Organic traffic down?
You’re not alone and you’re not failing. In fact, if your strategy hasn’t shifted yet, you’re probably focusing on and measuring the wrong things.
In this post, we’ll be unpacking the recent evolution of search behavior, driven by AI-generated results and zero-click journeys, and how your SEO success metrics should evolve with it. Think: visibility, engagement, and brand authority over simple traffic numbers.
Here’s what’s really cooking in the world of search 👇
Table of Contents
The Rise of AI Search and the Zero-Click Shift
Between March 12 and May 6, 2025, Google’s AI Overviews surged by 116%, effectively doubling in volume. That’s not just an interface change; it’s a paradigm shift in user behavior and SEO measurement.
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are Google’s AI-generated summaries, served at the top of the SERP. They aggregate info from various sources to answer the user’s query without the user ever needing to click.
This means:
- Users get what they need instantly.
- Websites see fewer clicks.
- SEO strategies focused on traffic alone start to crumble.
But here’s the spicy twist: just because they didn’t click, doesn’t mean they didn’t see you.
From Clicks to Conversions: Rethinking the SEO Funnel
Rand Fishkin put it best (and we paraphrase):
“People don’t need to go to your site to solve problems. They come to your site to transact.”
That’s the heart of the new SEO: Your website is no longer the first stop—it’s a few steps closer to conversion.
Search visibility (even without clicks) shapes brand awareness, authority, and decision-making. Appearing in an AI Overview, map pack, or featured snippet still plants the seed of trust.
📈 Case in Point: Sonesta Adventure Bound
One of our recent wins here at Digital Spice?
We launched “Things to Do in Atlanta: The Ultimate Guide” for Sonesta Adventure Bound on March 14, 2025.
The result? In just a month, the article managed to:
- Get featured in Google’s AI Overviews
- Bring 300,000+ impressions in May (up 380% from April)
That’s a whole lot of eyeballs, even if not every single one clicked!
📈 What We’re Seeing in the Industry
Yes, clicks are down.
Are we concerned about it?
No. Here’s why:
Not only are impressions up, but all other organic metrics are healthy. In fact, a lot of our clients are seeing a notable growth in engagement and revenue.
The conclusion:
Organic traffic is shrinking, but AI Overviews are sifting the top-of-funnel audiences which means that websites are getting more visitors in the mid- and bottom-funnel stages. These are the users with cash in hand and steps away from conversion.
What SEO Success Looks Like in 2025 (and Beyond)
In May, Google rolled out AI Overviews in over 200 countries, leading to a decline in organic clicks globally. It’s an industry-wide phenomenon, and it’s impacting websites regardless of the quality of their SEO strategy.
YoY click views are, therefore, no longer a reliable metric of SEO success.
Here’s what you should be tracking instead:
Impressions: The Visibility Metric
Use Google Search Console to track how often your pages are served in search results, including AI Overviews.
Even when users don’t click, impressions tell you if your content is answering relevant questions and how many searchers have seen your brand in answers to their queries.
Engaged Sessions: The Real Engagement Story
In GA4, metrics like:
- Time on page
- Scroll depth
- Button or CTA interactions
…paint a much fuller picture of interest and intent. If users are staying longer and interacting, you’re doing it right even if fewer of them are arriving on your website.
Visits may be fewer, but interactions are getting better.
Brand Mentions in AI Tools: The Next Visibility Frontier
SEO isn’t just about Google anymore. Brands need to expand their understanding of search and their view of search-based traffic sources.
- AI searches are growing exponentially. We’ve noticed that ChatGPT-referred traffic is doubling MoM across our clients’ GA4 dashboards.
- AI tools are specializing. Users are turning to specific tools for targeted outcomes, like Perplexity for credible research and Grok for up-to-date results. AI tools are becoming influence drivers in their own right.
- AI Overviews are now on the radar. Tools like Ahrefs’ Brand Radar have started to track AI Overview citations.
[Source: Ahrefs] SEO tool Ahrefs has introduced Brand Radar, Google AI Overviews tracker
Your content is mentioned by AI?
That’s your new badge of authority.
How Digital Spice Is Optimizing for AI-First Search
We’ve recalibrated our SEO approach for how people search and how search engines serve results today.
AI-Ready Content Structuring
We design content to be clear, contextual, and easily digestible by AI summarizers, structured in a way that maximizes the likelihood of inclusion in AI Overviews and featured snippets.
Conversion-Driven Page Design
We want our site to convert, not just inform, right? So at Digital Spice, we pay attention to things like:
- CTA placements
- Conversion funnel and user pathways (things like page structure, engagement features, interlinking)
- ADA and brand compliance
…to align with actual user behavior and intent.
📘 Check Out our Website Compliance Guide →
Building Brand Equity Through Zero-Click SEO
We help brands feed the AI with high-authority, value-packed content that earns you a spot in overviews, snippets, and maps even without a click.
You also want to make sure to:
- Look after your website’s technical health and security
- Use structured data
- Ensure accessible, ADA-compliant experience
- Improve readability
Because in zero-click SEO, presence = power.
📘 Check Out: AI and SEO in 2025: How to Adapt, Thrive, and Futureproof Your Strategy
Beyond the AI (R)Evolution: What Comes Next?
Rand said it:
“This is zero-click marketing. It’s not zero marketing.”
This is the mindset we bring to every client strategy at Digital Spice.
Here’s what we’re prioritizing now:
- Maximizing brand impressions across AI tools and map platforms
- Creating content that converts, not just content that ranks
- Building measurable authority across every stage of the search journey
Time to Evolve Your Metrics
If your SEO report still revolves around traffic drops and bounce rates, it’s time to change the recipe.
Modern SEO isn’t just about getting found; it’s about being remembered, trusted, and chosen.
At Digital Spice, we help clients optimize the entire search journey, from increasing their presence in search to improving on-site engagement.
Want to evolve your strategy with us?
👉 Request a Free Audit & Proposal
