What To Do When AI Search Is Stealing Your Website Traffic
Four strategic shifts to protect revenue and keep growing
Part 3 of 3: The Small and Mid-Sized Business’s Guide to AI Search
In Part 1, we explained what GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is and why it matters. In Part 2, we helped you diagnose whether AI is actually affecting your traffic and showed you why your SEO investment remains valuable. In this final article, we’ll cover what specific actions to take if AI search is stealing your web traffic.
The #1 question we've been hearing from business owners: "How do I protect my web traffic from AI tools’ zero-click searches?"
The short answer? You can't.
The more accurate answer: You can't protect your traffic, but you can protect your revenue. If AI tools are cannibalizing your organic search traffic, four strategic shifts will make up the losses and keep your business growing.
1: Optimize Your Content for AI Search (GEO)
If AI tools are going to cite brands anyway, make it YOUR brand. When someone asks ChatGPT or Claude a question in your domain, consistent citations position you as the authoritative voice.
The shift: from "rank in Google" to "rank in Google AND get cited by AI."
What this looks like:
Structure key pieces of information in any new content–and restructure your best-performing content–as “chunks.” Change paragraphs of text into lists, tables, FAQs, and Q&A formats.
Implement schema markup (FAQPage, HowTo, QAPage) on existing pages and apply it to all new relevant pages. Schema is a way to structure HTML files that “tell” search and AI engines more about what’s in those pages.
Build relevant and high-value brand mentions and backlinks across the internet through guest posts, podcasts, PR, and other means.
Success metrics:
Citation mentions: Whether AI tools reference your brand when answering relevant queries
Brand search volume: People searching specifically for your company name (protected from AI cannibalization)
Traffic from AI tools: Some AI platforms do send traffic; track whether you're receiving it
Share of voice in AI answers: Manually test key topics in ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity
Assisted conversions: Someone discovers you via AI, searches for you directly, then converts
2: Invest in Brand Awareness Campaigns
If AI is intercepting discovery traffic, reach prospects elsewhere. When people know your brand, they search for YOU specifically—and AI can't cannibalize branded searches. Building brand awareness shifts traffic into the "protected" category while strong brands get cited more by AI tools.
The shift: From “they’ll find us when they search” to “we actively put our brand in front of them.”
What this looks like:
Run brand media and campaigns which may include event sponsorships, TV & video, social media, print & out-of-home, and more.
Pursue earned media (PR, podcasts, speaking) and strategic partnerships
Build an executive presence on LinkedIn
Run paid search (SEM) campaigns targeting non-brand keywords
Success metrics: Brand search volume and direct traffic increases, share of voice expands.
3: Maximize Customer Lifetime Value
If AI reduces new customer acquisition, make existing customers worth more. Most businesses have untapped CRM potential. If you double down on exceptional service and nurturing customers, you can exceed AI-driven losses through increased lifetime value.
The shift: From “how do we get more customers?” to “how do we make each customer worth more?”
What this looks like:
Put in place email nurture sequences (welcome, value-driven, re-engagement)
Upsell/cross-sell based on top customer patterns
Develop loyalty/referral programs
Improve your customer success
Success metrics: LTV increases, repeat purchase and retention rates improve, email open rate and click-through rates increase.
4: Optimize Your Conversion Rate (CRO)
You can't control traffic AI sends. You CAN control what percentage converts.
The Math That Makes This Real
Before AI: 100,000 visitors/month converting at 3% = 3,000 conversions.
After AI (30% traffic loss): 70,000 visitors converting at 3% = 2,100 conversions (you lost 900).
With improved conversion rate: 70,000 visitors converting at 4.3% = 3,010 conversions (you gained 10 over baseline).
Result: You’ve recovered and exceeded your baseline, with 30% less traffic
The shift: From “we need more traffic” to “we need to convert the traffic we have.”
What this looks like:
Optimize your site to load faster (under 3 seconds). This is especially important for your homepage, key category pages, and all product pages.
Ensure you have clear, easy-to-use navigation with no errors or broken links
Create a clear value proposition that shows “above the fold” (or as high up on your webpages as possible)
Maintain strong CTAs, simplified forms, and an easy checkout process with multiple payment options
Publicize trust signals such as positive reviews, testimonials, and security badges
Conduct A/B testing and heatmap experiments to see which parts or elements of your site people are using a lot and which are being ignored
Success metrics: Conversion rate improves, bounce rates decrease, and time on site and pages per session increase.
Your Path Forward
You can’t protect your traffic from AI, but you can protect your revenue and keep growing. The four strategic shifts we just covered make that possible.
The path forward is clear. Build an integrated strategy across all four pillars. This makes your business AI-resilient, protecting revenue even as traffic patterns shift.
The window is still open. AI search is evolving rapidly, which means the businesses that adapt strategically now will outperform competitors who either ignore the shift or react haphazardly. You don’t need the biggest budget. You need integrated strategy and expertise that understands both traditional and AI search.
Ready to build your strategy? Schedule a discovery call to assess your vulnerability and create your roadmap.