Google Search Crushed for Online News: Publishers Brace for a Post-Google World with AI

The internet's foundational relationship between publishers and Google is being rapidly redefined by artificial intelligence, and for many news organizations, the shift is proving catastrophic. With Google increasingly delivering AI-generated answers to search queries, readers are bypassing the traditional links that once drove massive traffic to media websites.

For publishers long reliant on organic search, this evolution spells a profound crisis.

Over the past three years, traffic to some of the internet’s most recognizable news brands has plummeted. HuffPost has seen its desktop and mobile search traffic fall by more than 50%, while the Washington Post experienced a nearly equivalent drop, according to Similarweb. The damage has already prompted drastic measures: Business Insider recently laid off 21% of its staff. “This decision was made to help the company endure extreme traffic drops outside of our control,” explained CEO Barbara Peng. Similarweb’s data shows that Business Insider’s search traffic declined by 55% between April 2022 and April 2025.

Nicholas Thompson, chief executive of The Atlantic, captured the industry’s existential anxiety during a companywide meeting, stating bluntly that they should now assume Google traffic "would drop toward zero." He added, “Google is shifting from being a search engine to an answer engine. We have to develop new strategies.”

The disruption can be traced to Google's AI Overviews, introduced last year, which summarize search results at the top of the page—giving users what they need without clicking links. The impact was already noticeable in areas like travel guides, health advice, and product reviews. But the blow landed even harder with last month's U.S. launch of AI Mode, a direct competitor to tools like ChatGPT. AI Mode answers queries through a conversational interface and surfaces far fewer links to source content.

“This is a serious threat to journalism that should not be underestimated,” warned William Lewis, publisher and CEO of the Washington Post. He added that the Post is “moving with urgency” to reach previously untapped audiences and adapt to what he called a “post-search era.”

While some publications have seen mixed trends—The Wall Street Journal reported an increase in organic search traffic compared to three years ago—its share of total traffic from Google still fell from 29% to 24%. Sherry Weiss, CMO of Dow Jones, which owns the Journal, emphasized a new focus: “As the referral ecosystem continues to evolve, we’re focused on ensuring customers come to us directly out of necessity.”

Google has maintained that it remains committed to supporting the broader web. The company says users who do click through after reading an AI Overview spend more time on those sites, and that trending news stories often bypass Overviews in favor of direct links. However, older content and lifestyle stories are more frequently summarized by AI, cutting deeply into traditional traffic pipelines.

Publishers have faced disruption before—from the collapse of print advertising to algorithmic changes by Facebook and Twitter. But the rise of generative AI is viewed by many as the most profound shift yet. “AI was not the thing that was changing everything, but it will be going forward. It’s the last straw,” said Neil Vogel, CEO of Dotdash Meredith, which owns brands like People and Southern Living. When Dotdash merged with Meredith in 2021, Google search made up about 60% of its traffic. Now, it’s closer to one-third. Vogel said the company is offsetting the losses with growth in areas like newsletters and recipe platforms.

In response to shrinking search visibility, many publishers are pivoting to deepen relationships with loyal readers. The Atlantic is investing in its app, adding more print issues, and expanding its events calendar. Politico and Business Insider are similarly focusing on audience engagement strategies.

At the same time, legal and commercial battles over the use of publishers' content in AI models are intensifying. Some media companies are suing AI developers over alleged copyright violations, while others are negotiating licensing deals. The New York Times has both sued OpenAI and Microsoft and signed a licensing agreement with Amazon. News Corp, parent of The Wall Street Journal, has struck a content deal with OpenAI but is also pursuing legal action against Perplexity.

Even Google’s dominance isn’t immune to the AI disruption. While the company claims total searches are growing, an Apple executive revealed in court that Google searches in Safari have declined for the first time in 20 years. As AI reshapes how people access information, both tech giants and traditional publishers are being forced to rethink their futures.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from WSJ  2025-06-12