AI search is hurting publisher traffic – badly – Computing
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Referral traffic to some websites has fallen 96% since AI-powered search was introduced
Analysis shows a massive fall in traffic to publishers’ websites since the advent of AI search.
A new report has exposed the stark reality behind AI search engine promises, revealing a plunge in referral traffic for publishers and a surge in covert website scraping by AI giants like OpenAI and Perplexity.
The data, compiled by content licensing platform TollBit and shared with Forbes, presents a grim picture for news websites and blogs reliant on online traffic.
Contrary to claims that AI-powered search engines would drive readership, TollBit’s analysis of 160 websites, including national and local news outlets, tech blogs, and shopping sites, shows a 96% reduction in referral traffic compared to traditional Google search.
This drop coincides with a doubling of website scraping by AI developers in recent months.
The report, which examined data from the fourth quarter of 2024, found that…
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source: https://news.oneseocompany.com/2025/03/05/ai-search-is-hurting-publisher-traffic-badly-computing_2025030560320.html
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