Q&A: Navigating AI Overviews, Site Traffic Drops & the New Frontier of Search

Trends in Site Traffic and Content Engagement

As a branding and content marketing firm, we make it our business to help clients build visibility and trust with a compelling content strategy. Whether it's thought leadership or brand storytelling, we publish great content and then monitor its performance over time. In this pursuit, we often collaborate with specialized partners like WTM Digital, a digital marketing firm with deep expertise in search strategy and performance analytics, to stay ahead of the constant digital shifts. 

As we move into Q2, I’ve been closely reviewing Q1 metrics and noticing trends in site traffic and content engagement. With the rise of AI Overviews in Google search and popular AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Copilot, I wanted answers—and a plan. 

I tapped Matt Burkarth, Director of Strategy at WTM Digital, for a candid conversation about what’s changing, what it means for our clients’ businesses, and how we’re adjusting to make sure content continues to serve our goals. 

Lauren: Matt, thanks for chatting with me. Lately, my team and I have noticed a dip in site traffic across clients, and we’re starting to connect the dots with the rise of AI Overviews. We covered this in our State of Content Marketing webinar earlier this year, but we didn’t expect to see it affect metrics so much. What’s your take—are AI summaries stealing clicks? 

Matt: Absolutely. It’s no surprise we’re seeing a shift. AI Overviews are especially replacing top-of-funnel content. People searching for general information are getting instant answers—right there in the search results—without needing to click through to a website. 

Lauren: That definitely tracks with what we’re seeing. But what about people looking for services or ready to take action? 

Matt: That’s the key difference. When someone’s at the bottom of the funnel looking to book, buy, or fill out a form, AI Overviews don’t deliver. Those users still need to visit the site to complete their intent, and that’s where the content opportunity lies. 

Lauren: So, the play here is to re-focus content strategy toward a bottom-funnel mindset? 

Matt: Exactly. Audit your current content. What percentage is the top, middle, or bottom funnel? Then adjust your strategy. Continue with top-funnel pieces but shift some of your efforts toward content that supports decision-making—things like service pages, testimonials, pricing, FAQs, or “get started” content. 

Lauren: Makes sense. And while we’re talking content, what about CRO? Feels like that’s becoming even more important. 

Matt: Spot on. With less traffic coming in, it’s crucial to ask: how well are we converting the traffic we do get? Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is everything right now—especially for the content that’s still pulling people in. 

Lauren: You mentioned “Generative Engine Optimization” or GEO. That’s new to a lot of people—can you explain? 

Matt: GEO is all about optimizing your site and content for AI-driven platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews. It’s still in its early days, but brands that start experimenting now will be ahead of the curve when these tools become the norm. Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush can help identify keywords that trigger AI Overviews, so you can prioritize where to invest your energy. 

Lauren: There’s a lot of uncertainty here—any thoughts on how marketers should approach that? 

Matt: Honestly, everyone’s holding their breath. No one knows exactly how this will shake out, but we can be proactive. Google will likely monetize AI Overviews at some point. In the meantime, keep creating EEAT-compliant content, stay laser-focused on your goals, and track what’s working. 

Also, we’ve started running education-seeking queries that have been impactful in the past for clients through AI search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT to ensure their content is being cited. If it's not cited for key user queries, we take a look at the competitor pages that are being cited. What does their content include that yours lacks? What do they have in common?  

Lauren: That’s super smart. What action steps would you recommend to teams right now? 

Matt: Here are a few techniques that have been working for us lately: 

• Keep building content aimed at lower funnel leads 
• Use tools to find relevant keywords associated with AI Overviews 
• Optimize for key events in GA4—landing pages, forms, calls 
• Add glossaries to pillar pages to improve semantic relevance 
• Grade existing content using Google’s developer parameters to decide what to keep, remove, or optimize 
• Monitor Google’s blog and other SEO resources like Search Engine Land to stay current 

Lauren: That’s a helpful framework—thank you! It’s an exciting time to be in our industry, and we’re doing our best to make the most informed recommendations possible. 

Matt: Seriously, whatever you all are doing behind the curtain is working. Keep it going! 

Lauren: Appreciate the insight, Matt. This will definitely help shape our metrics conversations next week.