Search is changing. Google now puts an AI-written summary at the top of many results, and more people ask ChatGPT or Gemini a question instead of searching at all. Google says its AI Overviews now reach over 2 billion people a month.
For some websites, that means far fewer visitors. For others, very little changes, because AI can't do the thing people came for. This guide is for anyone starting a business, or wondering whether a website is still worth having.
You'll learn what is actually happening to clicks, which kinds of websites are losing, which are winning, and how to make sure AI tools recommend your business rather than skip past it.
What is actually changing
An AI answer is a short summary written by an AI model that appears above, or instead of, a list of links. Google calls its version AI Overviews. ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity give similar answers inside a chat.
Pew Research Center tracked the browsing of 900 US adults in March 2025. When a Google search showed an AI summary, people clicked a regular result in 8% of visits. Without a summary, they clicked in 15% of visits, nearly twice as often. Links inside the summary itself were rarely clicked.
People were also more likely to stop browsing altogether after a search with an AI summary. That happened on 26% of those pages, compared with 16% of pages with only regular results.
Google sees it differently. It says the clicks that do come from pages with AI Overviews are higher quality, with people more likely to spend time on the site. Both can be true: fewer clicks for quick questions, and more considered clicks for everything else.
The websites that are losing visitors
The pattern is simple. If a page exists only to answer a question, an AI can now give that answer itself, and the reader never needs to visit.
- General how-to and explainer pages: articles answering questions like how many cups are in a litre are the easiest for an AI to replace.
- Thin list and review sites: pages that rank products using information gathered from elsewhere, often to earn affiliate commission, add little an AI can't assemble on its own.
- Ad-funded content sites: sites that publish large volumes of generic articles to earn money from display ads depend on clicks, and those are the clicks that are disappearing.
- Pages that repeat what everyone else says: Google tells site owners to focus on unique, non-commodity content. A commodity page is one that could be swapped for any other without the reader noticing.
The websites that keep winning
The websites holding up best are attached to something an AI can't do for you.
Real businesses people visit, book or buy from
An AI can tell someone which nearby café has the best reviews. It can't make the coffee. Cafés, trades, clinics, salons, gyms and shops use their website as the front door to a real service, and people still click through to book, order, call or check opening hours.
Sites with original expertise or data
First-hand experience, your own photos, real prices, finished jobs and honest opinions are hard to copy. They are also what AI tools need when they look for a source to quote.
Tools people use
Booking systems, quote builders, calculators and member portals do a job. Nobody wants a summary of a booking form. They want to book.
Communities and brands people ask for by name
When someone searches for your business by name, they want you, not a summary about you. Pew also found that Wikipedia, YouTube and Reddit were the most cited sources in both AI summaries and regular results, which shows how much weight search puts on places where real people share real experience.
What this means if you're starting a business
If your business idea depends on people finding information online, AI is a real risk to plan for. If your idea is a real-world service, AI is mostly a new way for customers to find you.
- Pick ideas where the website is the front door: a booking, an order, a quote request or a phone call should be the point of the visit.
- Own something AI can't copy: your reviews, your photos, your prices and what you know from doing the work.
- Don't build on one traffic source: a business that only works while Google sends free clicks is exposed to every change Google makes.
How to make sure AI tools recommend your business
There's no secret trick. Google's guidance for site owners says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode. A page needs to be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet, and the usual advice applies: helpful, reliable content written for people.
- Keep your Google Business Profile up to date: Google specifically tells businesses to keep their Business Profile information current for its AI search experiences.
- Put your facts on your own website: services, prices, opening hours, service area and contact details, written as text rather than only inside images.
- Earn genuine reviews: reviews on Google and mentions on other sites give AI tools something real to quote about you.
- Make your site easy to read: fast pages, clear headings and structured data help Google and AI tools understand what you do and where.
Our guides on getting recommended by ChatGPT and getting found by Google and AI assistants go through each of these step by step.
Is a website still worth having?
For a business that serves real customers, yes. When an AI recommends a business, it needs facts to quote and somewhere to send people. A clear, fast website with your services, prices and contact details is that place.
What has changed is the website's job. It matters less as a way to be found for general questions, and more as the trusted, up-to-date source on you: who you are, what you do, what it costs and how to book.
Key takeaways
- (01)
AI answers mean fewer clicks for quick questions. In Pew's study, people clicked a result in 8% of searches with an AI summary, against 15% without one.
- (02)
Websites that only repackage information, like generic how-to articles and thin review sites, are losing the most visitors.
- (03)
Websites attached to a real service, original expertise, a useful tool or a known name keep winning, because AI can't do what they do.
- (04)
To be recommended by AI tools, keep your Google Business Profile current, put your facts on your own website and earn genuine reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Will AI replace websites?
Not for businesses that serve real customers. AI answers reduce clicks for general questions, but people still visit websites to book, buy, call or check details, and AI tools need websites as sources to quote.
What kind of online business is safest from AI?
One where the website is the front door to something real: a service, a product, a booking or a community. Businesses that rely only on free search traffic for general information carry the most risk.
Do I need to do anything special to appear in Google's AI Overviews?
No. Google says there are no extra requirements. Your page needs to be indexed and eligible to appear in Search with a snippet, and the usual advice applies: helpful, reliable content written for people.
Is a blog still worth it for a business website?
Yes, if it shares what only you know: real prices, local experience and answers to the questions your customers actually ask you. Generic articles that repeat what is already everywhere are the ones AI makes redundant.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.