Booking Holdings: Google AI Overviews Impacting SEO

Booking Holdings is experiencing pressure on its organic search results from Google's AI Overviews. The company's CEO, Glenn Fogel, stated this impact was felt in the second quarter. He believes changes in Google's display are causing this pressure on search engine optimization, or SEO. While SEO is a small part of Booking's overall business, the company spends billions annually on paid search, which is a much larger component. Fogel noted that Google's AI Overviews generate summaries at the top of search results, which can downplay traditional links. However, Booking's direct traffic, which is in the mid-60% range, has not decreased. This shows how evolving AI platforms can shift how businesses appear in search results.