AI's Impact on Search Traffic – and How Experts Can Stay Visible

The way people find information online is changing fast. AI-powered search engines and generative AI answers are reshaping user behavior — with big consequences for website traffic. Recent studies reveal that a majority of Google searches — 58.5% in the U.S. — now end without any click on a result. In other words, more than half of searchers get their answer directly from Google (often via featured snippets or AI-generated summaries) and never visit a website. Even when there is a click, it's increasingly staying within Google's ecosystem. Nearly 30% of all search clicks now go to Google's own properties like YouTube or Maps, while only about 36% of searches lead to a click on an external website. The rise of generative AI has accelerated these shifts. Tools like ChatGPT and Google's new AI search features are teaching users to get direct answers without scrolling through the usual list of links. One in ten U.S. internet users now turns to generative AI first for online searches — a number projected to explode from 13 million in 2023 to over 90 million by 2027. In Google's experimental Search Generative Experience, an AI summary appears above traditional links, and when AI 'Overviews' are present, organic click-through rates plummet from 1.4% to just 0.6%.

These trends pose a special challenge for expert-driven organizations like think tanks, universities, and research institutes. Many have long relied on Google search as a primary pipeline for audiences to discover their work — it's not uncommon for 60–70% of a think tank's website traffic to come via search, sometimes closer to 90%. Now that pipeline is at risk of drying up. If Google stops sending traffic to explainers because it's answering questions with its own AI summary, those casual discovery visits could nosedive. Recent media analysis warns that search engine traffic to news and media sites could drop by as much as 60% in coming years due to AI's influence. There's also the issue of competition in an AI-saturated content landscape. The web is now flooded with AI-generated articles and answers, and some thorough human-crafted research gets overshadowed by a glut of AI-produced material — one site owner reported seeing half their traffic vanish overnight after Google's algorithm changes.

So how can expert organizations adapt? One key strategy is to shift from passive discovery to active distribution — instead of relying solely on the public to find your research via Google, bring your research to the public through journalists and the media. Journalists, editors, and media outlets serve as critical conduits between experts and the broader public. When a journalist covers a report or quotes an expert in a news story, that insight reaches potentially thousands or millions of readers. Even as search referrals decline, people are still reading news — through media websites, news apps, newsletters, or social feeds. In an era of information overload and AI-curated answers, trust and authority matter more than ever. Studies indicate that people remain skeptical of AI-only information, especially on critical topics like health, education, or policy. When the stakes are high, readers seek out trusted voices — and think tanks, universities, and research institutes are those trusted voices, but only if their experts are heard.

“AI-powered search is reshaping how people find information online — with 58.5% of U.S. searches now ending without a cli…”

This is where Rolli comes in as a game-changer for expert organizations. Rolli is an AI-powered platform that connects journalists and media producers with vetted experts from top organizations — a matchmaking service between the people who have knowledge and the people who need it for their stories. Rolli's AI-driven search tools let journalists pinpoint expert commentary quickly (10× faster newsgathering, by some measures), ensuring your expertise doesn't get lost in the shuffle of a Google search results page. Discovery despite search decline, real-time relevance, amplified reach, and credibility reinforcement through media coverage — these are the strategic advantages Rolli delivers for organizations navigating the new search reality. The bottom line: AI is transforming how people discover information, and the organizations that thrive will be the ones that adapt by building direct connections with the journalists and storytellers who shape public discourse.