AI Mode cuts outbound clicks 38%, keeping more answers inside Google Search
What happened
- Google’s May 2026 expansion of AI Mode and AI Overviews is keeping more searches inside Google, increasing pressure on publishers that depend on referral traffic. - HubSpot, citing an April 2026 working paper, said queries with AI Overviews saw outbound organic clicks fall 38% and zero-click searches jump to 72%. - This summer, Google plans to roll the new AI Mode transitions out across markets where AI Mode is available. (pressgazette.co.uk)
Why it matters
Google’s latest Search changes are giving users more ways to stay inside Google instead of clicking out to publisher sites. Press Gazette reported on May 26 that Google is adding follow-up prompts from AI Overviews into AI Mode, extending the conversational path inside Search rather than sending users to the open web. HubSpot, in an April 16 article citing an April 2026 working paper, said searches that show AI Overviews saw average outbound organic clicks fall 38%, while zero-click searches rose from 54% to 72%. (pressgazette.co.uk) Google presented the changes as part of a broader overhaul of Search announced around its I/O conference. TechRepublic reported on May 26 that the upgraded search box is being tied more closely to AI Mode and powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, with users able to search through text, images, video, files and URLs. SEO specialists quoted by TechRepublic said the change would make it harder for publishers to hold visibility and traffic. ### Why does a 38% click drop matter so much to publishers? (pressgazette.co.uk) The 38% figure matters because it points to a direct change in how often Google still sends users onward after answering a query itself. HubSpot said the decline applied to queries where AI Overviews appeared, while the share of searches ending without any click rose to 72% from 54%. That changes the economics for sites built around search referrals, especially informational and news publishers. Pew Research Center data cited by TechRepublic points in the same direction. (techrepublic.com) TechRepublic said a 2025 Pew survey found that 8% of Google users clicked a traditional search link when an AI Overview appeared, compared with 15% when no AI Overview was shown. Brian Dean, co-founder of Exploding Topics, told TechRepublic that Google’s “new AI-integrated search box and search agents will undoubtedly lead to fewer clicks.” ### What exactly is Google changing inside Search? (blog.hubspot.com) Google is linking AI Overviews more tightly to AI Mode. Press Gazette reported that users will be able to ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview and move into a conversational back-and-forth with AI Mode, while still seeing standard web links below. The publication said Google confirmed the transition would be optional rather than the default experience. May 19 updates also added interactive visuals, graphs, file and photo inputs, and AI agents that can carry out ongoing tasks such as tracking products, sports updates or new content tied to a query, according to Press Gazette. (techrepublic.com) TechRepublic separately reported that the search box itself is becoming multimodal and more agentic, allowing users to treat Search more like a chatbot. ### What is Google saying about the traffic impact? Sundar Pichai acknowledged product issues while defending the broader direction. (pressgazette.co.uk) Search Engine Journal reported that in a Decoder podcast interview recorded after Google I/O 2026, Pichai looked at a live AI Overview result and said it was “more opinionated than it should be.” In the same interview, he said Google’s internal metrics show “bounce clicks are going down,” echoing Google’s argument that lower-value clicks are being filtered out. Search Engine Journal also reported that Pichai did not dispute Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch’s decision to tell teams to plan for zero search traffic. Pichai said he was not in a position to tell a publisher how to plan its business. ### How are publishers responding if search sends less traffic? Publishers are shifting attention toward channels they control more directly. Press Gazette said the new Google changes deepen concerns already tied to reduced clickthroughs from Search. (searchenginejournal.com) TechRepublic reported that SEO experts expect site owners to focus more on original reporting, unique data and other material that is harder for AI summaries to replace. The practical effect is that audience teams are putting more weight on subscriptions, newsletters, apps, direct visits and other owned channels, while software budgets are being judged more on whether they improve yield from existing audiences than whether they promise more SEO traffic. (searchenginejournal.com) That inference follows from the click and zero-click data, the publisher concerns reported by Press Gazette, and the SEO commentary collected by TechRepublic and HubSpot. ### What happens next as Google keeps rolling this out? (pressgazette.co.uk) Google told Press Gazette that the new transition from AI Overviews into AI Mode will roll out this summer in countries where AI Mode is available on desktop and mobile, with the United States first. That next phase will give publishers a clearer read on whether optional AI Mode pathways remain a niche feature or become a larger drag on outbound traffic. (pressgazette.co.uk) (blog.hubspot.com)
Key numbers
- Google’s May 2026 expansion of AI Mode and AI Overviews is keeping more searches inside Google, increasing pressure on publishers that depend on referral traffic.
- HubSpot, citing an April 2026 working paper, said queries with AI Overviews saw outbound organic clicks fall 38% and zero-click searches jump to 72%.
- Press Gazette reported on May 26 that Google is adding follow-up prompts from AI Overviews into AI Mode, extending the conversational path inside Search rather than sending users to the open web.
- HubSpot, in an April 16 article citing an April 2026 working paper, said searches that show AI Overviews saw average outbound organic clicks fall 38%, while zero-click searches rose from 54% to 72%.
