Google’s new AI search, feared by some publishers as a referral traffic killer, is being tested in Australia.
AI Overviews will first be shown to a small group of users first before being rolled out, according to industry insiders.
The digital giant in May announced it is deploying Gemini, its AI, to provide answers, not links, to queries, which could mean a sharp fall in referrals via links to news articles from Google search.
The AI search function appears to have a negative impact on the visibility of news sites, according to a study.
Consultancy Authoritas, which analysed 6,599 keywords, says the search will significantly alter how results pages work, making it harder to determine which page ranks number one.
The big fear is that news websites, which have spent years fine-tuning their articles and keywords to place them at the top of searches, will find themselves relegated to the second tier or disappear from the main search.
Marketers across a range of industries rely, to varying degree, on organic search as well boosting advertising.
Gartner forecast earlier this year that traditional search engine volume will drop 25% by 2026 with search marketing losing market share to AI.
Sparro group SEO director Michael Sparkes told AdNews despite some initial concerns, he is feeling optimistic and confident the industry will adapt.
"The evolution of search engines neatly reflects our culture's changing relationship with information and trust," Sparkes said.
"On one hand, LLMs are being treated as search engines, where people are asked to trust answers produced algorithmically by a bot.
"On the other hand, people are increasingly treating social platforms like TikTok as search engines — and placing their trust in the objective opinions of individuals. The lesson that brands can learn here is that success will come from balancing the needs of both audiences.
"I'm predicting an even stronger emphasis on Google's EEAT Principles, as both search engines and users look for more signs of legitimacy before trusting information. Users who make it past AI-generated answers and onto websites will respond to detailed insights, expert perspectives, and lived experiences.
"The most successful brands will be those that put the hard yards into research and development of outstanding content, and make changes that are good for user experience — improving site speed, a clear content architecture, and design that focuses on real users."
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