If you run a small business website, you may have noticed something odd over the past year. Fewer visitors. Fewer enquiries. Your search rankings look fine, but traffic keeps dropping.

You are not imagining it. The culprit is Google AI Overviews: the AI-generated summaries that now appear at the top of search results, answering questions before users click through to your site.

But on 28 January 2026, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed a significant change. Under these proposals, website owners could opt out of Google AI Overviews without losing their position in traditional search results.

For UK small businesses, this could be a turning point. Here is what you need to know about the CMA opt out proposal and how it affects your website traffic.

What Are Google AI Overviews and Why Do They Matter?

Google AI Overviews are boxes that appear at the top of search results. Instead of showing you a list of websites to click, Google’s AI reads multiple sources and generates a summary that answers your question directly.

For users, it sounds convenient. For UK small businesses that rely on website traffic, it has been devastating.

When someone searches “how much does a new boiler cost” or “best website builder for small business,” they often get their answer from Google AI Overviews without visiting a website. The tradespeople, agencies, and small businesses whose content Google scraped receive nothing in return.

The Numbers Tell a Stark Story

The impact on website traffic has been severe:

  • Global search referrals to publisher websites dropped 33% in the year to November 2025, according to Chartbeat data covering over 2,500 websites
  • Organic click-through rates fell 61% for queries where Google AI Overviews appear, dropping from 1.76% to just 0.61%, according to Seer Interactive
  • When an AI Overview appears, the top-ranking website sees its click-through rate drop from 7.3% to 2.6%: a 34.5% decline, per Ahrefs research
  • Users click on links within AI summaries themselves only 1% of the time, according to a survey of 900 US adults

The Reuters Institute found that media executives expect search engine referrals to fall by 43% over the next three years.

This is not a minor change. It represents a fundamental shift in how people find information online, with major implications for UK small business SEO.

What the CMA Is Proposing for Google AI Overviews

The CMA’s proposals, announced on 28 January 2026, would give website owners meaningful control over their content.

Key Changes in the CMA Opt Out Proposal

Opt-out rights for AI features: Publishers could choose to stop Google from using their content in AI Overviews or for training AI models, without penalty in traditional search rankings.

Currently, if you block Google from using your content for AI features using robots.txt, you risk being excluded from search entirely. The CMA wants to separate these: you could stay in normal search results while opting out of Google AI Overviews.

Fair ranking requirements: Google would need to show that its search rankings are fair. It could not favour websites with commercial relationships or punish sites that criticise Google.

Greater transparency: Google would publish detailed information about how it uses website content for AI features, giving site owners the data they need.

Choice screens: Android and Chrome users would see mandatory choice screens making it easier to switch to alternative search engines.

The consultation runs until 25 February 2026. Final decisions will follow, with fines of up to 10% of Google’s global revenue for non-compliance.

Why This Matters for UK Small Business SEO

Google commands over 90% of the UK’s general search market. When Google changes how search works, every business with a website feels the impact.

For UK small businesses, the stakes are particularly high. Unlike large corporations with massive ad budgets, many small businesses depend on organic search traffic to find customers.

Consider these scenarios:

A plumber in Manchester writes helpful content about boiler maintenance. When someone searches “why is my boiler making noise,” Google AI Overviews summarise the answer directly. The plumber’s website, which provided the information, gets no visit, no enquiry, no chance to convert that searcher.

A wedding photographer in Bristol creates guides about wedding planning. Google’s AI uses this content to answer queries about “what to ask a wedding photographer.” The photographer’s expertise gets distributed freely whilst their traffic withers.

A local bakery publishes recipes and baking tips to attract visitors who might order cakes. Their content becomes training data for AI summaries that answer questions without attribution.

Over 200,000 UK businesses spent £10 billion on Google search advertising last year. Many more rely on organic traffic. The CMA’s proposals acknowledge that Google AI Overviews extract value from UK businesses without fair compensation.

These changes come at a challenging time for many UK small businesses, who are already navigating the impact of trade tariffs on their operations.

The UK’s New Digital Markets Regime

These proposals are the first major action under the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which came into force in January 2025.

The Act gives the CMA new powers to regulate large tech companies that dominate digital markets. In October 2025, Google was designated with “strategic market status” in search services, making it subject to these rules.

CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said the measures would “give UK businesses and consumers more choice and control over how they interact with Google’s search services, as well as unlocking greater opportunities for innovation across the UK tech sector.”

Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association, welcomed the proposals, noting that the CMA had recognised Google was “able to extract valuable data without reward, harming publishers and giving the company an unfair advantage over competitors in the AI model market, including British startups.”

What Google Says About the CMA Opt Out Proposals

Google has responded cautiously but constructively. The company stated it is “working on ways to let news sites opt out of AI Overviews” and is “exploring updates to avoid fragmented experiences.”

Ron Eden, Google’s principal for product management, said: “Our goal is to protect the helpfulness of search for people who want information quickly, while also giving websites the right tools to manage their content.”

However, Google also warned that “any new controls need to avoid breaking search in a way that leads to a fragmented or confusing experience.”

What Should UK Small Businesses Do Now?

Whilst the CMA opt out process unfolds, small businesses should not wait. Here are practical steps you can take to protect your website traffic.

1. Understand Your Current Traffic

Check your website analytics. Compare your Google organic traffic from the past six months against the same period last year. Look for patterns: which pages have declined most? Are “how-to” pages affected more than service pages?

Understanding the baseline helps you measure both the ongoing impact and improvements once new rules take effect.

2. Diversify Your Traffic Sources

Over-reliance on Google has always been risky. Now is the time to strengthen other channels:

  • Build your email list. Every subscriber is a direct relationship no algorithm can take away.
  • Engage on social media where your customers spend time: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or local groups.
  • Encourage word-of-mouth through excellent service and asking satisfied customers for referrals.
  • Consider local directories and industry-specific platforms where customers search for services.

3. Focus on Brand Building

The businesses that will thrive despite Google AI Overviews are those people search for by name. When someone types “Mapletree Studio” rather than “web designer UK,” no AI summary can intercept that traffic.

Brand building takes time, but every piece of excellent work, every positive review, and every recommendation contributes to a reputation that transcends algorithm changes.

4. Optimise for Citations, Not Just Rankings

If AI summaries are here to stay, being cited as a source becomes valuable. Research shows that brands mentioned in Google AI Overviews see 35% higher click-through rates than those that are not.

To improve your chances of citation:

  • Provide clear, factual answers to common questions in your industry
  • Include relevant statistics and data with sources
  • Demonstrate expertise through detailed, authoritative content
  • Ensure your business entity is clearly defined with consistent name, address, phone number, and structured data

5. Prioritise Service and Location Pages

Whilst informational content has been hit hardest by Google AI Overviews, pages focused on your specific services and locations retain more value.

A page answering “how much does a new website cost” may get summarised by AI. But a page about “web design services in Bristol” that describes your process, shows your portfolio, and explains how to contact you is harder for AI to replicate.

6. Participate in the Consultation

The CMA consultation runs until 25 February 2026. While individual small businesses may feel their voice is small, collective input matters. Trade associations and local business groups are likely submitting responses. Consider contributing through these channels.

The Future of Search for UK Small Businesses

The search landscape is changing regardless of what regulators do. AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini are reshaping how people find information. Zero-click searches are becoming more common.

However, the CMA opt out proposals offer genuine hope for a fairer balance. The ability to opt out of Google AI Overviews without losing search visibility would give UK small businesses meaningful choice. Transparency requirements would help website owners understand how their content is used. And substantial fines create real incentive for compliance.

For UK small businesses, the message is clear: stay informed, adapt your strategy, and do not put all your eggs in Google’s basket. The businesses that build strong brands, diversify traffic sources, and create genuine value will be best positioned whatever search looks like in two, five, or ten years.

Key Takeaways

  • Google AI Overviews have caused significant traffic drops for websites, with click-through rates falling 34% to 61% when AI summaries appear
  • The CMA opt out proposal would let websites opt out of AI features without losing traditional search rankings
  • UK small businesses are particularly affected because many rely heavily on organic Google traffic
  • Practical steps exist to protect your business: diversify traffic sources, build your brand, and focus on service pages
  • The consultation runs until 25 February 2026, and the outcome will shape UK small business SEO for years to come

As the founder of a web design studio that builds websites for small businesses, I have watched these changes unfold with concern. A beautiful, fast, well-optimised website still matters. But the rules are changing, and smart businesses will adapt.

The CMA’s intervention is welcome. Now we wait to see whether it translates into meaningful protection for UK small businesses.