Recent data shows that Google is moving generative search from an add-on feature to its default entry point. Market research firm Similarweb reports that AI Overviews in Google Search have increased from about 15% of queries to 43% in a year, reflecting a corresponding shift in how users access information.
AI summary coverage increased
This means that search results pages no longer simply direct users to external websites. Increasingly, users will first stay on the AI summary provided by Google, and then continue to delve deeper into the search through a more conversational AI Mode.
Similarweb data shows that AI Mode visits increased from 126 million in June 2025 to 279 million in May 2026, indicating that generative search is evolving from an auxiliary function into an integral part of the search process.
Longer query duration
The report states that the average query length for Google searches has increased over the past year. This indicates that users are reducing traditional keyword searches and turning to more complete questions that are closer to everyday expressions in order to receive AI-generated answers.
This change has also moved Google further forward in the search chain. In the past, Google was more like an entry point to web pages; now, it is increasingly taking the lead in displaying answers and answering follow-up questions, thus increasing the time users spend on the platform.
Publishers continue to face pressure on traffic.
The pressure from this trend continues for content websites and news publishers. While AI-generated answers may cite sources, they often fail to generate clicks, thus reducing referral traffic from search engines.
- The number of citations in AI-generated answers has increased more than fivefold in one year.
- ChatGPT's citation rate on the US desktop platform is 6.8%.
- Tourism, retail, and sports-related questions are more frequently cited.
Meanwhile, Cloudflare recently launched a new tool that allows websites to restrict AI crawlers from accessing content unless the AI company pays for access through its marketplace mechanisms. This reflects publishers' efforts to regain bargaining power in content distribution.
ChatGPT backlink clicks rebound
The report also noted that publishers are not entirely without room for improvement. At least on ChatGPT, US desktop traffic rebounded after a search update on May 7.
- In March 2026, the percentage of visits to landing pages was 25%.
- By May 30, this proportion was close to 60%.
This indicates that even when external links are more prominently displayed in AI search results, users will still click through to the original webpage. However, looking at the overall trend, generative search continues to strengthen platform-based entry points, and Google is transforming from a gateway to the internet into a primary point of contact for information consumption itself.
