Content marketing
Fewer clicks, same work: what AI search means for your content
You can write a useful article, rank well and still get fewer visitors. That is the content struggle of right now.
By SlapUp · · 4 min read
Search used to work like a simple deal: you answered a question, and Google sent you the reader. AI summaries change that deal, because the reader can often get the answer without visiting anyone's site.
What the research shows
In a Pew Research analysis of 900 US adults' browsing in March 2025, people clicked a traditional result on 8% of visits when an AI summary appeared, compared with 15% when it didn't. Only 1% clicked a link inside the summary itself.
A 2026 randomized experiment by researchers at the Indian School of Business and Carnegie Mellon points the same way. Organic clicks fell by 39.8% when a summary appeared. It is a working paper, not yet peer reviewed, but one detail is useful: nearly all the loss came from informational searches. Navigational and transactional searches showed no measurable change.
What I would change
1. Stop publishing what a summary can replace
"What is SEO?" is easy to summarize. "What we changed on a clinic's booking page, and why" is much harder. First-hand examples, your own process and your real opinions give people a reason to click through.
2. Write for people close to a decision
Pages about pricing, comparisons, services and "should I hire someone for this?" questions match buying intent. The experiment's findings suggest these searches may be less exposed than general explainers.
3. Make people search for you by name
Someone searching for your name already wants you. Consistent posts, talks, videos and client referrals all build that kind of demand, and they keep working when search changes.
4. Own a way to reach your audience
A newsletter or a loyal social following doesn't depend on one results page. Turn each strong article into a few posts or a short video, then invite readers to subscribe.
5. Measure enquiries as well as traffic
Fewer visits isn't automatically bad if the visitors who remain are closer to hiring you. Track enquiries, booked calls and clients alongside page views, so you can see whether content is actually working for the business.
The short version
Keep publishing, but publish differently. Spend less time on generic answers, and more on the experience and judgment only you can offer.
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