It's a valid worry. Early data on AI search shows lower click-through rates compared with traditional search. So how can publishers combat this? One answer is upping the amount of branded, authoritative text and video content on publisher sites for AI Search to find.
We know that AI models tend to privilege authoritative text-based resources and they favor video for product comparisons, how-to guides, and visual demonstrations. Thanks to speech recognition, metadata structuring, contextual analysis, and understanding of visual information, AI search is increasingly surfacing appropriate video. YouTube citations appear in up to 78% of AI Overviewsin some verticals, and video is more than three times as likely to be cited for product information than equivalent text on the same topic. Google’s AI Overviews cite visual or instructional videos significantly more frequently than ever before, particularly when queries require step-by-step explanations or proof in action. For example, instead of providing a written recipe when a user asks how to prepare a Dublin Coddle, AI will find an expert demo video, a clear opportunity for publishers.
What Can Publishers Do
For publishers grappling with declining referral traffic for myriad reasons, they should consider adding rich, well-tagged video for segments where AI is extracting visual or experiential knowledge, and flesh out their supply of video to drive audiences back to their sites. Consider what stories lend themselves better to video: lifestyle, cooking, sports, entertainment, and news analysis are all categories where audiences increasingly prefer watchable content. And, adding licensed video from expert sources, e.g., Bloomberg on finance, USA Today on lifestyle or sports, will increase the odds that publisher sites will be surfaced.
Publishers already producing quality video including news clips, interviews, explainers, event coverage, tutorials are sitting on a resource that promises to over-deliver in the near term. Maintaining strong video metadata and integration with platforms like YouTube also enhances chances for AI citation, particularly as video continues to overtake traditional search in key commercial domains.
Looking Ahead
While today text is the primary source for AI Search citations, the tide is shifting—especially in product, instructional, and demonstration contexts, where video holds a distinct advantage. Audiences still want to see experts, hear perspectives, and experience stories in motion. AI search highlights video’s unique role. Publishers who lean into video now won’t just hedge against traffic losses—they’ll position their platforms as the go-to destination for immersive, irreplaceable storytelling. In the era of AI search, that competitive distinction matters more than ever.
