Google seeks balance between user satisfaction and ecosystem health

AI Overviews offer streamlined answers but may reduce click-throughs to source websites.
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At the Search Central Live Deep Dive 2025 event, Google’s Gary Illyes acknowledged that they are still calibrating how to weigh user needs, especially around AI-powered features, and the health of the broader web publishing community.

The company gathers internal survey data and tracks the adoption of external AI tools to assess satisfaction and guide product decisions.

While Google aims to enrich user experience with AI Overviews, critics warn these features may shrink organic traffic for publishers, as users often consume information without visiting source sites.

Illyes reaffirmed that Google does not intend disruption but is navigating a trade-off between serving users efficiently and maintaining a healthy content ecosystem.

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