We have covered some essential points. For full info, check out the sources listed. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
1. The New Search Landscape
According to Ahrefs’ September 2025 data, Google still holds 90.4% of global search share.
But in AI assistants, ChatGPT commands 81.13%, followed by Perplexity (10.82 %), Copilot (4.05 %) and Gemini (2.82 %).
Stox quoted Ahrefs’ Ryan Law: “Google still sends far more traffic … AI search does not replace traditional search; it extends it.”
What it means:
The world is becoming dual-layered. Traditional search (Google, Bing, etc.) remains central, but a parallel layer of discovery is now emerging via AI assistants.
SEO impact:
You can no longer optimize only for Google. You also need to appear in AI assistant outputs and be citable by those models.
How to prepare (SEO pros):
Track both traditional organic traffic and AI referral/citation presence (if tools allow).
Maintain strong core SEO (technical, content, links) to retain Google visibility.
Simultaneously invest in making your content “AI-friendly” (clear, structured, referenceable) so it’s more likely to be surfaced by assistants.
2. AI Traffic Growth Is Explosive
Ahrefs’ Web Analytics (82,000 sites) shows AI-generated traffic has increased ~9.7× year-over-year.
The trendline in Ahrefs’ visualizations heavily favours referrals from ChatGPT over other assistants.
What it means:
Users are increasingly turning to AI assistants rather than classic search interfaces to get information, recommendations, or answers.
SEO impact:
A growing share of your potential audience may come via AI systems, meaning only following traditional tactics could yield diminishing returns.
How to prepare:
Audit your existing content: which pages are most likely to be cited (data, studies, definitive explainers).
Prioritize content that answers direct questions, provides unique insight, or can be cited as a reference.
Monitor and experiment with featured snippets, structured data, and FAQ blocks; they may help content be surfaced in AI summaries.
3. The “Great Decoupling”
In analyses of ~800,000 Google Search Console properties, impressions are increasing, but clicks are declining.
AI Overviews (generative summaries) now appear in ~19% of SERPs.
In March 2025, average CTR for position #1 dropped by 34.5%.
Stox projected that clicks could shrink to 25% of their former levels.
What it means:
As AI summaries become widespread, users often get answers directly without clicking through to sites. The traditional “clicks = engagement” model weakens.
SEO impact:
Relying purely on click volume (and CTR) as success metrics will become misleading. Impressions, visibility in AI contexts, and conversions matter more than ever.
How to prepare:
Begin tracking impressions, coverage, mentions in AI outputs/summaries, not just clicks.
Focus on conversion and engagement metrics (time on page, scroll depth, lead generation) as stronger indicators of value.
Ensure pages are optimized for snippet format, with clear answer blocks, structured data, and well-formatted content that’s easily “digestible” by AI.