<div>
<h2>AI Referrals Surge, Yet Google Search Dominates Traffic</h2>
<p id="speakable-summary" class="wp-block-paragraph">While AI referrals to websites are on the rise, they still lag behind the traffic generated by Google Search. Recent insights from market intelligence firm <a target="_blank" href="https://www.similarweb.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Similarweb</a> reveal that AI platforms generated over 1.13 billion referrals to the top 1,000 websites globally in June, marking a staggering 357% increase since June 2024.</p>
<h3>Google Search: The King of Referrals</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Despite the growth in AI-generated referrals, Google Search continues to dominate. In June 2025 alone, it accounted for an overwhelming 191 billion referrals to these sites.</p>
<h3>The Impact on News and Media</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The news and media sector is particularly affected. Online publishers are bracing for a scenario dubbed "Google Zero," predicting a future where <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/24167865/google-zero-search-crash-housefresh-ai-overviews-traffic-data-audience" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Google ceases to send traffic</a> to their websites.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Wall Street Journal reports alarming trends where <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/10/googles-ai-overviews-are-killing-traffic-for-publishers/">AI overviews are drastically reducing traffic to news sites</a>. A recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Pew Research Center study</a> found that AI overviews reduced click-through rates significantly. Among 69,000 Google searches surveyed, AI summaries appeared in 18% of searches, resulting in only 8% of users clicking links. In contrast, when no AI summary was present, clicks jumped to 15%.</p>
<h3>AI Referrals in News and Media: A Rapid Rise</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to Similarweb, AI referrals to news and media websites have surged by 770% since June 2024. Variations exist, as some outlets, like The New York Times, have restricted AI access due to ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI over article usage.</p>
<h3>Top AI Referral Sources in News Media</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Leading the charge in AI referrals for June 2025 were several prominent news organizations: Yahoo (2.3 million), Yahoo Japan (1.9 million), Reuters (1.8 million), The Guardian (1.7 million), India Times (1.2 million), and Business Insider (1.0 million).</p>
<h3>Understanding the Metrics: How Similarweb Analyzes Referrals</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Similarweb defines AI referrals as traffic directed to a domain from AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Perplexity, Claude, and Liner. Notably, ChatGPT dominates this space, generating over 80% of all AI referrals to the top 1,000 domains.</p>
<h3>Beyond News: Categories in Focus</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The analysis also encompassed various other sectors including e-commerce, science and education, tech/social media, arts and entertainment, and business.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" height="614" width="680" src="https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/top-ai-referrals-june-2025.jpg?w=680" alt="Top AI Referrals June 2025" class="wp-image-3031349" />
<figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><strong>Image Credits:</strong> Similarweb</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3>E-commerce AI Referrals Surged</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the e-commerce sector, Amazon led the pack with 4.5 million AI referrals, followed by Etsy (2.0 million) and eBay (1.8 million) in June.</p>
<h3>AI Referrals in Tech and Social Media</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Among top tech and social platforms, Google topped the list with an impressive 53.1 million AI referrals, followed by Reddit (11.1 million), Facebook (11.0 million), GitHub (7.4 million), Microsoft (5.1 million), Canva (5.0 million), Instagram (4.7 million), LinkedIn (4.4 million), Bing (3.1 million), and Pinterest (2.5 million).</p>
<h3>Exclusion of OpenAI in the Analysis</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It's important to note that the analysis did not include OpenAI's website, as a significant portion of its referrals came directly from ChatGPT.</p>
<h3>Top AI Referral Sites Across Various Categories</h3>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The top sites by AI referrals for each category featured YouTube (31.2 million), Research Gate (3.6 million), Zillow (776.2K), Europa.eu (992.9K), Wikipedia (10.8 million), NIH.gov (5.2 million), Investing.com (1.2 million), Home Depot (1.2 million), Kayak (456.5K), and Zara (325.6K).</p>
</div>This rewritten article uses engaging headlines marked with HTML formatting and optimizes for SEO by clearly defining the main points of interest and providing an informative and structured approach to the content.
Here are five FAQs based on the significant increase in AI referrals to top websites:
FAQ 1: What does a 357% increase in AI referrals indicate?
Answer: A 357% increase in AI referrals suggests that more people and organizations are using AI-driven tools and platforms to discover and access content. This surge signifies growing trust and reliance on AI for information retrieval and decision-making.
FAQ 2: What were the total AI referrals in June?
Answer: In June, AI referrals to top websites reached 1.13 billion. This milestone reflects the rising popularity and integration of AI technologies in everyday online activities.
FAQ 3: Which industries are most impacted by the rise in AI referrals?
Answer: Industries such as e-commerce, content creation, education, and technology are particularly impacted. They are leveraging AI to enhance user experiences, improve marketing strategies, and optimize customer service.
FAQ 4: How does this increase affect website traffic?
Answer: The increase in AI referrals leads to higher website traffic, as more users are directed to sites through AI tools. This can enhance visibility, engagement, and ultimately conversions for businesses.
FAQ 5: What are the implications for digital marketing strategies?
Answer: The significant rise in AI referrals suggests that businesses may need to adjust their digital marketing strategies. Emphasizing AI optimization, understanding user behavior driven by AI tools, and creating content tailored for AI recommendations can be crucial for leveraging this trend effectively.