Google’s AI Summaries Lead to Drop in Mobile Searches

Recent research by Rand Fishkin, a prominent figure in the search industry, has uncovered a significant shift in search patterns following Google’s deployment of AI summaries in May. This innovation, intended to provide condensed overviews for various search queries, appears to have had unintended consequences, particularly on mobile search volumes.

In the United States and European Union, millions of Google searches were scrutinized to understand the impact of AI integration. The study reveals that the introduction of AI summaries coincided with a notable decline in mobile search activity, contrasting with a modest increase in desktop searches.

Google’s initiative, initially launched with fanfare in May 2024, was swiftly scaled back by the end of the month due to mixed user reactions. In a candid blog post on May 30, Google acknowledged issues with the accuracy and usefulness of the AI summaries, especially for less common queries. Subsequently, the company implemented over a dozen technical refinements to address these shortcomings.

Following these adjustments, a subsequent analysis by SE Ranking observed a decrease in the frequency of AI summaries appearing, with only 8% of searches triggering these summaries. However, when generated, these summaries now offer more comprehensive content, typically longer by 25%, albeit with fewer external links.

Fishkin’s findings highlight a pronounced reduction in mobile searches concurrent with the AI summaries rollout, a concern given that mobile devices traditionally account for the majority of Google queries. This suggests that users may have been deterred from conducting searches on their smartphones when presented with AI-generated overviews.

Interestingly, despite the decline in mobile search volumes, overall search behavior remained relatively stable during this period. Mobile users who did engage with AI summaries showed a slight uptick in clicks per search, while desktop engagement remained steady.

The study underscores the complexities Google faces in seamlessly integrating AI-generated content into search results. It also raises broader concerns about evolving search behaviors, including persistently low click-through rates to non-Google websites and the dominance of «zero-click searches,» where users find information directly on search result pages without clicking through to external sites.

These insights not only highlight challenges for Google but also prompt reflection within the broader search industry about the evolving role of AI in shaping user interactions with search engines.