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ShippedLast updated March 18, 2026

Google Search Referral Traffic to Publishers Drops Sharply as AI Overviews Expand

Chartbeat data shows Google Search referral traffic to publishers fell 34% overall (60% for small publishers), while AI chatbot referrals remain less than 1% of all publisher pageviews, highlighting the disruptive impact of AI Overviews on the web ecosystem.

First seen

March 18, 2026

Last updated

March 18, 2026

Sources (1)

Source Timeline

Mar 189to5GoogleGoogle Search referrals to the web have plummeted, AI links are ‘less than 1%’ of traffic

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Google Search Referral Traffic to Publishers Drops Sharply as AI Overviews Expand — Alphabet | AlphaPerch