Have you noticed that your website traffic has dropped even though you are on the first page of Google? You are not alone. In 2026, a major change completely transformed the way Google displays results. At Altanet Craiova we believe every business with an online presence needs to understand this change – because it directly affects the number of visitors you get, no matter how well you rank.
What are Google AI Overviews?
When you search for something on Google, instead of immediately seeing the list of websites, a block of AI-generated text now appears first, answering your question directly. This is called an AI Overview.
In practice, Google no longer automatically sends you to a website – it gives you the answer right there. Only after this block do the classic links to websites appear.
The result? Many people find what they were looking for without clicking on any website. Including yours, even if you are ranked #1.
How big is the impact?
The figures are clear and worrying for anyone who depends on organic traffic:
- Organic clicks have dropped by an average of 42% across all types of searches
- On desktop, the drop reaches 47.5% when an AI Overview appears
- By 2027, estimates show that more than 60% of searches will display an AI Overview
The chart below shows how the impact of AI Overviews on organic clicks has evolved compared with searches without an AI Overview:
Traffic drop
AI Overviews expansion
2027 projection
How AI Overview works – in plain language
Google uses Gemini – its own AI model – to read and synthesise information from several websites and generate a direct answer. This answer appears right above the classic results.
Think of it as an assistant that reads the top 10 websites on Google and gives you a summary on the spot. Useful for the user, less useful for the websites the information was drawn from.
The good news: in some cases, Google also shows the sources it took the information from. If your website is selected as a source, you can receive visitors straight from the AI block – even if fewer, they are more qualified.
What can you do in practice?
The situation is not hopeless. Here are three practical directions:
- Optimise your content to be selected as a source by AI. Clear, structured texts with direct answers to specific questions have a better chance of being cited by AI Overview. This new approach is called GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and complements traditional SEO.
- Strengthen your E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). Google selects as sources the websites it considers trustworthy. Real authors, verifiable data, links from other reputable websites – all of it counts.
- Diversify your traffic sources. If you depend exclusively on Google, you are vulnerable. Social media, newsletters, direct traffic – all reduce the risk of a massive drop in visitors.
What comes next?
According to Tech Business News, AI Overviews will expand to more than 60% of searches by 2027. Brands that are not selected as trusted sources by AI will lose visibility even when they rank well in the classic way.
Traditional SEO is not dying – but it is no longer enough on its own. GEO is becoming a mandatory complementary discipline for any business that wants to stay visible online.
Want to know how your website is affected by AI Overviews and what you can do in practice? The Altanet Craiova team can run a quick analysis and propose an action plan. Visit our contact page and let's talk.
This article is part of the Altanet series on the changes in social media and SEO in 2026. Next article: Google Core Update 2026: Why You Lost Traffic and How to Recover. See also the complete guide to the series.