Google CEO has expressed concern about the impact of AI on search engine traffic

In a recent interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai discussed the integration of artificial intelligence into the company’s search results, addressing the concerns of publishers and website owners about the possible impact on traffic to their resources.

Artificial Intelligence in Google Search

Google is gradually introducing AI-powered reviews and summaries into its search results.

These summaries are designed to provide users with quick answers and context right on the search page. However, publishers are concerned that this may significantly reduce the number of clicks to their sites.

Pichai claims that AI is driving traffic growth

Despite these concerns, Sundar Pichai remains optimistic about the long-term impact of AI on the online ecosystem. In an interview with The Verge, he stated:

“I remain optimistic. Based on the empirical evidence we’ve seen over the years, human curiosity has no limits.”

Pichai claimed that Google’s internal data showed increased user engagement with AI-generated reviews, including higher click-through rates for links in these biographies compared to regular search results.

He explained:

“When you provide context, it also opens up different options for people to build off of, and they’re more engaged. So that’s what drives growth over time.”

Added information that Pichai did not provide specific data.

Balancing the interests of users and publishers

Sundar Pichai emphasized that Google is trying to find a balance between meeting user expectations and the need to drive traffic to the site. He explained:

“When asked about specific cases where some sites have lost significant traffic, Pichai warned against generalizations based on individual examples. He noted that in general, Google has increased traffic to the web ecosystem over the past decade.”

Pichai believes that the sites that are losing traffic are mostly “intermediate aggregators.”

Pichai’s View on Traffic Distribution

Pichai continues:

“From our point of view, if you look historically, even in the last decade, we have provided more traffic to the ecosystem and contributed to its growth. Ironically, sometimes we’ve made changes to send more traffic to smaller sites. Some of those sites that often complain are aggregators in the middle. So, should the traffic go to the restaurant that created the site with its menu and other information, or to the people who write about those restaurants? These are deep questions. I’m not saying there is a right answer.”

Key Aspects for Website Owners and SEO Professionals

For those working in SEO, Pichai’s comments provide some insight into Google’s strategy and outlook, but they should be taken with a grain of salt. While the CEO painted an optimistic picture of the impact of artificial intelligence, he lacked concrete data to back up his claims. Website owners should carefully monitor their analytics data to assess the true impact of AI comments on their traffic.

As Google continues to utilize AI capabilities for search, this issue is far from resolved.

Despite Pichai’s optimism, the true impact of AI on the online ecosystem remains to be seen. For now, publishers and search engine optimization professionals must remain vigilant, flexible, and proactive in voicing their concerns in this rapidly changing environment.

This article available in Ukrainian.