It’s no mystery why website analytics, across the board, aren’t what they once were. Traffic is down, and that has led many businesses to ask the question: Is AI replacing my website?
The short answer is no.
If your website is serving its purpose, AI is introducing it, not replacing it.
The formula for digital marketing has, in the past been: rank high on Google, get people to click your website and turn those visitors into customers. Today, the formula is STILL the same, but the path to get there looks a little different. It’s bumpier and could use some pothole repair.
More people are asking ChatGPT, Google AI and Gemini their questions and never making it to the search bar, or they are typing their questions into the same search bar they always have and reading a pop-up summary of answers, followed by references, for a single read.
They are getting answers instantly, without clicking a single website.
According to SparkToro, nearly 60% of Google searches now end without a click to another website, and Ahrefs has also found that AI Overviews can reduce click-through rates to the top organic search result by 34% to nearly 58%, depending on the search. And the folks at Gartner believe this trend will continue, predicting traditional search traffic could decline by 25% by 2026 as AI becomes a primary way people find information.
All is not lost. Those numbers aren’t as alarming as they seem!
Your customers haven’t stopped looking. They haven’t stopped researching; AI has just changed the game. The home for research now begins with AI. The question we answer for our clients is, “What content and information makes you home base?”
Ready-to-purchase web users are rarely, if ever, searching for generic information like “best fungicide.” They’re asking questions like, “Which fungicide performs best under drought stress?” or “Which fungicide’s label most closely matches [insert expensive name brand fungicide option]?”
AI gathers information from dozens of sources, identifies the companies it believes are credible and provides what it believes to be the best answer.
Our goal with every client is to dig deep, find what TRULY sets you apart in the marketplace and run with that information, because:
That’s your introduction!
If your company isn’t part of the AI answer, you’ve missed the boat.
If it is part of a prospective customer’s AI answer, you’ve not only earned a website visit, you’ve earned some credibility from the get-go.
Don’t disappoint them when they get there!
The days of a website existing for the sheer purpose of existence are long gone. Your website must answer a potential customer’s next question or provide the resources to answer the next question, as quickly and efficiently as possible.
How do you solve their problem?
When your website gets a click through, the “clicker” should immediately know what you do, who you serve and what sets your company apart. There are a lot of options for nearly every widget imaginable. What makes yours stand out?
Visitors shouldn’t have to dig through menus or read three paragraphs of company history before they even reach the solution you hope they are looking for.
CONTENT MATTERS. CONTENT PLACEMENT MATTERS.
AI isn’t only recommending businesses because their webpage contains the correct keywords. It’s looking for companies that consistently publish useful, authoritative content it can use to extend and expand its knowledge.
Educational blogs on timely and relevant topics, thought leadership articles, FAQs, customer success stories and expert insights all help to establish your company as a credible source. The more clearly you answer your customers’ questions, the easier it becomes for AI to understand when your business belongs in the conversation.
Your job: Think about the top 10 questions you hear from potential customers. What questions do your sales team and new hires have? Those are all worth answering! The written word isn’t dead; it’s never been more important!
The businesses that will win over the next five years won’t necessarily have the biggest marketing budgets or the most website traffic. They’ll be the companies that answer questions better than anyone else. AI will introduce them because it recognizes their expertise, and their website will reinforce that trust by clearly showing visitors why they’re the right partner.
