Google’s AI Is Killing My Views — So I’m Slashing My Ad Spend

Why I'm Going to Spend Less on Google Ads — Thanks to AI Overviews

You’ve probably seen the advice flying around: “Increase your ad spend to stay competitive on Google.” With AI Overviews taking over the top of search results and organic clicks becoming harder to earn, many large businesses, small business owners and bloggers are pouring more money into Google Ads just to stay visible.

I'm doing the opposite.

Illustration of a small human figure standing defiantly in front of a towering robot, symbolizing the struggle of independent creators against powerful tech platforms.

Instead of increasing my spend like other business are doing, I’ve decided to drastically cut it back and trim the fat off my campaigns. This isn’t just about budget, it’s about principle.

I have a similar related post Bring Back Organic Search: A Blogger’s Take on Google AI Overviews, if you'd like to read after finishing here.

My Website Is Losing Out and So Is Everyone Like Me

I’ve seen a noticeable drop in views across my website, my two blogs, and especially my affiliate content which once brought in modest sums and made it somewhat worthwhile. Posts that once brought in steady traffic with some nice commissions now and then — have now slipped into the shadows, and it’s not because the content has changed — it’s because Google has.

With AI Overviews scraping content from websites (often without attribution or any click-through benefit), it feels like small creators are working for free — and being quietly pushed aside while Google’s own results get all the attention.

My website has a chat feature that creates a lovely ping to announce a new visitor to my website. It used to make me happy to know someone was taking an interest in my website and maybe make a purchase. My phone doesn't ping as much anymore and it makes me worried for the future.

Like what you're reading? You can buy me a coffee — sure it’s cheaper than a pint!

Why Keep Paying Into a System That’s Actively Squeezing You Out?

I’ve always been willing to pay for ads if it helped bring the right people to my site or spotlight something useful I’ve created. But if Google is going to keep rewarding its own AI summary boxes while burying the original content (like mine), then what exactly am I paying for?

Clicks? Maybe. But fewer than before, and more expensive.

Relevance? Possibly. But only in the narrowest, paid sense.

Visibility? Hardly. Tyre kickers and bargain hunters, I can do without them.

But Wouldn’t Spending Less on Ads Hurt My Business?

Sure, I’ve considered that. Of course I have. I’m not in the habit of turning off potential income streams without thinking it through.

But how much money am I supposed to keep throwing down a bottomless pit before I say “enough”?

If ad spend was consistently bringing in real customers or decent traffic, I’d keep going. But it’s not. I’ve watched the numbers fall month after month, fewer clicks, rising costs, and very little to show for it. And I’m not alone. Other creators and small business owners I talk to are seeing the same pattern.

The way I see it, spending less on ads isn’t reckless, it’s responsible. I’m cutting the waste, not cutting off growth. I’ll still test and experiment with small budgets, but I refuse to keep paying just to keep up appearances in a system that’s rigged against the little guy.

This Is My (Small) Protest

I know I’m not going to bring down a giant like Google by myself and this is not my intention, but I can still choose how I engage with the system. I’ll keep writing blog posts. I’ll keep updating my website. I’ll keep creating genuinely useful content for real people but not the bots.

I’m not going to bankroll a platform that’s quietly pushing indie creators out of the picture.

So from here on out, I’ll be spending the bare minimum on Google Ads, just enough to test, track, and stay aware. No more chasing impressions. No more trying to outbid AI.

If that means fewer clicks, so be it. At least the ones I do get will still mean something.

Conclusion

I've spent ten long, hard years building my business up from nothing and it seems since 2020, everything is getting harder and harder every single year. I'm tired. Really tired.

Google Search wasn’t broken. It didn’t need an AI Overview to “fix” it. If anything, AI could’ve quietly improved the algorithm in the background without gutting the search experience for creators and users alike.

I still hope Google will reverse course. But I won’t hold my breath. If you have found yourself in the same situation as me, please leave a comment below.

Thanks for Reading,

David

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