How AI Is Disrupting The SEO Space [& What To Do About It]

A few months ago, I received a call from a client that was in a panic. Their blog traffic had dropped 20% overnight, so they had a reason to be concerned.

I knew that a new Core Update hadn't rolled out so I our team take a deeper look at the issue.

When we looked closer, it became clear that Google's new AI Overviews had launched in their niche, and was answering user queries directly on the search page.

I wanted to write this post to directly address the cases where client sites are directly impacted by AI.

SEO is NOT dead, but the way people search, and what they click on, is changing fast.

In this guide, I’ll break down how AI is reshaping the search landscape, what tools are leading the change, and how we’re helping clients evolve their content strategy to stay visible and valuable.

The Rise of AI-Driven Search Experiences

Right now, AI-generated answers are siphoning attention away from traditional listings. “Zero-click” searches have hit nearly 60%, and when an AI Overview appears, organic click-through rates can drop by as much as 70%​.

It's clear that we’ve reached a turning point in how people interact with search. Marketers who once relied on steady blog traffic are being forced to adapt or risk falling off the map entirely.

It’s no longer just about ranking on page one. Increasingly, it’s about whether your content even gets seen once AI starts answering the query first.

Why Organic CTR Is Falling

Traditional SEO relied on a predictable structure: rank high, get clicks, build authority. But SERP features like AI overviews, featured snippets, and knowledge panels have rewritten that playbook.

Users are now getting answers straight from the SERP, often from AI summaries that pull information from your site without credit or a visit.

And this isn’t just theory. It’s happening at scale.

Stack Overflow is said to have lost over 50% of its traffic to parts of its website to developers started turning to ChatGPT for programming help​.

And Gartner is already predicting a 50% decline in organic traffic by 2028, primarily because of generative AI search​.

As a result, high-ranking content that used to drive steady traffic is now getting buried beneath instant answers.

For marketers, this means our job is no longer just to rank. It’s to remain visible in the answer itself.

SGE, Bing, Perplexity – Who’s Leading the Charge?

While Google’s SGE rollout is getting most of the spotlight, it’s not the only player in this shift.

• Bing Chat, powered by GPT-4, was the first to launch AI-driven search responses with citations and clickable links.
• Perplexity.ai took a research-first approach, surfacing direct citations and offering more depth in responses.
• And of course, ChatGPT’s browsing mode allows users to ask questions and get summarized results from live websites.

Right now, AI tools still account for less than 2% of total search queries, but that number is growing fast​.

And their influence reaches far beyond their volume. People are changing how they discover, evaluate, and act on information.

This isn't about abandoning Google. It's about understanding how search is fragmenting, and learning how to show up where people are now looking for answers.

How to Track and Attribute AI-Driven Traffic

We’re used to living inside Google Analytics dashboards. But AI-driven search doesn’t always play by the same rules.

Much of the traffic influenced by ChatGPT, Bing, or Perplexity won’t show up clearly unless you start tracking it differently.

Here’s how we’re helping clients get better visibility into where their AI-assisted traffic is really coming from.

1. Referral Analytics

First, check your referral reports for domains like openai.com, bing.com/chat, and perplexity.ai. These often indicate a user clicked through from an AI interface.

In Google Analytics 4, you can create custom segments to isolate these referrals. We’ve set up filters that flag any traffic coming from known AI sources.

It’s still early days, but we’ve started seeing consistent patterns, especially when a brand gets mentioned in a chatbot’s recommendations​.

2. Google Search Console Impressions

Google has said that if your site is shown in an SGE result, it counts as an impression in Search Console, even if it never gets clicked​. So if impressions go up but clicks stay flat or drop, that could be AI stealing the visibility.

We monitor queries with a high impression-to-click discrepancy. Those are often signs that your site is being surfaced in an AI Overview. It’s a subtle signal, but it matters.

3. Manual Audits and “AI Ranking”

We now manually query AI tools with client-specific keywords to see if their content shows up. For example, we’ll ask ChatGPT or Bing Chat, “What’s the best CRM for agencies?” and look for brand mentions.

It’s not scalable yet, but it’s a good proxy for “AI ranking.”

We also use platforms like Semrush and Ahrefs, which have started tracking AI visibility.

