Similarweb's data also points to changing search behavior. Average Google search queries have become longer over the past year, indicating that users are increasingly writing conversational prompts designed for AI systems rather than entering short keyword-based searches.
As Google's AI-generated answers become more prominent, the report suggests the company's role is shifting from directing users to websites toward providing answers directly within its own products. That change has raised concerns among publishers, which have reported declining referral traffic as AI-generated responses increasingly satisfy user queries without requiring a click to the original source.
Similarweb said AI responses containing citations have increased more than fivefold over the past year. However, those citations do not necessarily translate into visits for publishers, particularly when users receive complete answers without leaving the search interface.
The report also examined citation behavior in ChatGPT. As of May 2026, just 6.8% of U.S. desktop ChatGPT queries included citations, although the frequency varied by category, with travel, retail, and sports searches generating cited responses more often than other topics.
Publishers have begun pursuing other approaches to protect or monetize their content. Similarweb noted Cloudflare recently introduced tools that allow website owners to block AI crawlers unless AI companies pay for access through its marketplace.
Despite ongoing concerns about referral traffic, Similarweb identified one encouraging trend for publishers using ChatGPT. Following a search update on May 7, the share of U.S. desktop ChatGPT visits that landed on external webpages increased from 25% in March 2026 to nearly 60% by May 30, 2026, suggesting users are more likely to follow links when they are presented more prominently within AI-generated responses.
Even with that improvement, Similarweb's report indicates the broader direction of AI search remains unchanged. As Google expands AI Overviews and AI Mode across more searches, users are spending more of their search journey within Google's ecosystem, reducing the platform's traditional role as a gateway to the broader web.
This analysis is based on reporting from TechCrunch.
Image courtesy of Google.
This article was generated with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy and quality.
