Google's AI Overviews Cut Through Website Traffic for NJ Businesses

New Jersey businesses are feeling the impact of Google's AI Overviews, which summarize search results and may be reducing website traffic. The feature, launched in May 2024, presents a summary above a list of relevant websites, but users often only read the summary and don't click through to the actual websites.

A study by Pew Research Center found that users who saw the AI summary clicked on a link in 8% of all visits, compared to 15% for those who didn't encounter the summary. This has been a headache for businesses that relied on Google to drive customer traffic to their websites and products.

Some companies are adapting by creating content that directly addresses common questions people might ask. Timothy Dinan, a personal injury attorney at Laddey, Clark & Ryan, said 'we have focused on creating content that directly addresses the types of questions people might be asking.' This way, their website and content may show up in the overview's citations.

Businesses are now exploring 'generative engine optimization' to improve their visibility within AI-generated answers. However, it is unclear what will stick or fall through the cracks in terms of this strategy.