Although many big announcements were made during Google IO 2024, there was also an announcement that did not go down well with publishers around the world. Actually, Google has introduced AI Overview which will completely change the experience of Google search. Its testing has been going on for a long time, but now it is being rolled out publicly.
I have also been using this feature through Search Lab for the last several months and I am not only telling you about my experience but also telling you what impact this move of Google can bring in content publishing.
A lot of traffic for content websites around the world comes from Google search. In such a situation, if traffic from Google search stops, then obviously it will be difficult for the websites to monetize and the revenue will be directly affected.
Google’s new feature (AI Overview) can actually affect website traffic badly. It is not that Google does not need websites and other publishers. Google will still provide all the information from websites, but now the method will be different.
What is so special about Google AI Overview?
First, let’s know what is AI overview
Google’s AI generated overview is actually a new search result interface where Gemini is used. It is completely Generative AI based. Currently, when you search something on Google, you get a list of blue links in the result. You click on these links to find what you want. But after the AI generated overview comes, you will see AI generated content at the top.
For example, you will search on Google how to make lemonade or how to deal with cold and flu. In response to this, Google’s Generative AI will show you curated content at the top. This will be step wise and you can easily understand it. Most of the times, the answer you are looking for will be found at the top and you will not need to click on any link.
If you do not click on the link, then obviously you will not need to visit any other website. Because the answer to the query you are looking for on Google will be displayed on top through Generative AI. The interesting thing is that Google’s AI curated answer will not be its own, but will be taken from some website.
How will search change with AI Overview? You can also listen to this episode of TechTonic With Munzir
Where does AI get the answers from?
Now if you are looking for a way to make lemonade or a remedy to cure a cold, then where is Google providing the answers? How is Google’s AI curating these answers?
Actually, for these answers, Google takes content from other websites. Sometimes Google will also show you the link of those websites. But at the top, you will get information without any link and Google also takes that information from a link somewhere, that is, Google is dependent on other websites for all the information. Because Google does not have any content of its own.
Why will publishers suffer losses?
A big question is that if most users just search on Google and skip the top, then who will visit the website? If users don’t click on the link and visit the website, then how will the page views come to the website?
If page views and unique visitors (UV-PV) are not coming then how will content websites earn money? Because the revenue model of content websites is based on ads and ads are received more by those websites which are read more by people.
Many experts have expressed concern that other content websites will be badly affected due to Google AI Overview and their visitors will decrease. However, traffic will continue to come from Google App, because websites will feature in Discover on Google App as before. But despite this, content websites will definitely have problems in generating revenue.
News publishers around the world are facing problems due to Google’s new AI Overview and are against it. Currently, AI Overview in search has come only in America, due to which American publishers are worried. In a CNN report, quoting the head of News Media Alliance, it has been said that this step of Google will prove to be dangerous for the traffic of the website. Because users will leave Google’s search interface and the website will not be able to be monetized.
Daniel Coffey’s statement has been published in CNN’s report. Daniel actually represents more than 2000 news publishers in America and is the head of the News Media Alliance. After Google’s announcement, he has said that whatever little traffic is coming now will also end. Due to Google’s monopoly, once again publishers will have to agree to their terms and they will use our content as fuel.
Will content websites sue Google?
Since the content that Google SGI will give as the top result is also being taken from some website. In such a situation, how can it be ensured that copyright is not violated? Because the link of the website from which the content is being taken will have to be given or the content will have to be redirected to that website.
The New York Times has recently sued the creators of ChatGPT. It has been alleged that ChatGPT is using NYT articles without permission and serving manipulated content to people in the name of AI content.
In the US, class action lawsuits are going on against many companies that generate AI photos. It has been seen many times that platforms that generate photos from text are presenting edited photos clicked by a photographer, in such a situation their work is also getting affected and they are not getting the money they should have received for their work.
There are many cases going on where it has been found that text to image generating platforms are using copyrighted photos. Removing copyrighted logos from images has also become quite easy in the era of AI.
Although the AI features in Google search will benefit common users, it can cause harm to websites. It will be especially difficult for those publishers who depend on Google search for page traffic.
Google’s AI Overview will take up almost half of the Google search screen and the number of blue links will be reduced significantly. Data shows that AI Overview will take up about 80% of search queries.
What does Google say?
According to a CNN report, Google has said that the links provided in the AI Overview will get more clicks for any search query than traditional web listings. Google has also said that this change in AI will not be harmful to the newsroom, but will prove to be beneficial. The company has said that along with improving the search experience, Google will also provide valuable traffic to publishers and creators.
What is Google’s compulsion?
If Google does not provide AI Overview in search, it will lose the search engine race to Microsoft and OpenAI. After ChatGPT integration, Microsoft’s search engine Bing also joined the race. Similarly, many AI centric search engines like Perplexity AI are becoming popular which are using AI extensively in search results. Even Perplexity AI has been doing the work of Google AI Overview for a long time.
Obviously, Google is already lagging behind Microsoft in the AI race. In such a situation, Google would like to make full use of AI in search so that users do not use any other search engine except Google. It is worth noting that after the arrival of ChatGPT, there has been some reduction in Google search. Because now more options are available to people than before.