Google’s AI Overviews Are Eating Your Traffic.

Winning now means writing for the machine, not just your audience.

Google says AI Overviews make search “smarter.” What they actually do is keep users on Google and starve publishers of traffic.

Those neat AI-written summaries at the top of results don’t just answer questions. They lift copy, mash it together, and serve it back, with fewer reasons for anyone to click through. For brands and PR pros, that means your carefully crafted content risks becoming raw material for Google’s machine.

The Black Box Problem

No one outside Mountain View knows exactly how Google decides which sources make it into AI Overviews. Big brands will likely dominate, smaller players get squeezed, and accuracy isn’t guaranteed. PR pros now have to play a game with rules that keep changing, and no transparency.

What this Means For You

If your content isn’t:

• Direct (answering questions in plain English)

• Credible (linked to trusted sources)

• Authoritative (backed by expertise)

…it won’t just rank badly. It won’t rank at all.

The Fight for Visibility

Google is turning search into a walled garden. For users, that’s convenience. For marketers, it’s a visibility crisis. The only way to win is to create content that’s so clear, concise, and credible that Google’s AI has no choice but to quote you.

Bottom Line

Until then, remember: Google’s AI doesn’t just summarise the internet, it cannibalizes it.