AI Summaries Are Killing Discover Clicks. What Publishers Must Do NOW

Just when publishers started grappling with the traffic impact of AI Overviews in Search, Google has delivered another blow. The tech giant has officially launched AI-powered summaries within Google Discover, the curated news feed that has, until now, remained a vital source of referral traffic for many.

This isn’t a test. This marks a launch on both iOS and Android, representing a fundamental shift in how users interact with content on the platform. For publishers, it’s a flashing red light signaling that the ground beneath our feet is shifting once again.

Here’s what’s happening, backed by data, and what you need to do to stay ahead.

What’s Changing in Google Discover?

Previously, a user scrolling through Discover would see a headline and image from a single publisher. A tap would lead them directly to your site.

The new reality is starkly different. Imagine a user interested in baking.

• Before: They might see a card from a single blog, “The Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.”
• Now: They see a card with the logos of three different recipe blogs. Below the logos, an AI summary reads: “For classic chewy cookies, most recipes agree on using melted butter and an extra egg yolk. Popular additions include a mix of milk and dark chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt before baking…”

Google claims this “makes it easier for people to decide what pages they want to visit.” For publishers, the translation is precise: Google is giving users the core value of the content upfront, drastically reducing their incentive to click through. This adds another layer of friction between your content and your audience, potentially siphoning off clicks that are the lifeblood of ad-supported revenue models.

The Writing Was on the Wall: The Data Doesn’t Lie

This move is the next logical step in Google’s AI-first strategy, a strategy that has already sent shockwaves through the industry. The data paints a grim picture:

• The Zero-Click Surge: According to market intelligence from Similarweb, the number of zero-click news searches (where a user gets their answer without visiting a website) soared from 56% to nearly 69% in the year following the launch of AI Overviews.
• The Traffic Cliff: The same firm reported a jaw-dropping 15% year-over-year decline in worldwide search traffic as of June 2025, with organic traffic to news sites plummeting from a peak of over 2.3 billion visits to under 1.7 billion.
• The Discover Threat: This is particularly terrifying because of Discover’s outsized importance. For many publishers in the lifestyle, entertainment, or even sports verticals, Discover isn’t just a bonus—it can be the primary driver, sometimes accounting for over 60% of their mobile referral traffic. Losing even a fraction of this is a body blow.

Your Survival Guide: What Publishers Must Do Now

Passivity is not an option. Waiting to see the full impact is a losing strategy. It’s time to be proactive and fortify your publishing business against this new reality.

Double Down on Unique Value (Beyond Facts)

To be cited by AI, your content must adhere to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). But to earn a click, you must offer what AI can’t summarize: true insight.

• Example: When a new gadget is released, dozens of sites report the specs. That’s easily summarized. A site like iFixit, however, does a physical teardown, providing unique photos and repairability scores. That’s E-E-A-T in action and provides a compelling reason to click.
• Action: Focus on proprietary data, exclusive interviews, deep-dive analyses, case studies, and strong editorial opinions.

Optimize for the “Second Click”

Assume the user has already read the AI summary. Your headline and presentation must promise value beyond the basic facts.

Example: The AI summary will cover the basics of a major news event, like Taylor Swift announcing tour dates.

Old Headline: “Taylor Swift Announces ‘Universe’ Tour Dates”

New Headline: “We Analyzed All 40 ‘Universe’ Tour Dates—Here Are the 5 Hardest Tickets to Get” or “5 Hidden Details in the Taylor Swift Tour Announcement You Absolutely Missed.”

• Action: Craft headlines that hint at unique insights, consequences, or a deeper look. Your goal is no longer just to inform, but to intrigue.

Aggressively Diversify Traffic Sources

The era of a Google-dependent business model is over. If Google products account for more than 50% of your traffic, you are in a high-risk category.

• Example: Media companies like Morning Brew and The Hustle built empires primarily on the back of must-read email newsletters, treating search as a secondary bonus.
• Action: Build robust, independent strategies for social media (TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram), push notifications, and email. Data shows publishers with diversified traffic streams have far greater revenue stability during algorithm shifts.

Build and Own Your Audience

Convert transient visitors from Google into a loyal, direct community. A direct visitor or newsletter subscriber is exponentially more valuable than a one-off click from search.

• Example: The Athletic invested heavily in top-tier writers to convince sports fans to pay for a subscription, effectively bypassing Google for its core audience. They own that relationship.

Action:

• Make your newsletter indispensable. Offer exclusive content. A newsletter subscriber can be up to 10x more engaged than a fleeting social media visitor.
• Encourage app downloads to create a direct portal to your content.
• Foster community through forums or vibrant comment sections.

Diversify Your Revenue Streams

Traffic-dependent programmatic advertising is now a high-risk model. According to the Reuters Institute, reader revenue is a growing and more stable pillar for many, with leading publishers now earning significant income from their audience.

Action: Explore and implement a multi-faceted revenue model:

• Affiliate Revenue: Look at how Wirecutter (an NYT company) or BuzzFeed’s shopping vertical integrate product recommendations seamlessly.
• Subscriptions & Memberships: Offer premium, ad-free content for your most loyal readers.
• Sponsored Content: Build a creative studio like Vox Creative to produce high-quality content for brand partners.
• Events & Webinars: TechCrunch Disrupt is a prime example of turning a media brand into a lucrative real-world event.
• The Future is Direct

Google’s AI summaries in Discover are more than just a new feature; they are an acceleration of a trend that is redefining digital publishing. The game is no longer about winning the click at all costs. It’s about building a brand so strong, content so unique, and a community so loyal that readers will seek you out directly, regardless of what a search engine summarizes.

The era of easy search traffic is ending. The era of the resilient, diversified, and audience-first publisher is just beginning. At MonetizeMore, we’re here to help you navigate this transition and build a more robust and profitable future.

Are you ready to adapt? Start here!

source https://www.monetizemore.com/blog/ai-summaries-traffic/