From SEO to AIO: Adapting to the Age of AI-Powered Search
As AI reshapes how people search, traditional SEO is facing a turning point. AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and the introduction of Google’s AI overviews are changing user behavior.
So what does this mean for your content strategy? Using insights from across our client analytics, we’ll show why original content still matters and how to evolve from a search engine optimisation (SEO) approach to an AI optimisation (AIO) landscape.
- How AI Is changing search behavior
- What this looks like in your analytics reporting
- How to adapt your strategy: from SEO to AIO
- Conclusion and key takeaways
How AI Is Changing Search Behavior
AI platforms such as Claude and Chat GPT are being used alongside traditional search engines
Across our clients' analytics reports, we’ve started seeing traffic from AI platforms like ChatGPT now appearing in traffic source (how users found your site) breakdowns. Claude (by Anthropic) has recently launched its own search functionality as well and we’ll see more and more users turning to AI assistants for quick answers, instead of using traditional search engines.
AI overviews now dominate Google search results
To stay in the running alongside other AI platforms, Google’s AI overview results have now been launched in over 200 countries and 40 languages, marking a major departure from the ranked results pages we had all become used to. The AI overview draws on multiple sources across the web to deliver a concise, AI-generated summary of the search topic, designed to answer the query directly without requiring users to click through.
For content creators, this means traditional page-one rankings may no longer guarantee traffic. Your content might still be featured but will show as a source, not a destination.
AI search is constantly evolving with further enhancements launching soon
According to Google, “People are coming to ask more of their questions, including more complex, longer and multimodal questions”. Based on this feedback, further AI Mode developments are ready on the way, with Google search capable of handling these layered queries.
Soon, users will see split-screen results that address different parts of a question, along with enhanced voice search features that support follow-up queries – effectively turning search into an ongoing conversation and keeping them engaged for longer.
What this looks like in your analytics reporting
Increased impressions but low click-through rate
Previously two of the top metrics used in analytics reporting, impressions and click-through rate (CTR) no longer paint a clear picture of search success. Referred to as “The Great Decoupling” by users on X, we’re seeing sites featured in AI overviews receiving a high number of impressions with very low clicks. You may see similar results when viewing your Search Console reports. Where the two lines on the chart would have previously mirrored each other, the gap is now starting to widen.
The above Search Console report shows the clicks and impressions for one of our clients, The Accountability Framework Initiative (AFi), a nonprofit aiming to create ethical supply chains in agriculture and forestry. As you can see, the space between two lines on the graph has been widening since the start of the year, with the number of clicks decreasing. Using SEMrush reporting tools, we found that AFi have appeared in 16 AI overviews recently, including the top result for the keyword “tree plantation definition”, yet they received very few clicks for this term.
Increased engagement
While overall sessions might show some decline, engagement metrics might be more encouraging. Users who do find you through AI-influenced search have gone through some amount of pre-validation, they're arriving with context, having already consumed basic information. As such they may tend to stay longer and engage more deeply, therefore session duration and pages viewed per session could become stronger markers of success.
How to adapt your strategy: from SEO to AIO
These changes to search mean visibility increasingly depends on being cited by AI models – not just ranked by Google – and that site impressions and visits are no longer the primary measure of success. Whether it leads to clicks or not, appearing in AI search is arguably still better for brand visibility, as it demonstrates that you’re a trusted source, than not appearing at all (at least for the moment – there are interesting conversations around whether AI bots should be paying for content or whether you should block AI bots from crawling your pages).
With this in mind, optimising for AI is still a good strategy. Here are our recommendations for your AIO plan:
Showcase your expertise with long form content
AI is capable of understanding complex topics, recognising longtail keywords and anticipating multi-step queries. With this in mind, shorter content is even less relevant than before. Long form, detailed understandings will better showcase your expertise than short FAQs and closed-ended summaries.
Use first-hand data
With AI capable of generating generic content at scale, original research and unique insights have become valuable differentiators. Content that offers something AI can't replicate (specific experience and original research, for example) should continue to drive traffic to the website.
For example, our client Administrative Data Research UK not only appears repeatedly in the AI overview results for variations of their brand term (administrative data) but also receives clicks for niche subjects within their field, such as “dark figure of crime”. This is a niche keyword but the linked page from the AI overview is thorough and contains a research report, giving users a good reason to find out more directly from the source.
Utilise social media & third-party platforms for enhanced authority
As mentioned, appearing in AI overviews might not lead to as many clicks but it can still improve your brand awareness - the more results you appear in, the more you’ll become recognised within your field. AI overviews pull from different sources across the web, therefore you can enhance your chances of being referenced by posting on social media and participating in online events, etc, to help build a picture of who you are as an organisation.
Accessibility and performance are as important as ever
Content production can be resource intensive and may take time to see results so make the most of what you already have and ensure best practice is followed for structure, accessibility and performance. This will also ensure your content is discoverable by AI and human readers alike.
Conclusion and key takeaways:
AI tools are reshaping how people find and interact with content but the fundamentals of creating authentic insights, that genuinely help your audience, remain the same.
Appearing in AI overviews may not always lead to site visits but it does boost brand recognition and trust and people will still like to ‘go down the rabbit hole’ online, to dig deeper and verify information for themselves.
To stay visible and competitive in the age of AI-powered search:
- Track engagement metrics, not just sessions
- Prioritise long-form, original content that demonstrates depth and expertise
- Engage on social platforms and relevant third-party sites to build authority
- Optimise for user experience and accessibility
Suggestions for further reading:
- https://www.seroundtable.com/google-explains-the-great-decoupling-39609.html
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250611-ai-mode-is-google-about-to-change-the-internet-forever
- https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/673638/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-interview-ai-search-web-future
- https://numiko.com/insights/should-you-block-ai-bots-from-your-website
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Emily Owen
Head of Production
