Google’s AI Search Becomes the Default as AI Overviews Reshape Web Traffic, Similarweb Says - Tekedia

Similarweb says Google AI Overviews appeared in 43% of searches by May 2026, showing AI answers are becoming central to Google Search.

AI Mode visits also rose sharply, reinforcing Google’s shift from a search gateway to an AI-first destination.

The change is reducing clicks to publishers and threatening referral traffic and ad revenue.

It also intensifies competition in AI-powered search against ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity.