Google’s AI search overhaul decimates website traffic

 In a dramatic shift that has left many independent website owners reeling, Google's introduction of AI-generated answers and recent search algorithm changes has caused a significant decline in website traffic. According to a Bloomberg investigation, many publishers are reporting traffic drops of 70% or more, disrupting the long-standing relationship between Google and content creators. This crisis has forced numerous small businesses to either shut down or completely reinvent their distribution strategies. 

n March 2024, Morgan McBride, owner of the do-it-yourself home improvement site Charleston Crafted, posed for a Google ad campaign celebrating the search engine's role in her business's growth. Just weeks later, traffic from Google to her site plummeted by more than 70%. McBride, who had weathered algorithm changes before, found this time to be different. "You can't just sit around waiting for things to turn around," she told Bloomberg. In the year since the traffic collapse, display advertising revenue on her site dropped by 65%, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in lost income.....<<<Read More>>>...