A question every business owner is asking. Here is the honest, data driven answer, plus what to do regardless of how the future plays out.
The honest answer: AI search is not killing all Google traffic, but it is significantly reducing certain types of traffic for many websites.
The clearest pattern: informational query traffic is declining, while commercial intent traffic is more stable. People still click through to actually buy or hire. They are increasingly getting their answers without clicking when the question is informational.
Various studies through 2025 and 2026 have shown the same broad pattern.
Sites that rely on informational query traffic and ad based monetisation are taking the biggest hit. Recipe sites, how to guides, news outlets, encyclopedias.
Businesses that sell products or services online are more insulated, because users still need to click through to actually buy. AI helps users decide which business to choose, not whether to make the choice.
Businesses that get cited by AI engines often see a net traffic gain. They lose some informational clicks but gain higher intent traffic from AI referrals.
If 90 percent of your traffic is from Google search, you are exposed to whatever Google does next. Build email, direct, social, and AI cited traffic in parallel.
The traffic you lose to AI Overviews can be partly recovered by being one of the cited sources. Your visibility shifts from organic position to AI citation, but you keep the audience.
Pure informational content is least defensible. Commercial, transactional, and locally specific content is most defensible. Tilt your content strategy accordingly.
Talk to Protechmedia about AI Search Optimisation for your business. We will explain exactly where you stand today and what it would take to get cited by every major AI engine.