The Website Extinction Event: Is AI Search killing your web traffic?

Summary (TL;DR)
AI-powered search is fundamentally disrupting web traffic flows: while AI-referred sessions surged 527% in early 2025, most sites still see less than 1% of traffic from AI search today, but the shift is accelerating[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/). Google’s AI Overviews now appear atop 35% of U.S. searches, slashing click-through rates for traditional blue link results and threatening the discoverability of publisher content[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/). SEO consultants must urgently adapt by optimizing for AI discovery, restructuring content for citation, and tracking emerging LLM (large language model) visibility to maintain relevance and client traffic.
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Introduction
The landscape of search and web discovery is undergoing the most significant transformation in a decade: the rapid ascent of AI-powered search experiences—from Google's AI Overviews to third-party chatbots like ChatGPT and Perplexity—is fundamentally altering how users access information and whether they ever land on your website. For marketing and SEO consultants, understanding and navigating this “Website Extinction Event” is now a survival skill.
Are we at risk of losing web traffic altogether? How deep is the impact, where is it trending, and what immediate actions must consultants take to protect and grow their clients’ digital presence? This post offers a data-driven analysis with actionable recommendations.
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How AI Search is Reshaping Website Traffic
The Scale of the Shift: Key Industry Data
- AI search is rising fast, but still a minority channel: In a landmark study across 19 GA4 properties, AI-based sessions jumped 527% from January to May 2025 (from 17,076 to 107,100 sessions), with certain SaaS, legal, health, and finance sectors already seeing over 1% of all sessions sourced from AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954).
- Industry-wide, AI-driven traffic is still typically <1% of total traffic as of June 2025, but the share is growing sharply quarter over quarter[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Web traffic from classic organic search has dropped 21% year-over-year—correlating with a 9.7x increase in AI-referred traffic sites can track[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Projections show AI will form the dominant discovery layer by 2028—and earlier if Google’s “AI Mode” becomes the search default[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/). In fact, AI search engagement is expected to overtake traditional SEO by 2028, especially for digital marketing and technical topics[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
| Metric | 2024 | Early 2025 | % Change |
|------------------------------------------|------------|-----------------|---------------------|
| AI-sourced Sessions (sample; 19 sites) | 17,076 | 107,100 | Up 527% |
| AI Share of Traffic (typical site) | <0.2% | ~0.5–1% (SaaS) | 2–5x increase |
| Google Search Click-Through Rate (CTR), position 1 | Baseline | -34.5% when AI Overviews appear | -34.5% |
| Average Search Referral Traffic | 100% | -21% YoY | Down 21% |
Key Takeaway: AI-search is not replacing search traffic overnight but is cannibalizing incremental clicks and is poised for exponential growth. Consultants must watch for a tipping point where traditional search ceases to be the main acquisition channel for many queries[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/).
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How Google AI Overviews Alter Click-Through Rates and Web Discovery
- AI Overviews now appear for over 35% of US desktop searches and this percentage is trending higher on mobile[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/).
- Click-through rates have plummeted: Sites tracked have shown a 56% drop in CTR (Mail Online)[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/), and SurferSEO found a 34.5% decrease in position 1 clicks when AI Overviews are present[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/). Conductor reported traffic drops as high as 60% for specific pages[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/). Pew Research confirms users are “less likely to click” when an AI summary appears[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/).
- Zero-click searches accelerate: Many users now get their full answer from the AI summary and never visit a website. AI Overviews pull structured facts and context from multiple domains and only sometimes include links—with referenced sites rarely seeing meaningful traffic[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/).
| Scenario | Baseline CTR | CTR with AI Overview | Traffic Impact |
|------------------------------------------------------|--------------|---------------------|---------------|
| Mail Online (top keywords) | 100% | 44% | -56% |
| SurferSEO (SERP position 1, avg) | 100% | 65.5% | -34.5% |
| Conductor (site sample) | 100% | 40% | -60% |
Business Impact: Brands that previously dominated classic organic results now face sudden traffic losses on informational queries. Client reporting must shift from simple position tracking to monitoring visibility within AI summaries[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
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Why Traditional SEO Strategies Are No Longer Sufficient
- Old playbook: Publish → Wait for Index → Compete for Blue Links → Convert via Clicks.
- AI platforms & LLMs bypass this process: They crawl and generate answers on-demand, often surfacing content immediately—sometimes even before Google has indexed and ranked a page[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
- LLMs “trust” clearly structured, topical content but do not care about backlinks or technical SEO to the same degree as Google’s classic algorithm[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954). Content must now “answer the question” in one concise, well-cited chunk.