Ahrefs is my favorite SEO tool, so I like to track AIO citations within it.

To do so, just enter your website into the Site Explorer feature and then go to the Organic keywords report. If you're ranking for them, you'll see it here.

One client recently saw their blog cited in 10 AI Overviews. That didn’t translate into big traffic gains, but it did confirm their authority on the topic​.

4. Ask Customers Directly

This one is old school, but it works. We’ve added “How did you hear about us?” to demo forms and lead capture flows.

More often than you’d expect, people now say things like “ChatGPT recommended you” or “I asked Bing AI.”

That qualitative data helps us connect the dots and justify continued investment in SEO, even when click data looks soft.

Adapting SEO for an AI-Summarized Web

It is very easy to get frustrated with the state of search, but like to encourage clients to see the opportunity instead of the downsides.

If AI is going to summarize your content before users ever land on your site, then the content itself needs to be built for that environment.

That’s the shift we’ve made across nearly every SEO campaign we touch since early 2024.

The goal is no longer just to rank. It’s to be the source AI pulls from, and the brand it mentions by name.

1. Optimize for AI Parsing and Visibility

Start by making your site accessible to AI crawlers. That means not blocking GPTBot, BingBot, or Google’s crawlers unless you have a very specific reason to do so.

Blocking them doesn’t protect your content from being scraped. It just reduces the chances you’ll be cited as the source.

Structurally, we’re doubling down on our technical SEO services that lead to clean HTML, proper header hierarchy, and schema markup.

If you’re publishing FAQs, use FAQ schema. If you have a step-by-step process, use HowTo schema.

These signals help AI interpret your content with more precision and more credit.

2. Be the Source AI Cites

When ChatGPT says, “According to Trendline SEO…” that’s the new win.

We’ve started optimizing content specifically for featured snippets, since these are often what AI pulls from. That means:

• Using the question as an H2
• Answering it directly in one paragraph or list
• Supporting it with examples or data

We also include light brand mentions in key sections. For example, writing “In our 2024 case study on ecommerce SEO…” can help train AI models to associate our brand with the topic.

Trust is also a huge factor in modern SEO, so author bylines and bios matter more than ever.

Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines favor real expertise, and so do AI engines. Pages and content that clearly show human authorship with experience have a better shot at being included in AI answers​.

3. Write Like an AI Would Summarize It

This is one of the biggest shifts we’ve made in content style. But it is one that a lot of people are for some reason overlooking.

Our top-performing pages now open with a short, direct answer, followed by elaboration. Think of it as reverse pyramid writing where you first hit the key point first, then expand.

We also format content in ways AI loves. We use bulleted lists, comparison tables, and subheadings that ask and answer questions.

According to recent surveys, almost half of users prefer AI search for its concise responses​. So we give AI content that fits that format.

4. Create Non-Replicable Assets

Another way to combat AI taking market share from you is to leverage human creativity.

AI can blatantly steal the majority of your traffic, but it has a harder time replicating tools, calculators, or original data - so we make more of them.

For one client, we published a salary benchmarking tool. AI can describe what it does, but users have to visit the site to use it. That alone drove thousands of visits per month, even as their blog traffic dipped.

Assets like original research, case studies, and downloadable templates are ones that AI can mention but not replace.

If you give users something they can’t get in a summary, you give them a reason to click.

Supplement SEO With New Demand Generation Channels

As traditional search evolves, relying solely on Google isn't enough. AI-driven search changes how users find answers, but it also creates new opportunities elsewhere.

By expanding into channels where AI isn’t yet dominant, we’ve helped clients maintain steady lead flow even as organic traffic fluctuates.

1. Short-Form & Video Search

Gen Z doesn’t search the way we did. Many go straight to TikTok or YouTube Shorts when looking for product advice, tutorials, or recommendations.

We’re now producing short-form videos for clients that tackle one clear question at a time.

Think: “Which CRM is best for solopreneurs?” or “What does SEO cost in 2024?” These clips are designed for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

The key is to lead with the answer and follow with a strong hook to your brand or offer.

2. YouTube and Webinars

Long-form video is still a powerful trust builder. YouTube, as the second-largest search engine, gives brands a chance to answer complex questions AI can’t summarize well.

