AI Traffic A Double Edged Sword For News Publishers
Many readers are now turning to AI tools like ChatGPT or Google’s AI Overviews for their news updates, often getting information without ever visiting a publisher's website. The impact on the news industry is significant, as detailed in a recent report from market intelligence firm Similarweb.
The data shows a troubling trend: while ChatGPT is sending more traffic to news outlets, this increase is nowhere near enough to offset the massive drop in traffic from traditional search engines.
Google's AI Overviews and the Rise of Zero-Click Searches
Since Google rolled out its AI Overviews in May 2024, user search habits have fundamentally changed. The Similarweb report found that in May 2025, nearly 69% of all news searches on Google ended without a single click to a news source. This is a sharp increase from 56% in mid-2024. Essentially, users are satisfied with the AI-generated summaries and see no need to visit the original article.
This trend, known as “zero-click searches,” has severe consequences for publishers who rely on website clicks for ad impressions, revenue, and brand visibility.
Organic Search Traffic Takes a Nosedive
The effect on web traffic is stark. In mid-2024, news sites collectively received over 2.3 billion visits from organic search. By May 2025, that number had plummeted to less than 1.7 billion. Publishers that have long depended on a steady stream of search traffic are now facing a major challenge in retaining their audience.
A Silver Lining? The Surge in ChatGPT Referrals
On a more positive note, ChatGPT is becoming a more significant source of referral traffic for news websites. Between January and May 2024, the platform directed just under 1 million users to publishers. Fast forward to 2025, and that number has exploded to over 25 million, representing a 25-fold increase in under 18 months.
However, it's crucial to put this growth in perspective. Even with this impressive surge, the traffic from ChatGPT is still a drop in the bucket compared to the massive volume lost from Google Search.
Not All Publishers Are Seeing Equal Growth
The impact of AI referrals is not evenly distributed across the industry. Reuters, the New York Post, and Business Insider have seen the largest gains in ChatGPT traffic, with year-over-year increases of 8.9%, 7.1%, and 6.5%, respectively.
In contrast, The New York Times, which is currently suing OpenAI over alleged copyright infringement, saw a much smaller increase of 3.1%. This disparity might highlight how legal actions and content licensing strategies can influence a publisher's visibility on AI platforms.
What News Are Users Seeking from AI?
The Similarweb report also analyzed the types of news users request from ChatGPT. While topics related to stocks, finance, and sports are currently the most popular, there is growing interest in more in-depth subjects like politics, the economy, and weather. This could signal an opportunity for publishers who can provide deep, issue-focused analysis that goes beyond simple headlines.
This trend is partly driven by the rapid growth of ChatGPT itself. Over the past six months, the platform's app usage has more than doubled, and its website traffic has increased by 52%.
Industry Adapts to the New AI Landscape
To help businesses navigate this shift, Similarweb has launched a new service called AI visibility tracking. This tool enables brands and publishers to monitor their appearance in generative AI tools like ChatGPT and compare their performance against competitors.
Meanwhile, Google is also addressing publisher concerns with a new product called Offerwall. Available through Google Ad Manager, this tool lets publishers test alternative revenue streams, such as asking users to sign up for a newsletter, offering micropayments for access, or promoting premium subscriptions.
A Word from OpenAI's CEO on AI's Impact
Speaking on The New York Times’ “Hard Fork” podcast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman directly addressed AI's effect on the job market.
“I do think there will be areas where some jobs go away,” he admitted. “Maybe there will be some whole categories of jobs that go away… and any job that goes away, even if it’s good for society and the economy as a whole, is very painful, extremely painful, in that moment.”
