Google’s AI Search Shift: What It Means for Your Website Traffic

The new search reality

Something big is happening in how people find information online — and it’s quietly rewriting the rules of visibility.

Google’s AI-driven search results, where answers appear directly on the results page, are changing user behaviour at scale. Fewer people are clicking through to websites — even when no AI summary is shown.

Recent data from Seer Interactive shows:

Organic click-through rates have dropped by 61%
Paid search clicks fell by 68%
Even results without AI summaries saw a 41% decline in clicks

Illustration of CTR on Queries with No AIO Present have dropped 41%, image from seerinteractive Source: Seer Interactive

For many brands, it feels like the familiar flow of traffic has suddenly slowed to a trickle.

From search engine to “answer engine”

Google is no longer just a gateway — it’s becoming the destination.

Instead of directing users to websites, Google now serves AI-generated answers directly within search results. The goal: faster answers, less friction.

But for website owners, this means less visibility and fewer opportunities for engagement. In effect, Google has “brought the answers home” — and kept the traffic for itself.

The new business model behind the shift

There’s a pattern emerging.

Cut the free exposure: AI summaries reduce clicks, eroding organic visibility.
Introduce a new solution: As brands grow anxious about lost traffic, Google unveils embedded ads within AI-generated answers.
Sell the key back: To be seen again, brands must now pay to pass through Google’s new gates.

It’s a bold business move: redefine the flow of attention, then sell access back to it.

From SEO to AEO: Optimising for an AI-first search landscape

While SEO remains essential, AI-powered search has shifted the focus toward AEO — Answer Engine Optimization.
The goal is no longer just ranking for clicks, but being the content that AI selects, cites, or summarises.

Below is a visual comparison of how traditional SEO differs from today’s AEO expectations.

SEO vs AEO at a glance

A visual comparison of SEO vs AEO. It highlights the key differences in goals, content structure and visibility metrics

SEO ensures you’re findable.
AEO ensures your content stays visible in an AI-first search world.

AEO rewards:
-clear, concise answers
-structured data
-content crafted for conversational queries
-authority that AI models recognise and trust

This shift is why many websites with strong SEO foundations are still seeing lower traffic: being ranked is no longer the same as being referenced.

Quality and trust take centre stage

To fuel these AI answers, Google needs reliable sources. That’s where E-E-A-T — Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — becomes critical.

AI no longer just scans for keyword density — it now evaluates which content is most credible and worth citing.
This shift rewards brands that share real experience, genuine insights, and trustworthy voices over those that optimise only for algorithms.

For small businesses and independent professionals, this is an opportunity: credible voices now have a better chance of being selected — even over larger competitors.

How to adapt your strategy

The game isn’t over — it’s just changed shape.

Focus on:

Rebalancing ad budgets: Explore AI-integrated ad formats and high-intent keywords.
Protecting transactional queries: These still drive conversions and feed AI models with high-quality signals.
Creating authoritative content: Lead with clarity, expertise, and useful insights. Structure content so humans enjoy reading it — and AI can understand it.

Today, SEO is still the foundation. But AEO, authority and trust are what ensure long-term visibility.

Takeaway

As Google shifts from showing links to showing answers, brands built on real expertise will stay discoverable — even in a zero-click world.

Credibility now defines visibility.