Informational traffic is being absorbed by AI summaries. Commercial traffic, the kind that turns into enquiries, is holding up far better.
Where the losses are concentrated
Definition posts, simple how-to articles, and basic comparisons are losing clicks fastest, because an assistant can answer them completely without a visit.
Pages targeting purchase intent, local intent, or proprietary data are far less affected.
What to do about it
Shift the mix rather than abandoning search.
- Rebalance publishing toward commercial and local intent.
- Add original data, pricing, and first-hand detail that cannot be synthesised.
- Structure pages for citation so you benefit even without the click.
- Track impressions and brand searches, not only sessions.
Fewer clicks, higher intent
When AI answers the simple questions, the people who still click through are often closer to buying. Traffic may fall while lead quality holds or improves — so judge by enquiries, not visits.
How to respond
Adapt rather than panic.
- Make sure your business is named in AI answers for your trade.
- Focus pages on decisions, not just definitions.
- Track calls and forms as the primary metric.
The takeaway
Stop optimising for the clicks AI took and start optimising for the intent it cannot serve.