Similarweb's latest report reveals an undeniable trend: AI search is rapidly reshaping traditional search experiences. The presence of Google's AI Overview in search results has increased from 15% a year ago to 43%, and AI-driven information retrieval is quietly becoming the default user experience.

Data shows that traffic to Google's AI mode rose from 126 million in June 2025 to 279 million in May 2026, more than doubling. At the same time, user search behavior is also undergoing a fundamental change — more people are beginning to use longer, more natural conversational queries, replacing the short keyword-based searches of the past. Searching is shifting from "helping users find web pages" to "providing answers directly to users."

References have increased fivefold, but traffic does not necessarily follow

This change has profoundly affected the logic of internet traffic distribution. Traditional publishers and content websites are facing the dilemma of AI summaries "siphoning" traffic — users may get answers directly on the search results page without even clicking into the original web page.

Data shows that the number of search responses containing AI references has grown more than fivefold over the past year, but references do not equal traffic. For example, in the U.S. market, only 6.8% of desktop search queries on ChatGPT as of May 2026 included reference links. However, there are significant differences across industries — travel, retail, and sports sectors are more likely to gain AI search references, and these areas benefit more significantly in terms of traffic.

For content creators, it's not all bad news. After ChatGPT's search update on May 7, 2026, the web recommendation traffic from ChatGPT to U.S. desktop users improved significantly — by the end of May, the percentage of web visits increased from 25% to nearly 60%. This means that when AI products begin to prioritize references and traffic redirection, the content ecosystem still has room for recovery.

From a navigation tool to a consumption platform, Google's identity has changed

In general, AI search is driving a structural transformation in internet access points. Google has shifted from a traditional "web navigation tool" to an "information consumption platform," and the search results page is no longer just a list of links, but a destination for direct information delivery.

For websites and content organizations, the rules of the game have been rewritten. Optimizing content structure and AI visibility in an AI-driven information distribution model will determine the next phase of the content competition landscape. The traditional model that heavily relied on search traffic is being slowly dismantled by an invisible revolution.