Are clicks in search disappearing?

James Hussey

There was a time when getting found on Google mostly came down to a familiar formula.

Pick the right keywords, publish regular content, keep your website updated and hope you climbed above the competition.

While that still matters to a degree, Google’s latest AI (artificial intelligence) announcements suggest the rules are starting to shift noticeably.

At its recent I/O conference, Google stated that instead of sending users off to several different websites, the search engine is increasingly trying to keep the interaction within search itself.

For business owners, that creates an awkward question. If people stop clicking through as often, what happens to the traffic businesses have spent years trying to build?

The answer will probably depend on the type of content being published in the first place.

A lot of online content already feels mass-produced. You search for advice on almost any topic and end up reading versions of the same article over and over again, albeit with slightly different wording. In that environment, it’s easy to see why AI-generated summaries could replace a large portion of routine search traffic.

What AI struggles to replicate quite as easily is experience. The businesses likely to keep performing well are the ones sharing knowledge that feels specific, useful and grounded in reality rather than written purely to target search terms.

This could mean detailed case studies, opinion-led blogs, practical insights from real projects or content that actually reflects the personality of the business behind it. The kind of material people would still choose to read even if Google already showed them a quick summary beforehand.

Google also discussed AI tools capable of researching information and completing tasks for users automatically. Even if that develops gradually, it signals where search behaviour is heading. Users are being encouraged to expect faster answers with less effort.

For businesses, this is less about abandoning SEO (search engine optimisation) and more about moving beyond the “content for content’s sake” mindset. Publishing 10 forgettable articles a month may not achieve much in a search landscape increasingly powered by AI – but publishing one genuinely useful piece that demonstrates expertise probably will.

If you need any help adapting your content to improve your website’s AI SEO rankings, please get in touch with us at Engage Web.

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James Hussey

Digital Marketing Executive at Engage Web

Having once gone to school in the Burnage area of Manchester known for being the childhood home of Noel and Liam Gallagher, “Some Might Say” that James is a “Supersonic” presence within Engage Web, happily turning his hand to “Whatever” tasks his role throws at him.