How long until we need to block Google?

Websites are sounding the alarm as Google's AI Overviews feature redirects their traffic. Corporate earnings calls reveal a concerning trend.

"The portion of our traffic that comes from Google Search has declined from 52% to 28%," reports IAC Group, while CarGurus notes "when Google provides the AI response, there's a much lower click rate."

Instead of directing users to websites, Google increasingly answers queries directly within search results, fundamentally altering the web's traffic economy.

Google disputes these claims, stating "AI in Search is driving more queries and higher quality clicks" and that "total organic click volume from Google Search to websites has been relatively stable year-over-year."

The traditional bargain was straightforward: websites allowed Google to crawl their content in exchange for traffic. Now Google uses that same content for AI training and generating answers, with limited opt-out options.

Unlike OpenAI, which offers granular control through different bots and user agents, Google provides minimal transparency about which crawlers power AI features.

Website owners face a dilemma: continue allowing Google access despite diminishing returns, or block it entirely and lose what traffic remains.