If you’ve been noticing a decline in organic traffic to your website lately, you’re not alone. The ground beneath our feet is shifting, and the usual suspect is Artificial Intelligence. Not just a suspect, really - it’s the reason you’re not getting as much organic traffic to your website these days.

Google, the gatekeeper of the internet, has rolled out its AI Overviews, and many publishers are seeing their numbers drop. This isn’t just another algorithm update. This is different. It’s a fundamental change in the search paradigm, and it’s time we, as publishers, understand what’s happening and what we can do about it.

The Great Traffic Heist: A Look at the Numbers

For years, the formula was simple: create great content, optimize it for search engines, and watch the traffic roll in. But the introduction of AI-powered summaries at the top of search results has thrown a wrench in the works. Users now get their answers without ever having to click through to a website, leading to a surge in “zero-click searches.”

The data paints a concerning picture. Early studies on the impact of Google's AI Overviews have shown a potential decrease in organic traffic ranging from a startling 18% to as high as 64% for some websites, particularly those focused on informational queries. In fact, it's estimated that a staggering 60% of Google searches in 2024 ended without a click. Zero-click searches have always been a problem, for years, but lately that problem intensified. 

Some of the giants in the publishing world, like Dotdash Meredith and Ziff Davis, have reported a "negligible" or "minimal" impact on their traffic so far. They argue that while AI Overviews are appearing in a fraction of their key search queries, the click-through rates haven't taken a significant hit. This suggests that the impact of AI on organic traffic isn't a one-size-fits-all scenario. The severity of the decline seems to depend on the type of content and the publisher's reliance on informational, non-branded keywords. In short, you’ll have to check your own Analytics in order to understand how much your website is affected.

Why is This Happening?

This traffic drop is mainly caused by a big change in how people use search. AI Overviews provide immediate gratification, presenting users with a neat, packaged answer that often eliminates the need for further exploration. This is especially true for informational queries - the "what is," "how to," and "why" questions that have long been the bread and butter of content creators.

Think about it from the user's perspective. Why click through to an article to find a specific piece of information when it's already summarized for you at the top of the page? This convenience, while a boon for the user, is a major blow to publishers who rely on those clicks for revenue.

Not only that, but the LLM themselves send more traffic to sources who answer questions.

Josh Blisckal from Profound analyzed 1 billion ChatGPT citations and 1 million visits, and found that referral traffic from ChatGPT dropped 52% since July 21, 2025. Reddit citations went up 87% starting July 23 and now account for over 10% of all citations, while Wikipedia climbed to about 13%, with Reddit, Wikipedia, and TechRadar together making up 22% of ChatGPT citations - meaning one in five goes to just those three sites. The image is clear: ChatGPT prefers sites that provide direct answers over brand-driven, sales-oriented content, so publishers need to create practical guides, FAQs, and comparison pages in plain user language if they want to be cited.

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Who’s Losing Out the Most to AI?

While the entire digital publishing ecosystem is feeling the tremors, some are more vulnerable than others.

• Affiliate Marketers: The affiliate marketing model is heavily reliant on click-throughs. When users get their product recommendations and comparisons directly from an AI Overview, the chances of them clicking on an affiliate link plummet.
• Small Business Owners: Many small businesses rely on their blogs and content marketing efforts to drive organic traffic and generate leads. The decline in traffic can have a direct impact on their bottom line.
• Content Creators and Niche Bloggers: Independent creators who have built their audience through high-quality, informational content are particularly at risk. Their expertise is now being summarized and presented by AI, often without attribution or a direct link to their site. The very creators whose work is used to train these AI models are now finding themselves in direct competition with them.
• Publishers and News Outlets: Media companies that depend on steady traffic from search engines face shrinking visibility as AI surfaces direct answers, leaving fewer incentives for users to click through to full articles.

How can you Adapt to this New Reality?

So, is this the end of the road for publishers? Is quality content dead? Is traffic monetization over? Not necessarily. But it is a wake-up call. If you’ve been relying on steady streams of organic traffic, it’s time to treat AI disruption as both a challenge and an opportunity. Publishers who adapt their monetization strategies and content models can come out stronger.