- AI search de-prioritizes links: Even when content is cited, links are less prominent—reducing the power of domain authority and link-building as traffic drivers[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/).
Actionable Implication: SEO strategies must move from solely SERP rankings toward visibility and citation within AI-generated responses—optimizing not just for keywords but for how AI models ingest and regurgitate factual content[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
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How Consultants Can Track and Adapt to the AI Traffic Shift
How to Measure Your AI Visibility
- Most analytics platforms have only just begun to identify “AI-referred” sessions as a separate channel[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Semrush suggests using AI SEO and LLM optimization tools to assess if your brand or client is surfaced and cited within AI search responses or chatbots[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
- Recommended tools: Semrush Enterprise AIO, Semrush AI SEO Toolkit, and other platforms with prompt-based monitoring for LLM coverage[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
Optimizing Content for AI Search and LLMs
- Structure content to directly answer user questions in clear, concise language. Use schema markup, structured data, and bullet lists that LLMs can easily parse[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
- Publish original data, statistics, and primary research as AI summaries increasingly seek to cite trusted, authoritative new sources[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Monitor where you are referenced in AI outputs (not just ranking reports) and adjust topical depth, clarity, and freshness accordingly[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
- Encourage brand mentions beyond your own website so your expertise is cited, even if visitors do not always click through[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
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The Bigger Picture: Is There an Inevitable Website Extinction Event?
- The “extinction” narrative is not hyperbole for publishers or brands that depend on informational queries: as AI Overviews and chatbots get better, the incentive (and even the opportunity) for users to click through reduces sharply[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- However, AI discovery is still in its infancy. Most traffic remains traditional for now—but the underlying user behavior shift is irreversible[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Consultants who help clients adapt content structures, measure new types of visibility, and innovate beyond blue-link SEO will mitigate risk and win outsize exposure as the next models roll out.
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Conclusion/Key Takeaways
- AI search is rapidly disrupting traditional web discovery, with AI-referred traffic exploding in relative terms but still representing a small absolute share today[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Click-through rates plummet when AI Overviews or chat summaries appear, threatening many established traffic models[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- Traditional SEO tactics are not enough—content must now be optimized for direct LLM consumption, clear answers, and citation within AI-generated summaries, not just for SERP rankings[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/).
- New metrics and tools are needed to track LLM visibility and AI-driven referrals, helping consultants preserve brand relevance and client growth as the industry pivots[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
- The “extinction event” is real for sites that do not evolve, but AI-aware SEOs and marketers can still drive ROI by adapting content, analytics, and strategy right now.
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FAQs
Q1: How much website traffic comes from AI search in 2025?
Most sites see less than 1% of total traffic from AI search today, but in high-engagement sectors (SaaS, legal, health, finance), LLM-driven sessions are doubling and in some cases exceeding 1%[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[3]](https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/ai-search-traffic-compared-to-google/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
Q2: What are Google AI Overviews, and how do they impact SEO?
AI Overviews are automated summaries showcased atop many search results. They satisfy user queries without a click, causing dramatic CTR drops—sometimes by more than 50% for position 1 keywords[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/)[[5]](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
Q3: Is AI search killing traditional SEO?
AI is not “killing” SEO, but it is rewriting the rules. Search engine optimization now includes optimizing for how large language models digest and cite web content, beyond classic SERP techniques[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[4]](https://www.whistlerbillboards.com/marketing/the-impact-of-googles-ai-overviews/).
Q4: Can I track AI search visibility?
Yes, leading platforms like Semrush Enterprise AIO and the Semrush AI SEO Toolkit are pioneering ways to monitor mentions and citations in AI search, providing visibility data similar to backlink tracking for classic search[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/).
Q5: What can consultants do today to futureproof client visibility?
Restructure long-form content to answer explicit user questions, leverage structured data markup, focus on authority-building and citation potential, and begin benchmarking AI/LLM visibility using new reporting tools[[1]](https://searchengineland.com/ai-traffic-up-seo-rewritten-459954)[[2]](https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-search-seo-traffic-study/)[[6]](https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-seo-statistics/).
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Citations
- AI traffic is up 527%. SEO is being rewritten. - Search Engine Land
- We Studied the Impact of AI Search on SEO Traffic - Semrush
- AI Search Currently Drives Less Than 1% of Traffic To Most Sites ... - GSQi
- The Impact of Google's AI Overviews on Website Traffic
- Do people click on links in Google AI summaries? - Pew Research
- 81 AI SEO Statistics for 2025 (Fresh and Original Data) - Ahrefs