3 ms·

Because of the introduction of AI overview, click-through rates are dropping like crazy. Up to 70% of Google searches now end without any clicks to third party

Because of the introduction of AI overview, click-through rates are dropping like crazy. Up to 70% of Google searches now end without any clicks to third party websites. So most search users already stay completely within Google's ecosystem.

fsuts 3mo ago
But does that apply to shopping? I have often had a look at Google shopping results but very rarely clicked one. I think when searching for an answer ai assist is often sufficient but not for where you are buying?
- giancarlostoro 3mo ago
  > I have often had a look at Google shopping results but very rarely clicked one. Pretty sure that tab is all ads, so its all garbage, in some cases some of the results look like scams.
  - dmurray 3mo ago
    It worked great for me recently buying running shoes. I knew what shoes I wanted, there are plenty of no-name merchants selling them, competing on price (last year's model, so not being sold in big name stores). Click through each of them, find one with the right size, colour, delivery prices. Very painless. If some of the merchants are scams, I wouldn't know, my shoes arrived anyway. Instead of "all ads, so it's all garbage" this is exactly what I wish all advertising could be.
  - brainwad 3mo ago
    It's not all ads. Indeed it's mostly not.
Ferret7446 3mo ago
If they didn't introduce AI overview, people would just switch to ChatGPT. You can't ban a new technology, someone else will use it.
victorbjorklund 3mo ago
That doesn't matter. The reason people are using Google in the first place is because it has access to data from many sites, not their own only. If Google tomorrow removed all websites they don't own from the search index, nobody would use Google. It would be useless.
- sigmoid10 3mo ago
  That was only true before AI overview. Now all that info they scraped from public websites and fed into their models will still be available without anyone ever leaving Google's services.
  - victorbjorklund 3mo ago
    Well that is obviously not true. They need to have the index in order to serve up AI. And it's not 100% of all of the searches that are done without any search results. Remember also that the fact that there is an AI response on a particular search does not mean that it's enough. People might still click on a link. There is a reason why Google has chosen not to remove fully their search product and replace it with only an AI bot.

fsuts 3mo ago

But does that apply to shopping? I have often had a look at Google shopping results but very rarely clicked one. I think when searching for an answer ai assist is often sufficient but not for where you are buying?

giancarlostoro 3mo ago
> I have often had a look at Google shopping results but very rarely clicked one. Pretty sure that tab is all ads, so its all garbage, in some cases some of the results look like scams.
- dmurray 3mo ago
  It worked great for me recently buying running shoes. I knew what shoes I wanted, there are plenty of no-name merchants selling them, competing on price (last year's model, so not being sold in big name stores). Click through each of them, find one with the right size, colour, delivery prices. Very painless. If some of the merchants are scams, I wouldn't know, my shoes arrived anyway. Instead of "all ads, so it's all garbage" this is exactly what I wish all advertising could be.
- brainwad 3mo ago
  It's not all ads. Indeed it's mostly not.

Ferret7446 3mo ago

If they didn't introduce AI overview, people would just switch to ChatGPT. You can't ban a new technology, someone else will use it.

victorbjorklund 3mo ago

That doesn't matter. The reason people are using Google in the first place is because it has access to data from many sites, not their own only. If Google tomorrow removed all websites they don't own from the search index, nobody would use Google. It would be useless.

sigmoid10 3mo ago
That was only true before AI overview. Now all that info they scraped from public websites and fed into their models will still be available without anyone ever leaving Google's services.
- victorbjorklund 3mo ago
  Well that is obviously not true. They need to have the index in order to serve up AI. And it's not 100% of all of the searches that are done without any search results. Remember also that the fact that there is an AI response on a particular search does not mean that it's enough. People might still click on a link. There is a reason why Google has chosen not to remove fully their search product and replace it with only an AI bot.