The way people find information online is shifting fast—and it’s forcing companies to rethink everything they know about digital visibility.
At the centre of this change are AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and search features from Google, which now provide direct answers instead of just lists of links. For businesses, that means fewer people are clicking through to websites.
A striking example is HubSpot, which reportedly lost 140 million visits in a year. The reason? Users are increasingly getting what they need without ever leaving AI-generated summaries. In fact, searches with AI overviews can reduce click-through rates by as much as 60–70%.
This shift has led to a new strategy: Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), also called Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO). Instead of just ranking on search engines (SEO), businesses now want to be quoted inside AI responses.
To do that, companies are changing how they create content. Rather than long, complex pages, they are breaking information into smaller, clearer sections that AI can easily extract. Content is also becoming more conversational, matching how people ask questions in AI tools—often in full sentences or detailed prompts instead of short keywords.
For example, a business might no longer just optimise a product page. Instead, it creates helpful guides, FAQs, or educational content that answers broader questions. A spice company might publish the history of spice trading, while a construction retailer could write step-by-step guides on home projects—making it easier for AI systems to reference them.
There’s also a growing focus on credibility. AI models tend to prioritise sources that demonstrate expertise and trust—through author profiles, quality backlinks, and clear sourcing. In other words, being authoritative matters more than ever.
Even though website traffic is dropping, there’s a silver lining. Businesses report that visitors who do arrive via AI are more likely to take action—whether that’s making a purchase or contacting a service—because they’ve already received detailed information beforehand.
In simple terms, the internet is moving from a “search and click” model to an “ask and get” model. For businesses, survival now depends on adapting to this reality—ensuring they’re not just found on the web, but embedded directly in the answers people receive.