SEO as we knew it has changed forever
There’s a revolution happening in search right now. The way people are searching for information online has fundamentally changed. And it’s not just the impact of using AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude for search. It’s also AI being configured within search on Google. We’re witnessing a shift from traditional “search engines” to “answer engines”, where AI doesn’t just point you to links. It delivers answers directly. No click through required.
It’s that last line, “no click through required” that has content producers and brands worried. And for good reason.
Zero-click rates
Currently nearly 60% of Google searches in the US and the EU end without a click to any external website. That’s up from 40% just six months ago. Mobile search is even worse, where zero-click rates exceed 75%.
Coming this summer: The Intelligent Search Box
At the end of May Google announced changes to search which will be rolling out this summer. It’s the biggest change to the web since the search box debuted more than 25 years ago.
This goes beyond those Google AI summaries currently dominating the top of search. Those AI summaries have reduced a lot of click through traffic, despite noting links from sourced sites. Currently the AI summary is followed by paid search links, and then organic linked content which Google surfaces based on relevance to your query. Those blue links are something that Google has gifted us for almost 20 years, if we earned the right to be there. But those links are now threatened in the new model.
Search as we’ve known it will be upgraded with Gemini 3.5 flash. It will become the new default mode in AI mode for everyone globally. The new Intelligent Search Box will expand, and help you formulate questions in ways that go deeper, with answers aimed at keeping the conversation in-house. The box will also expand beyond text to enable search with images, files and video.
In theory, as a searcher, the context will stay with you, as you explore more deeply. The links and supporting articles will become more relevant.
But while Google says that AI Mode will not be the default experience, the new Search user interface will encourage users to ask follow-up questions instead of scrolling down to the links to other pages. There’s been a lot of fear around blue links going away with this change. The links, to be clear, will not entirely disappear (for now); they will just no longer be the priority for many types of searches.
AI agents in the mix too
To add a further wrinkle, Google is also introducing agentic capabilities and AI-powered interactive features into the search experience. Starting this summer, people will be able to create, customize, and manage multiple new “information agents” within Google Search. These agents can work in the background 24/7 to track changes on the web and alert you to new information. For instance, you could have an agent track flight prices based on parameters, and deliver you a link to purchase directly.
Where is this leading?
All of this means people will likely spend even less time clicking the traditional blue links that Google Search used to return. And increasingly “searching the web” will be performed by AI agents rather than humans. People will focus more on acting on the information those agents provide.
How to adapt to the new Google AI search
Here are some tactics to help you adapt to this shifting search model.
1. Ensure AI agents understand your brand
I wrote extensively about AI agents and their impact on search in this post: How AI is shaping your brand perception In it I looked at how AI interprets your brand, and 10 tips to help AI effectively position your brand. Rather than repeat that content here, link to the article. It’s a detailed step-by-step guide.
2. Double down on direct
If your business has relied on search traffic extensively, you need to provision for the likelihood of having less of that in the future. Double down on growing and nurturing direct contact with your audience. Think email newsletters, online communities, private groups, podcast subscribers, substack or LinkedIn newsletters. This includes converting social media DMs to something you own too. In a world of less search traffic, owning your audience directly matters now more than ever.
3. Publish valuable content that AI can’t generate
Our current environment is flooded with AI generated content online. What AI can’t write is first person narratives, share personal stories, and experiences validated by a human. Generating trust through human connection will always resonate, but I would argue it will matter even more so in an AI dominated SEO system. I’m willing to bet that when a blue link surfaces with real human content, there will still be people seeking it out – perhaps even a growing audience, craving that human connection.
4. Monitor analytics
Monitoring your site traffic over the next several months will be important. Many content creators have seen a hit to site traffic this year. Others have been less impacted. Generally I’d say those with valuable, and personable content are in much better shape than those who have listicles or top 10 generic guides, competing with AI content. One interesting anomaly I’ve noticed recently is some site traffic being driven by searches outside of Google – using engines like Yahoo or DuckDuckGo. This is new, and since those engines do not use an AI overview, it has me wondering if there is a segment of the population that is craving search without an AI summary. That will be interesting to monitor. But I’ve also noticed an uptick in Chatgpt traffic – for articles that are sourced in responses, as well as spikes in Google traffic for articles that are sited in AI summaries.
Before we all lose our minds in panic over these changes, it’s best to keep in mind that Google NEEDS content producers and current information to make their AI search system viable. So although they may appear to horde traffic and keep it in their own eco-system, they still need the fuel that keeps them alive – our content. But let’s not be foolish in the face of change. We need to adapt to the shifting landscape!
