Traffic From Google To Publishers Stable Over Years Says New Third Party Study

08/15/25
Source: Search Engine Roundtable by barry@rustybrick.com (Barry Schwartz). Read the original article

TL;DR Summary of Chartbeat Study Shows Stable Google Search Traffic to News Publishers

The Chartbeat study reveals that traffic from Google Search, including Google Discover, to major news publishers has remained stable over recent years. This data challenges claims of a significant decline in search-driven traffic following the introduction of AI Overviews. While Google News traffic shows a steady decline, overall search referrals still constitute a substantial portion of publisher visits. Additionally, social media referral traffic has notably decreased during the same period.

Optimixed’s Overview: Analyzing the Stability of Google Search Traffic Amidst AI Changes

Key Insights from Chartbeat’s Recent Traffic Analysis

The debate around how AI-powered features in Google Search affect publisher traffic has gained momentum. Contrary to multiple reports suggesting a sharp decline, the latest data from Chartbeat provides a more nuanced view.

  • Stable Traffic Share: Chartbeat’s analysis of 565 US and UK news websites from January 2019 onward indicates that Google Search’s share of total referral traffic has remained relatively stable, even after the rollout of AI Overviews and AI Mode in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
  • Inclusion of Google Discover: The study combines both traditional Google Search and Google Discover traffic, which may enhance the overall stability observed since Discover is not technically part of Google Search but contributes significantly to traffic referrals.
  • Traffic Percentage Trends: Search referrals increased from 15.52% in January 2019 to a peak of 20.62% in March 2020, settling at about 19.03% by July 2025. Google’s dominance remains strong, constituting over 95% of search traffic to these publishers.
  • Declining Google News Traffic: Despite stable search traffic, Google News referral traffic has experienced a steady decline, highlighting varied impacts across Google’s platforms.
  • Social Media Decline: Organic traffic from social platforms such as Facebook and X has dropped significantly, underscoring broader shifts in referral landscapes beyond search.

Implications for Publishers and the Digital News Ecosystem

This data provides a counterpoint to the narrative of a “great decoupling,” where publishers fear losing traffic due to AI-generated summaries reducing click-through rates. While the situation may differ for smaller publishers, large news outlets appear to maintain a consistent flow of visitors from Google Search sources.

Publishers and SEO professionals should consider the stability shown in this data while also monitoring platform-specific trends, especially the decline in Google News and social referrals, to adapt their strategies effectively.