While many publishers are seeing a surge in traffic from Google Discover — the mobile-first feature that anticipates user interests with a curated, personalized selection of articles — AI Overviews and AI Mode undeniably improve the search experience. Within Google’s strategic framework, these tools may help contain the growing success of emerging AI-based competitors like ChatGPT or Perplexity. At the same time, they aim to increase user loyalty (especially among younger audiences) and unlock new advertising opportunities.
That last point might represent a potential upside for publishers: new, more targeted ad formats — especially given that users must be logged in to access these features. There’s also the visibility factor for smaller or “outsider” websites: many struggle to appear on the first two pages of search results (where it matters most), and this could be a real opportunity — especially for those who focus on quality and in-depth content. In other words, this is a new playing field, and for once, longevity may no longer be the deciding factor.