We’ve seen success turning blog content into YouTube explainers.

Embedding CTAs in the video description or even mentioning a lead magnet on-screen can drive conversions directly from video with no website visit needed.

Live webinars are also regaining traction. When positioned as thought leadership rather than product pitches, they perform well across LinkedIn Live, Zoom, and niche communities.

3. Owned Media and Email

If AI is eating traffic, your owned audience becomes even more valuable. That’s why we’re putting more effort into newsletters, podcast feeds, and email sequences.

We're using blog posts as source material that we repurpose into newsletter content, podcasts, and social media posts.

This approach not only extends the life of each piece, but also builds a consistent touchpoint with your audience that AI can’t intercept.

4. Influencers, Communities & Aggregators

We’ve moved more of our focus (and budgets) toward trusted voices and niche communities.

That includes partnering with influencers who already have credibility and reach with your ideal audience, whether they’re active on LinkedIn, Reddit, Substack, or YouTube.

We also support clients in participating authentically within niche communities.

Forums and groups on Discord, Facebook, and Reddit have become go-to platforms where conversations and discoveries happen, often replacing the role Google search once played.

By consistently adding value (not just pushing links), we build visibility and genuine engagement in these communities, reaching people in spaces where AI doesn't dominate.

5. Paid Discovery

Finally, we’re experimenting with paid platforms that align closely with evolving user behaviors.

For example, Bing has already introduced sponsored placements directly within AI-powered chats. This is a clear signal of how advertising is evolving in generative search environments.

To stay ahead, we're adapting content and offers to seamlessly fit these emerging ad formats.

Additionally, platforms like Reddit Ads, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, and Outbrain let us connect with highly engaged, intent-driven users who aren’t relying solely on traditional search results.

The goal here is straightforward: engage the audience wherever they choose to be, not just where the algorithm traditionally directs them.

The Kicker? Human-Created Content Still Wins

Despite everything changing in search, one truth remains: people trust people.

In a world filled with AI-generated summaries and chatbot recommendations, human stories and lived expertise still cut through the noise.

That’s not wishful thinking, it’s backed by Google’s own guidance and the results we’re seeing firsthand.

Why E-E-A-T Still Matters

Google’s Search Quality Guidelines made it clear in 2023 that “Experience” is now a formal part of content quality.

Pages with high E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) are considered more reliable and rank accordingly​.

This is especially important for YMYL topics, where content can affect someone’s health, finances, or safety.

But even in B2B, we’ve seen better engagement from content that includes firsthand stories, quotes from internal experts, or real client examples.

AI cannot fake real experience. And users are getting better at spotting generic content.

That’s why we push every client to build their content around personal insight, unique research, or lived results—not just surface-level tips.

AI + Human = Best Practice

Google reinforced this in its March 2024 update, which deindexed hundreds of websites relying entirely on AI-generated content​.

The message was clear: AI can assist, but it cannot replace the human voice. And that's exactly how we treat AI when we produce it for clients.

We use it to speed up outlines, research angles, or structure drafts, but the final product always runs through a strategist or subject matter expert.

We’re not just adding polish. We’re adding depth that only a human can provide.

When we audit content now, we look for one simple thing...

... would someone trust this advice if they knew it came from a real person?

If the answer is no, it doesn’t ship.

The combination of AI for speed, and human for substance, is what we’ve seen perform best. It keeps content lean, credible, and aligned with what both users and algorithms are looking for.

Final Thoughts: Future-Proof Your Content Strategy

We threw a lot at you, but this is all very important to understand.

But one thing is clear... AI search is not the end of SEO. It’s the next evolution.

What we’re seeing now is not a collapse, but rather a reshaping. Search behavior is changing, and with it, the way we earn visibility must change too.

Here’s what still works:

• Be the best answer, not just the highest ranking.
• Structure content for both AI and humans.
• Build content assets that AI cannot fully replicate.
• Diversify your lead sources across channels you control.

Search is still one of the most powerful tools in digital marketing. But the winners going forward will be those who adapt fast, measure differently, and create content that brings real value to the table.

Now is the time to audit your content for AI visibility and rethink what your audience truly needs from you.