneven benefits

Google's meaning comes partially into focus when Reid discusses some broad trends the company has seen. She says search users are increasingly looking for "authentic voices and first-hand perspectives," which sounds like code for "Reddit." Google partnered with Reddit in early 2024, gaining access to its wealth of authentic voices (except when they're trolling) for AI training, and you'd have to be blind not to notice how Google has increasingly surfaced Reddit links in search results ever since.