‍Take Back Control of Revenue

AI-driven traffic shifts are destabilizing organic channels - but you still hold the keys to your own revenue destiny. AdMaven equips publishers like you with a powerful toolkit to monetize across diverse traffic flows. Here’s how to own your monetization strategy:

Deploy Content Lockers Smartly‍

Use AdMaven’s content locker to gate your most valuable content - downloads, exclusive guides, or research pieces - and convert casual visitors into direct revenue. These lockers are easy to integrate on any platform. This approach ensures that high-performing content gets premium monetization while also helping you capture user data for future engagement, like newsletter growth or community building.

Boost Every Click with Smart & Direct Links

 Not all your visitors stick around - and that’s okay. AdMaven’s Smart Links automatically route users - including those coming from redirects or social platforms - to the most relevant offers, maximizing earnings with zero setup on your part. Meanwhile, Direct Links allow you to embed monetized links anywhere - whether in articles, messaging platforms, or newsletters - so every click becomes a revenue opportunity.

Tap into Push & Native Push Notifications

‍Unlike intrusive banner ads, AdMaven’s push formats - including the clean, Google-compliant Native Push Notifications - offer passive revenue streams with high CPMs and excellent user experience, both on mobile and desktop Set them once and continue earning even as traffic ebbs and flows.

Maximize Reach with Pop, Interstitial, and In-Page Push Formats‍

AdMaven’s full-screen pop-unders, interstitial overlays, and in-page push banners deliver strong, stable monetization across devices. With anti–adblock technologies, they ensure you don’t lose out to blockers and help boost earnings up to 50% compared to competitors 

Mix Monetization for Steady Revenue

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Blend CPM, CPA, content locking, link monetization, and push strategies to adapt dynamically as AI reshapes traffic - all from one flexible platform optimized for agility.

Leverage Advanced Publisher Analytics & SSP Optimization

‍AdMaven’s SSP gives you clear reports, automatic ad optimization, and real-time insights. You can see which formats work, which ones don’t, and where your traffic is most valuable - then act quickly to improve performance and increase earnings.

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Don’t Rely on Google Alone

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Traffic is now fragmented, so publishers need to act like multi-channel operators:

• Social Media Distribution: Turn TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts into traffic feeders. Short-form video is becoming a top funnel for written and long-form content.
  
  
• Messaging Apps: Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord are underused by publishers but perfect for cultivating “super-users.” Share teasers, locked guides, or special offers directly.
  
  
• Newsletters: It’s oldschool, but it’s yours and it still works very well. Treat email as an owned channel where you control reach. Unlike search or social, no algorithm decides visibility.
  
  

Build Content That Sticks

‍AI eats “what is X” queries. So stop competing there and focus on formats AI cannot replace:

• Exclusive Data & Surveys: Commission or create your own stats, benchmarks, or polls. AI overviews will summarize Wikipedia, but not your proprietary dataset.
  
  
• Experience-Based Content: Publish reviews, case studies, and commentary from real experts. We’re talking about content that is hard to fake or compress.
  
  
• Interactive Content: Tools, calculators, polls, or even playable embeds. AI can’t replicate interaction, which keeps users on your page.
  
  
• Community Content: Curated forums, UGC, or niche discussions that create a feedback loop of fresh material beyond what AI can scrape.
  
  

‍Leverage Google Business Profile for Extra Visibility

‍AI might be cutting into informational queries, but Google is still pushing local and branded results aggressively. The LOCAL PACK is still going strong, and you should take advantage of it. A well-optimized Google Business Profile can give you prime placement on searches that AI Overviews can’t fully take over.

• Local Publishers & Niche Blogs: If you cover specific cities, regions, or verticals (events, dining, travel, community news), your GBP listing helps you dominate searches like “events in [city] this weekend.”
  
  
• Driving Direct Traffic: A GBP lets you post updates, publish articles, share offers, and drive clicks straight from search, bypassing AI summaries.
  
  
• Authority & Trust: Verified profiles with consistent updates signal credibility. This strengthens your brand presence and keeps you top-of-mind when users decide to click deeper.

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Ready to Fight Back with AdMaven?

The ground is shaking, but that doesn’t mean you have to fall. You’ve built trust and audience - they’re your most valuable assets. Now, let AdMaven help you monetize them effectively.

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