AI tools cite recent content 3.2 times more than older sources

SEO specialist Georg Richard Aare, founder of consultancy RankUp, has warned that the growth of AI-generated search results is significantly reducing organic website traffic, after analysis showed click-through rates drop by 34.5% when Google AI overviews appear.

Aare said the shift is being driven by users increasingly consuming answers directly on search results pages rather than clicking through to websites. Research from Wellows indicates that 64% of Google searches now end without a click.

He said the changes mark a turning point for the SEO industry, with traditional tactics such as keyword targeting and page-one rankings becoming less effective. “It’s not about getting more traffic anymore. It’s about being the source AI tools cite when they answer questions,” Aare added.

While chatbot-driven traffic accounts for only around 1.5% of total search traffic, it converts 15% better than traditional organic visits, and chatbot referrals have grown 81% over the past two years.