SEO today is increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). While Google remains central, the rise of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s own AI Overviews is changing how users interact with websites.
Studies from Semrush and Ahrefs reveal a significant decline in organic clicks when AI Overviews are present. In fact, top-ranking organic results lose up to 45% of their traffic due to AI, particularly for queries where user intent is educational and/or informational.
This isn’t just a shift in tools, it’s a shift in user behavior, and one that directly impacts your bottom line. If fewer people are clicking through to your site, traditional SEO performance metrics (like traffic, engagement, and even conversions) start to erode.
For the last decade, SEO has centered on answering questions that drive clicks to URLs, making traffic the core KPI. That model is rapidly breaking down. The question now is no longer just “how do I rank on Google?”—it is “how do I stay visible when the answer is being generated before the click ever happens?”
We are in a transitional moment where two search paradigms now coexist:
The Google era, focused on link-based rankings, and the Large Language Model (LLM) era, increasingly dominated by AI-generated answers that are highly personable and interactive.
Instead of displaying a list of ranked results, LLMs often generate a single and comprehensive response, using synthesized information across several websites, thus reducing the need for clicks and user interaction with websites. It all can be answered within the LLM chat box.As AI systems become more reliable, users are shifting toward them for both informational and educational queries—a signal that LLMs are not just complementary, but competitive with Google.
Google’s implementation of AI Overviews is more than a feature—it's a fundamental shift in how search works. Rather than surfacing ten links per query, AI Overviews aim to preemptively answer the user’s question, reducing reliance on click-throughs.
This is a dramatic change from how we have acquired customers organically for the past 15 years, and it draws a clear line between optimizing for traditional Google rankings and optimizing for visibility within AI-generated responses.
But with this shift comes opportunity. Businesses that understand and embrace this new paradigm have a chance to get ahead by becoming the trusted source AI tools turn to when generating answers. SEO is no longer just about ranking highly on top of the SERP; it's about appearing in AI-generated answers, even when your site may not be among the top 10 traditional listings.
Those who adapt now can build lasting visibility in an environment where AI is increasingly the first, and sometimes the only, touchpoint for users.
Optimizing for LLMs is fundamentally different from traditional SEO. Here are a few distinctions:
So why do it? Because even if the traffic models change, influence still matters. When your content is powering AI answers, your brand becomes part of the conversation—especially as LLMs begin to cite sources more reliably. Being the voice behind the AI isn’t just about rankings anymore, it’s about authority, credibility, and discoverability in a world where answers are generated, not listed.
In other words, your content should not just be optimized for visibility—it should be built for reusability in AI-generated responses.
AI-driven changes are already impacting key performance indicators (KPIs) like traffic, bounce rates, and engagement. Here’s what you can do now:
These actions are about future-proofing: the goal is to ensure your brand is "known" by AI systems, even if it isn’t generating immediate clicks.
The rise of AI tools has broadened what SEO means in a marketing context. AI agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are not just search tools—they're influencers of decision-making.
As a result, marketing strategies must evolve to:
In essence, marketing must account for a search environment where AI is the first—and sometimes only—touchpoint.
Tracking visibility in LLMs is still in its early stages, but here are a few things you can do:
While tooling is still catching up, the key is to treat AI citation presence as its own KPI, separate from traffic and ranking.
The rise of LLMs is producing a new era of search and with it, a new kind of SEO. Traditional ranking is no longer the only KPI. Instead, marketers must optimize for AI-generated answers, focusing on visibility, relevance and structured data that is easy for machines to retrieve.
That means focusing on structured content, diversified brand mentions, and an evolving toolkit for tracking search KPIs. In 2025 and beyond, the ability to acquire new customers organically won’t be measured only in new clicks to your site, but also in whether your brand is cited in AI engines.
Concord partners with teams to evolve SEO strategies for the AI era, whether that means restructuring content for LLMs, building AI-recognizable authority, or redefining performance metrics for a changing search landscape. If you’re ready to rethink what SEO success looks like, let’s start the conversation.
How is AI affecting traditional SEO in 2025?
AI is reshaping how users find and consume information. Instead of relying solely on Google’s ranked lists of links, users increasingly turn to AI tools—like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews—that generate direct, synthesized answers. As a result, organic clicks are declining, especially for informational queries. Traditional SEO tactics (e.g., keyword targeting and link building) still matter, but they're no longer enough. Brands must now optimize for visibility within AI-generated responses, not just on the SERP.
What is the difference between Google SEO and LLM SEO?
In short: Google SEO prioritizes rankings. LLM SEO prioritizes reusability.
Why are organic clicks declining with AI Overviews?
Google’s AI Overviews often answer user queries directly—before the user scrolls to any organic links. These answers pull and synthesize content from multiple sources, reducing the need for users to click through to individual websites. This trend is especially pronounced for educational and informational searches, where the answer can be quickly summarized in the AI box.
How do you optimize content for LLMs?
To optimize for LLMs:
The goal is to make your content reusable, not just findable.
Do backlinks still matter in AI-driven SEO?
Backlinks still matter for traditional search rankings, but they play a lesser role in LLM-driven content discovery. LLMs don’t rely on PageRank or link graphs—they prioritize content quality, clarity, and relevance. Mentions in trusted sources (even without links) are becoming more influential, especially for being cited in AI-generated responses.
What should be the new KPIs for SEO in 2025?
Traditional metrics like rankings and organic traffic still matter, but they no longer tell the whole story. New KPIs for the AI era include:
These metrics help measure influence—even when there’s no direct click.
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