Why AI Results Caused Impression Drops — But Not Vefogix
In the last year, Google Search has changed more than ever before. The biggest reason is AI Overviews (previously called SGE — Search Generative Experience). These AI results started appearing on Google around mid-2024, and since then, many websites have seen a significant drop in impressions, clicks, and overall traffic.
But interestingly, not every website faced a loss. Some, like Vefogix, actually grew stronger during this time.
In this article, we’ll explain:
- Why AI results caused impression drops for many industries
- What kind of websites lost visibility
- How Vefogix managed to grow instead of falling
- Real data showing our 6-month and 3-month performance
What Changed in Google Search
In May 2024, Google officially rolled out AI Overviews in the U.S. and then expanded to many other countries over the next few months.
These AI results appear at the top of the search page, giving users a ready-made answer generated by Google’s artificial intelligence. While this is great for searchers, it has caused a big shift for website owners.
When Google shows the answer directly, people don’t need to click through to other sites as often. That means:
- Fewer people scroll down to see organic results.
- Fewer impressions appear in Search Console.
- Click-through rates (CTR) go down even if your position stays similar.
In simple words, AI results take the spotlight, and many normal websites get less attention.
How AI Results Affected Different Industries
Almost every industry felt the effect, but some more than others. Based on reports from SEO communities and case studies shared online, these are the sectors that lost the most impressions after AI Overviews appeared:
Health and Fitness
Many “how-to” and “symptom-based” searches are now answered directly by AI. Users get full answers without clicking, so these sites lost a lot of impressions.
Education and Learning
Study guides, definitions, and informational blogs often appear inside the AI answer box, leading to fewer clicks.
Tech and Software Reviews:
AI gives quick comparison answers — so review sites lost visibility unless they offered unique data or expert opinions.
Travel and Local Guides:
AI pulls summaries of places, tips, and best-time-to-visit answers, reducing the need to visit travel blogs.
Finance and Insurance:
General queries like “how to invest” or “best insurance plan” now get short AI answers that reduce impressions for publishers.
Marketing and Business
Digital marketing sites and SEO blogs saw drops as AI tools now provide instant marketing ideas, ad copy, and SEO tips right in the search results, reducing clicks and impressions for agencies and content creators.
The Main Reasons for Impression Drop
Here are the top reasons why websites lost visibility after Google added AI results:
AI takes top space
AI Overviews appear above normal results, pushing websites lower down the page.
People stop clicking
Users get direct answers and don’t need to visit other pages.
Google prefers “firsthand” content
The latest updates reward websites with an original experience, not copied. Also, Google doesn’t reward content that’s fully AI-written without human input, review, or value.
Too much similar content
Many sites publish the same type of articles, and AI now summarizes them all, making some pages unnecessary.
E-E-A-T importance
Google now looks for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. Sites without clear authorship or real knowledge lose rank.
How Vefogix Performed During the AI Shift
While many sites struggled, Vefogix showed the opposite trend — a huge rise in impressions and visibility.
Let’s look at our actual Search Console data:
Compare Last 6 Months to Previous Period
Compare Last 3 Months to Previous Period
This is not a small change — it’s massive growth. While others were losing traffic, Vefogix’s visibility grew several times in both 3-month and 6-month comparisons.
Why Vefogix Didn’t Lose Impressions
Here’s what helped us grow when others dropped:
We focused on original content
Every article on Vefogix adds unique information, real examples, and insights, not just AI-rewritten text.
We improved content quality
Instead of publishing large volumes, we worked on accuracy, structure, and user-friendly wording.
We built topical authority
By focusing on a clear set of topics and becoming experts in them, Google trusts our site more.
We optimized for AI visibility
Our content is clear, structured, and easy for AI systems (like Google Overviews) to read and reference.
We used data and real experience
Search engines reward websites that show personal or business experience, and Vefogix includes that in every article.
Lessons for Other Website Owners
If your site’s impressions dropped after AI results appeared, it doesn’t mean you did something wrong. The search system simply changed — and now, it rewards value and uniqueness more than ever before.
Here’s what you can do to improve:
- Add your own voice: Share real experiences or opinions, not just generic information.
- Use structured content: Headings, FAQs, and bullet points help AI understand your page better.
- Keep your site fresh: Update old articles with new data or examples.
- Diversify traffic: Don’t depend only on Google — use social media, newsletters, and YouTube too.
- Track changes in GSC: Always compare “last 3 months vs. previous 3 months” to see trends early.
Conclusion
AI is clearly changing how people search and how websites get traffic. Many industries saw their impressions drop after AI Overviews started showing in Google results, but Vefogix proved that growth is still possible with the right strategy.
By focusing on quality, originality, and real expertise, we turned the AI challenge into an opportunity.
The numbers speak for themselves:
From 5.52 M → 44.2 M impressions in 6 months, and
From 11.5 M → 32.7 M impressions in 3 months.
That’s proof that even in the AI era, good content still wins.