Google says AI boosts queries and click quality - but where's the traffic going?

On August 6, 2025, Google said in a Search blog post that AI features are driving more queries and higher-quality clicks in Search, while overall organic traffic remains relatively stable year over year. The post outlines shifts in query behavior and click patterns attributable to these features.

Google AI clicks

Google reported that AI Overviews is generating more queries and improving click quality in Search. The company defines a quality click as a visit where the user does not quickly return to the results page.

• Users are asking new types of questions.
• More clicks are flowing to forums, videos, podcasts, and posts with authentic voices.
• Traffic is being redistributed across the web.
• Google did not share site-level breakdowns or detailed supporting metrics.
• Click quality is based on fewer immediate returns to results pages.
• These trends are described as outcomes of AI features in Search.

Background

AI Overviews is Google's generative summary feature that appears on some searches and links to source sites. Introduced in 2024 and expanded over time, it is designed to surface supporting links alongside summary responses.

Source

Google Search blog post announcing more queries and higher-quality clicks