AI search data
One site measured what Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode were actually sending it, and the answer was about 21% of its clicks from Google. The number belongs to that site alone, but it gives UK businesses a concrete starting point for checking their own search mix.
What the test showed
Search Engine Journal reports on a site that opted out of Google's AI features to see what they had been sending it. By comparing traffic before and after, the site estimated that Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode had brought in about 21% of its clicks from Google. The report also points to a possible lift in clicks on the site's regular listings once the AI features were switched off.
This is real evidence in a debate that has mostly run on guesswork. Most businesses can only guess how much traffic Google's AI answers send them. This site measured it.
The 21% belongs to one site and comes from that site's own estimate, as Search Engine Journal reports it. It is not an industry average. A different site, with different content and visitors, could see a very different number.
Why one site's number may not fit yours
A separate report from PPC Land shows how mixed the picture is. One French site's daily clicks fell from 750 to 400, and a second French site dropped from about 80 to 25 a day. Yet two of the five sites shown held steady. That report also asks whether Search Console data alone can prove AI Overviews caused the drops. It is a fair question, because seasonal swings, ranking changes and other updates can all move clicks.
The two reports point the same way. The effect of Google's AI answers depends on the site, and above all on the kinds of searches that bring people to it.
Searches fall into rough groups:
- How-to and question searches, where someone wants an answer or an explanation.
- Product research, where someone is comparing options before buying.
- Ready-to-buy searches, where someone knows what they want and is looking for a place to get it.
- Near-me searches, where someone wants a local shop, service or branch.
Google does not show an AI answer equally often across these groups. A business that earns most of its traffic from questions sits in a different position from one that relies on local or ready-to-buy searches. Before you treat any single site's estimate as a forecast for your own, work out which groups your key searches belong to.
What this means for UK businesses
- Treat the 21% as one site's estimate. It shows that Google's AI features can send real traffic. It does not tell you what they send you.
- Know your search mix. Group the searches that bring you visitors and sales into how-to, product research, ready-to-buy and near-me. That mix tells you how much Google's AI answers are likely to matter to you.
- Be careful with cause and effect. If your clicks have dropped, check seasonality, rankings and site changes before you blame AI answers.
- Decide on opt-outs last. Switching off AI features could cost you visits as well as win some back. Make that choice only once you know which of your searches are affected.
Analysis compiled by Sayu (sayu.co.uk), drawing on reporting by Search Engine Journal and PPC Land.
