AI’s Big Traffic Bust: A Roundup of What Marketing Leaders See Ahead
The rise of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) has redefined how consumers search, diminishing the importance of traditional marketing success metrics. Put bluntly, clicks don’t matter as much anymore. But what does exactly? Here’s a quick overview of what some smart folks foresee.
What’s Next for SEO?
Danny Goodwin’s article “As Google shifts to AI search, legacy SEO faces a new reality,” lays clear the the problem with continuing to invest solely in traditional search optimization over the new frontier of AI and LLMs, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity AI, and Google’s Gemini. While SEO has been “dying” for years, he points out that the ongoing development in LLM intelligence and user-friendliness present a convincing death knell for return on SEO investments. He adds that even in the “Boy Who Cried Wolf” the wolf eventually does show up! Tactics like keyword stuffing, internal linking, and meta descriptions are becoming increasingly outdated.
No surprise. SEO is Dead thinks Goodwin is spot on! He also adds, per a leaked internal memo, Google has already accepted the inevitable decline of search, driving its recent push to put AI Overviews just about everywhere. Smart move!
Cultivating Consumer Loyalty
So if clicks don’t matter, what does? Consumer loyalty, Shannon Reedy argues in “Click End Game: What AI Search Means for SEO, CX and Brand Visibility.” Reedy points out that as AI cements its grip over search, brands can still control their own story. How? Make sure customers know what you offer and where to find it. While AI churns out quick, conversational answers, your website can be the go-to for deeper, more meaningful content. Foster a fanbase that knows you have more to offer than AI overviews and summaries.
Mastering Your Field
The old bargain has expired. As Geoff Hollingworth states in his LinkedIn post, “The Battle for the Future Internet Economy,” search engines crawled your site and sent traffic back. Now? As Hollingworth states, “AI won’t pay for traffic.” AI is just scraping your site for answers and not even sending back clicks. So how do you stand out amongst the thousands of websites AI scrapes? Become the undisputed expert in your field. Mastering your field and becoming a principal source for humans and AI is the key to ditching the outdated traffic obsession.
The takeaway is clear; the slow death of SEO is an opportunity to adapt and evolve as a brand. Goodwin, Reedy, and Hollingworth each offer vital insight on the experimentation this evolution requires. Brands need to stop chasing clicks and cultivate site authority and consumer trust. Forget traffic, becoming an information leader is the most sustainable approach to an unpredictable search frontier ahead.
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