Upon the inception and continuous evolution of AI, the manner in which people find and interact with content online is drastically changing through its incorporation into search engines. Many searchers are becoming accustomed to seeing AI-generated results as the default, like those found in Google's AI Overviews. Traditional website sessions are noticeably declining as a result of this change, and marketers and content producers are challenged to amend their strategies as quickly as possible.
This is what's evolving and how your company can stay on top of it:
Decline in Organic Click-Through Rates (CTR)
AI-generated summaries have changed everything we know about search rankings by answering user queries right on the search page. And in turn, users are less inclined to click on traditional links. Studies show that when AI Overviews are present, the average organic CTR can drop by approximately 34.5%. This is a massive change in how people interact with search engines and the amount of traffic websites can anticipate.
Industry-Specific Variability
Not all websites share the same impact. Industries like health, finance, and informational content are seeing the steepest drops in impressions and traffic. These sectors rely strongly on organic discovery and are particularly susceptible to AI’s knack for synthesizing and giving concise answers.
Rise in Zero-Click Searches
Today, nearly 58.5% of Google searches end without a click to an external site. AI-generated snippets give users the answers they need immediately, especially for fact-based or straightforward questions. Traditional websites are being left out of the loop.
CTR and Conversion Quality
Paid and organic CTRs have dropped monumentally, with paid down from 21.27% to 9.87%, and organic from 2.94% to 0.84%. While overall traffic may decline, those who do click through do tend to be more intent-driven. This can subsequently warrant higher conversion rates from a smaller and more qualified pool of visitors.
GA4's New Focus on Key Events
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has notably changed its reporting style, moving from “Conversions” to “Key Events,” with emphasis on meaningful user actions like form fills, purchases, or downloads. This gives a more nuanced view of user behavior and simplifies the process of tracking ROI across platforms.
Content Types Most Affected
Informational Pages
If your content only answers simple questions, it’s probably being bypassed by AI. Definitions, how-tos, and quick facts are now summarized right in search results.
News and Media
Publishers are seeing steep drops in traffic. Business Insider reported a 55% decline in traffic between 2022 and 2025 due to AI summaries lowering the need to visit original articles.
Educational and Reference Sites
AI excels at distilling fundamental concepts, leaving educational sites behind in drawing clicks unless they offer deeper insights or interactive tools.
Health and Financial Advice
These content areas are highly sought-after, but also highly summarized by AI, so traditional content struggles to compete unless it’s rich in expertise and authority.
Strategic Recommendations to Stay Competitive
- Optimize for AI Visibility – Make your content easy for AI to find and reference by:
- Using clear headings, short answers, and structured data markup.
- Including FAQs and direct answers to specific questions.
- Adding schema to support rich results and inclusion in AI Overviews.
- Diversify Your Traffic Channels – Don’t rely solely on organic search. Build a stronger digital footprint by investing in:
- Social media engagement
- Email marketing
- Direct traffic strategies
- Referral partnerships and influencer campaigns
- Create High-Value, In-Depth Content
- AI can summarize the basics, but it can’t replicate expert opinion and unique perspectives. Offer valuable content that users can’t get from a summary alone.
- Focus on High-Intent Queries
- Use long-tail keywords and niche topics that are less likely to be covered effectively by AI. These terms attract users who are deeper in the decision-making process.
- Leverage AI to Improve UX and Conversions – Use AI tools to:
- Personalize site experiences
- Analyze user behavior
- Run smart A/B tests
- Improve content targeting and layout for better conversion rates
Surviving the AI Search Shakeup
AI will continue to change how users interact with search, and by extension, how websites attract and convert visitors. While the decline in click-through rates is real, that doesn’t necessarily spell disaster. Optimizing for AI visibility, diversifying traffic sources, and focusing on high-quality and high-intent content, can be your differentiating factor in this transitional digital environment.
Let’s figure out how AI fits into your content strategy together. Reach out to Foremost Media today; our job is to help you stay ahead.