Arkan Perdana via Unsplash
Research from financial consultant Bain & Company has found 80% of consumers now rely on AI-written results for at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic web traffic by 15% to 25%.
Google’s AI-generated summaries, backed by the tech company’s chatbot Gemini, were introduced in Australia in September.
The summary provides answers, not links, to queries, which could mean a sharp fall in referrals via links to news articles from Google search.
Bain found 60% of searches now terminate without the users clicking through to another website. Even among those consumers who are sceptical of generative AI, roughly half report that most of their queries are answered directly on the search page without a click.
Bain also found roughly 68% of large language models (LLMs), such as AI-powered chatbots, users rely on these platforms for researching, gathering, and summarizing information. Some 48% use them to understand the latest news and weather, and 42% ask for shopping recommendations.
Bain & Company’s Technology & Cloud Services and Customer practices partner Natasha Sommerfeld said for years, digital marketers have focused on optimising search engine rankings to drive brand discoverability and traffic to their websites.
“Now, AI-generated search results are rewriting the rules, and SEO optimisation is no longer enough," Sommerfeld said.
"Brands must evolve or risk losing visibility into their customer journey, and control over their brand positioning, in a world where traditional clicks are disappearing.”
Bain’s research outlines three key strategies for marketers to adapt to remain competitive in this new era of search.
- Optimise for AI crawlability. Adapt content for semantic search, emphasizing high-intent, long-tail terms.
- Diversify content formats. Go beyond text. Use video and interactive formats to boost visibility in generative AI search.
- Redefine metrics. Shift from click-focused metrics to measuring search impressions and AI reach. Optimize for influence over direct conversions.
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