AI makes search visibility feel scary and impossible at times. Some people say it’s stealing all your traffic, and you can’t rely on SEO anymore.
Well, I have some good news for you, friend! Generative AI impacts brand visibility, but it isn’t killing traditional search, and there are ways you can capitalize on AI.
And you don’t have to invest in expensive tools to get mentioned by AI. There are things you can do within your control to improve your search visibility.
It’s time to debunk the pressure around AI.
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3 Questions Everyone is Asking About How Generative AI Impacts Brand Visibility
SEO, GEO, AEO, AIO… It all means basically the same thing. Even Google says so. So don’t let the acronyms confuse you.
Let’s take a look at what search actually looks like in the age of AI.
1. Are AI chatbots killing search?
We’re seeing significant growth in AI assistant platforms, with ChatGPT as the standout favorite at the moment.
However, 80% of searches are still conducted on traditional search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Only 3.19% of total searches are within AI tools. In general, AI Assistants don’t drive much traffic, and search engines remain the primary mechanism for user search.
And, the best kept secret on the internet seems to be this: ChatGPT isn’t replacing Google—it’s actually expanding search.
Your website traffic is probably down, but ChatGPT isn’t your problem.
Now, I know your feed is probably full of expensive tools that will make sure your business is #1 in AI search, allowing you to track prompts and position yourself at the top. However, the truth is that the AI query results vary widely, even from month to month within the same tool.
Investing in tools to generate and track AI mentions on ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc., is:
- Widely speculative
- Inconsistent
- Lacking benchmarks
- Expensive
- Unlikely to create any meaningful metrics or outcomes.
At least, for now – there isn’t a new silver bullet. So be sure not to invest in someone selling one…
2. Why is my website traffic down?
Companies are reporting a 46-89% drop in website traffic over the past 12-18 months. If you rely on website traffic for sales, even indirectly, you probably already know this.
Over the last year, organic search traffic has been steadily declining. Everything else—traffic from paid, social, and direct sources—has held steady.
So if search traffic is steadily declining and Google has ~90% of the search market share, who is blocking organic search traffic from Google?
It’s actually Google…
Website traffic (clicks) coming from organic search has declined significantly with Google’s implementation of “Zero Click” search. Zero-click search means users get the answers they need from AI Overviews without having to click into the resource that provided the information.
A Pew Research study found that users were about half as likely to click a search result link on pages with AI summaries and were significantly more likely to end their search after encountering one.
Businesses that currently rely on website traffic for revenue need to evolve.
3. What can I do now for more visibility?
This is what everyone wants to know, and it comes down to three things:
- What Your Brand Says: Make sure your digital infrastructure is well-built and optimized.
- What the “Experts” Say: AI cares (a lot) about what other reputable sites and sources say about your brand.
- What Everyone Else Says: User-generated content and online sentiment matter.
Let’s dive deeper into each of these to help you rank in the age of AI.
Optimizing Your Digital Infrastructure
We want to optimize your owned priorities (your website) for indexing and crawlers.
Here’s what that looks like:
Build a strong content strategy.
Focus on experience, trust, and high-quality content. People crave human content more than ever before. Share your opinions and thought leadership.
Identify real customer questions and answer them. Long-form questions are what people are typing into Google and AI tools now.
Avoid AI-generated content or anything thin or generic. No one wants to read something they can just get from AI.
Technical SEO is important.
Your website should load quickly and display well on mobile. We’ve known for a while that most searches are performed on mobile devices, so make sure it delivers a good experience on mobile as well as on desktop.
Pages must index well. Use Google Search Console to see which pages are indexed in search results and which need to be manually indexed.
Leverage structured content.
Break content into scannable chunks, FAQs, or ordered lists. People, search engines, and AI need content that’s easy to skim and quickly understand.
Use a single H1 per page and sequential headings (H2s and H3s) throughout the content. Again, this is another way to break up content to make it more digestible, but it also helps search engines better understand the content hierarchy.
Add Schema to your website, content pages, and products. Schema is another thing AI uses to understand the content. Consider adding Yoast or similar to make this easier.
Basic SEO principles still apply.
This is a good thing! The work you’ve been doing on your website isn’t lost or irrelevant. Don’t believe the rumor mill—this is still key to online visibility.
Page titles, meta descriptions, alt text, and keywords still help search engines rank your content. It’s also important to optimize your business listings—AI and users use this information to learn more about your business, and your information needs to be accurate, no matter where you’re listed.
The “Expert” Perspective
PR teams are more valuable than ever when it comes to improving AI presence for brands.
AI Bots are looking for consistency and consensus across sources. Another reason why business listings need to be accurate across the internet!
More trust is placed in quality sources not carrying your brand:
- News outlets
- Industry experts
- LinkedIn accounts with a large following
Adding story distribution and citations to your marketing plan (if done well) can be a significant differentiator. Most brands miss the mark here. This can also help build your website’s brand authority and generate human interest in your brand.
Combine short-term features with “always on” content aligned with other marketing efforts (organic and/or paid)
Think about your unique selling point and how you differentiate yourself from your competitors. Then, ensure your systems, network, and marketing are repeating the same message.
Capitalizing on Community Sentiment
We trust strangers more than any brand, and so do bots and crawlers.
Up to 48% of AI search citations come from user-generated or community sources. Once again, more trust is placed in people who (presumably) are not connected to your brand.
Consider allocating part of your marketing budget to community building, third-party review sites, and discussion forums (e.g., Reddit).
Focus on building your portfolio of social proof:
- Google reviews
- Testimonials
- Case studies
- Success metrics and statistics
We’re in a Search Everywhere Era
And it’s time to evolve. Fixating on website traffic and keyword rankings is a losing battle. Instead, focus on the consistency of the message across owned and unowned sources.
Classic SEO tactics still apply, but you need to layer on additional strategies to stay current and visible in search.
Embrace the change because it’s here to stay.
That’s why I offer a full stack of fractional CMO services. Businesses don’t just need SEO services—they need a partner to help them keep up with all these changes and advise them on the best next move.
Want to see if we’re the right fit? Schedule a free call.
