AI searches cited as cause of decreasing Wikipedia traffic

Luke Meredith

Wikipedia, the world’s most-visited information site, has had fewer people viewing its pages this year.

The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, says that human pageviews fell by about 8% compared to last year. That fall came after they made changes to their system for spotting bot traffic.

The bigger reason that the decline is occurring, however, might be how people are getting their answers. More users than ever are using artificial intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT and smart search engines that spit out answers immediately, without even the need to click on a site.

Those AI apps generally draw on Wikipedia’s material to base their answers, but they never give the users a link back to the site. That is to say, Wikipedia is being used to power the answers, but isn’t getting the traffic.

This matters to business owners because it shows how behaviour is changing online. If your business is built on web traffic, you might not get the same thing as before, even when your content is being read by AI. Like Wikipedia, you could be helping people without knowing it, and without credit or clicks.

The Wikimedia Foundation similarly witnessed a sharp increase in the use of AI robots using their data for training computer vision models. In response to this, they offer a paid option known as Wikimedia Enterprise that offers improved access to their data.

As this technology continues to become more widely available, business owners need to think about using their content and whether it produces genuine interaction. It is absolutely worth tracking how AI will affect your traffic and seeking out other ways of reaching customers – even if they don’t visit your website.

Wikipedia’s experience is a sign of what is to come. Businesses need to be on their toes and adapt as AI revolutionises the way people search, learn and interact online. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is a huge factor to stay aware of when building your online presence.

Our team at Engage Web can stay on top of all of these important factors for you. For expert SEO and GEO support, contact us now.

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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.

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