Hi everyone, this is Neo.

If you run an overseas independent site — B2B or B2C — Google SEO is almost certainly your bread-and-butter traffic channel. But lately, Google AI Search (AI Overviews) and a few fundamental algorithm shifts are completely rewriting how independent sites win traffic.

In this post, I’m going to dig into the core data and changes shaking up Google search right now: Google AI going deeply “personal,” the truth about Googlebot’s crawl limits, and the stomach-dropping numbers on organic traffic falling off a cliff.

Ready? Let’s get into the good stuff.

1. Google AI Search Is Going “Personal” (Personal Intelligence)

Google has rolled out Personal Intelligence — previously locked to paying subscribers (AI Pro/Ultra) — to all free personal accounts in the US. The feature connects your Gmail and Google Photos directly into AI Mode.

What does this mean?

When a user searches a keyword with AI Mode enabled, Google draws on their email history (booking confirmations, purchase receipts) and photo context to generate a highly personalized answer. For now, this is US-only and hasn’t rolled out to Workspace business accounts.

Neo’s take: Independent site owners, listen up! In the old days of SEO, we chased “head keywords” to page one, and everyone saw the same results. But personalization means you and your US customers can search the exact same term and get completely different AI answers. That directly makes generic keyword rankings less useful as a reference point. If your site leaves traces in a user’s history — subscribed emails, past orders — your odds of showing up in their personalized AI results jump significantly. So send those high-quality EDMs (email marketing). Its value now goes beyond reach — it can influence search!

2. The Truth About Googlebot’s Crawl Limits: It’s Not a Rigid 15MB

If you’re a technically-minded seller or operator, you’ve probably heard the industry rule of thumb: Googlebot’s crawl limit for a page is 15MB. But is that really the iron law?

Recently, Google’s Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt made it clear that this is not fixed. In practice, Google Search uses a much smaller 2MB threshold when crawling HTML pages day to day. That said, internal teams can flex the limit up or down for specific content and needs.

Neo’s take: Don’t assume a 15MB allowance means you can stuff your pages full of anything. A 2MB HTML budget is plenty for the vast majority of pages — but if you’re on a heavyweight site builder and your pages are crammed with long inline scripts, huge data objects, or bloated embedded apps, you can hit crawl truncation. Strong recommendation: audit the code bloat on your homepage and core product pages. Externalize CSS/JS where you can, and make sure your key commercial copy and product descriptions sit inside that easily-crawlable 2MB of code.

3. AI Overviews Are Eating Organic Traffic: #1 CTR Crashed 59%

This is the most jaw-dropping stat of the recent run. According to SISTRIX’s analysis of over 100 million German keywords: since AI Overviews (AIO) arrived, the CTR of the #1 organic position has crashed from 27% to 11%.

And this isn’t just a US phenomenon. In Germany, AIO appears in roughly 20% of keyword results, costing publishers up to 265 million organic clicks per month. Averaged across all keywords, total clicks are down 6.6%.

Barry Adams nailed it: “The citations inside AIO are basically useless — users rarely click them. If you want to survive on Google, you have to offer something AI can’t replicate.”

Neo’s take: Purely informational blog posts — “what is X,” “5 steps to X” — are at huge risk of being hijacked by AI. Users get the answer right on the search results page and never need to visit your site. Whether you’re B2B or B2C, your content strategy has to evolve:

1. Expand coverage of transactional keywords.
2. Offer unique value AI can’t generate: real customer case studies, first-hand test data, hands-on review videos, or deep insight into your industry.

4. Winter Is Here? Small Sites Lost 60% of Search Referral Traffic in Two Years

Chartbeat’s latest data breaks down the traffic carnage by site size, and it’s grim:

• Small publishers/sites: 60% of search referral traffic gone
• Mid-size sites: 47% gone
• Large sites: 22% gone

Big brands weather this far better, thanks to strong brand recognition and more direct traffic. But small sites that rely almost entirely on Google search traffic are staring down an existential threat.

You might ask: isn’t traffic from ChatGPT growing? Yes — ChatGPT referral traffic is up more than 200%. But it’s starting from such a tiny base (under 1% of total pageviews) that it can’t begin to fill the hole left by Google search.

Neo’s take: These numbers brutally expose the Matthew effect — the rich get richer. For founders of early-stage independent sites, this is a wake-up call: never put all your eggs in the SEO basket. Building a brand moat is the real play. Grow a loyal following through social media, influencer marketing, and owned communities. When users remember your brand and type your URL straight into the address bar, that’s the highest form of SEO.

Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing Aggregate Data, Focus on Your Real Audience

Every industry shift this week points to one core message: general benchmarks are losing their meaning.

AIO is stealing clicks, the 15MB crawl limit has become a 2MB threshold, and AI search results now differ from person to person. In the middle of all this upheaval, staring at aggregate industry data gets you nowhere. What independent site owners actually need to do is analyze where your traffic really lives — given your niche, your audience, and your site’s size.

Traffic is getting harder to win — but the game is also filtering out players without a real edge. Delivering genuine value and earning brand trust is the only cure for what comes next in the independent site playbook.

---

References: SEO Pulse: Google AI Mode Goes Personal, Crawl Limits Clarified: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/seo-pulse-google-ai-mode-goes-personal-crawl-limits-clarified/570110/