Google's AI Overviews Cut NJ Website Traffic in Half

Google's AI Overviews have become ubiquitous in search results, but they're also changing how users interact with websites. The summaries often lead to a decrease in website traffic for New Jersey businesses, which are now exploring new strategies to adapt.

The shift has been significant since Google launched its AI Overview on May 14, 2024. According to the Pew Research Center, users who saw the AI summary clicked on a link in only 8% of all visits, compared to 15% for those without the summary.

Timothy Dinan, an attorney at Laddey, Clark & Ryan, attributes this change to the way people search. 'I think the biggest change is how potential clients search for information,' he said. 'Searches used to be driven primarily by keywords or short phrases.' Now, users ask Google specific questions.

Dinan's law firm has adjusted its content strategy to address these new search patterns. 'We have focused on creating content that directly addresses the types of questions people might be asking,' he explained. This way, their website might show up in the AI overview's citations.