What happens next
- Press Gazette reported on May 26 that Google is adding follow-up prompts from AI Overviews into AI Mode, extending the conversational path inside Search rather than sending users to the open web.
- TechRepublic reported on May 26 that the upgraded search box is being tied more closely to AI Mode and powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, with users able to search through text, images, video, files and URLs.
- Brian Dean, co-founder of Exploding Topics, told TechRepublic that Google’s “new AI-integrated search box and search agents will undoubtedly lead to fewer clicks.” What exactly is Google changing inside Search?
Quick answers
What happened in AI Mode cuts outbound clicks 38%, keeping more answers inside Google Search?
Google’s May 2026 expansion of AI Mode and AI Overviews is keeping more searches inside Google, increasing pressure on publishers that depend on referral traffic. HubSpot, citing an April 2026 working paper, said queries with AI Overviews saw outbound organic clicks fall 38% and zero-click searches jump to 72%. This summer, Google plans to roll the new AI Mode transitions out across markets where AI Mode is available. (pressgazette.co.uk)
Why does AI Mode cuts outbound clicks 38%, keeping more answers inside Google Search matter?
Google’s latest Search changes are giving users more ways to stay inside Google instead of clicking out to publisher sites. Press Gazette reported on May 26 that Google is adding follow-up prompts from AI Overviews into AI Mode, extending the conversational path inside Search rather than sending users to the open web. HubSpot, in an April 16 article citing an April 2026 working paper, said searches that show AI Overviews saw average outbound organic clicks fall 38%, while zero-click searches rose from 54% to 72%. (pressgazette.co.uk) Google presented the changes as part of a broader overhaul of Search announced around its I/O conference. TechRepublic reported on May 26 that the upgraded search box is being tied more closely to AI Mode and powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash, with users able to search through text, images, video, files and URLs. SEO specialists quoted by TechRepublic said the change would make it harder for publishers to hold visibility and traffic. Why does a 38% click drop matter so much to publishers? (pressgazette.co.uk) The 38% figure matters because it points to a direct change in how often Google still sends users onward after answering a query itself. HubSpot said the decline applied to queries where AI Overviews appeared, while the share of searches ending without any click rose to 72% from 54%. That changes the economics for sites built around search referrals, especially informational and news publishers. Pew Research Center data cited by TechRepublic points in the same direction. (techrepublic.com) TechRepublic said a 2025 Pew survey found that 8% of Google users clicked a traditional search link when an AI Overview appeared, compared with 15% when no AI Overview was shown. Brian Dean, co-founder of Exploding Topics, told TechRepublic that Google’s “new AI-integrated search box and search agents will undoubtedly lead to fewer clicks.” What exactly is Google changing inside Search? (blog.hubspot.com) Google is linking AI Overviews more tightly to AI Mode. Press Gazette reported that users will be able to ask follow-up questions directly from an AI Overview and move into a conversational back-and-forth with AI Mode, while still seeing standard web links below. The publication said Google confirmed the transition would be optional rather than the default experience. May 19 updates also added interactive visuals, graphs, file and photo inputs, and AI agents that can carry out ongoing tasks such as tracking products, sports updates or new content tied to a query, according to Press Gazette. (techrepublic.com) TechRepublic separately reported that the search box itself is becoming multimodal and more agentic, allowing users to treat Search more like a chatbot. What is Google saying about the traffic impact? Sundar Pichai acknowledged product issues while defending the broader direction. (pressgazette.co.uk) Search Engine Journal reported that in a Decoder podcast interview recorded after Google I/O 2026, Pichai looked at a live AI Overview result and said it was “more opinionated than it should be.” In the same interview, he said Google’s internal metrics show “bounce clicks are going down,” echoing Google’s argument that lower-value clicks are being filtered out. Search Engine Journal also reported that Pichai did not dispute Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch’s decision to tell teams to plan for zero search traffic. Pichai said he was not in a position to tell a publisher how to plan its business. How are publishers responding if search sends less traffic? Publishers are shifting attention toward channels they control more directly. Press Gazette said the new Google changes deepen concerns already tied to reduced clickthroughs from Search. (searchenginejournal.com) TechRepublic reported that SEO experts expect site owners to focus more on original reporting, unique data and other material that is harder for AI summaries to replace. The practical effect is that audience teams are putting more weight on subscriptions, newsletters, apps, direct visits and other owned channels, while software budgets are being judged more on whether they improve yield from existing audiences than whether they promise more SEO traffic. (searchenginejournal.com) That inference follows from the click and zero-click data, the publisher concerns reported by Press Gazette, and the SEO commentary collected by TechRepublic and HubSpot. What happens next as Google keeps rolling this out? (pressgazette.co.uk) Google told Press Gazette that the new transition from AI Overviews into AI Mode will roll out this summer in countries where AI Mode is available on desktop and mobile, with the United States first. That next phase will give publishers a clearer read on whether optional AI Mode pathways remain a niche feature or become a larger drag on outbound traffic. (pressgazette.co.uk) (blog.hubspot.com)
