Recently, online marketers have noticed something unsettling: many web pages are losing traffic without any significant change to their search engine rankings. This trend appears particularly prevalent among low-volume queries, where the aggregate reduction across many pages becomes glaringly obvious. And this raises the question: what can be done about it?
Typically, when we see traffic drops, it's due to diminished rankings. But what happens when rankings remain unchanged? This phenomenon is becoming widespread, impacting both large and small sites alike.
According to insights from experts, Google’s search result pages have become increasingly varied and dynamic. No longer do they simply feature the classic ten blue links; users can now stumble upon advertisements, featured snippets, and sections such as "People also ask" or "People also search for"—all of which encourage users to dig deep within the search results rather than clicking on organic listings.
Indeed, Google's introduction of these engaging features has transformed the search experience. A 2024 study by SparkToro revealed some startling statistics: for every 1,000 searches conducted in the U.S., only about 360 resulted in external clicks. The prevalence of zero-click searches is largely bolstered by Google’s latest AI feature, known as AI Overviews.
A study by Seer Interactive backed this up, showing the direct impact of AI on click rates. The data clearly indicated declining click percentages for organic results when AI Overviews featured prominently. For example, organic click rates plummeted from 3.97% without AI Overviews to just 0.64% with those AI insights appearing.
The consumer behavior dynamics have also altered dramatically over time. With generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and others becoming increasingly popular, many users now rely on these tools for product recommendations. Unfortunately, these recommendations often come without links to the original websites, raising questions about how businesses can maintain visibility.
The results? An expansion of branded search volume for prominent businesses, albeit with minimal changes to non-branded keywords and rankings. The article suggests some key strategies to adapt to this new reality. First and foremost, it advocates prioritizing queries with transactional intent over casual information seekers because AI Overviews seem to target primarily the latter.
On the contrary, some myths persist about the relationship between PPC advertising and SEO. For years, some marketing agencies have insisted spending more on pay-per-click (PPC) ads boosts organic rankings. Forbes reported on March 4, 2025, reinforcing the idea: "The notion of higher PPC spend propelling your SEO presence is unfounded.” This is perhaps best characterized as myth rather than fact.
Engagement from one user or even several is unlikely to alter Google's assessments of page quality significantly. Most actions by users following PPC clicks do not seem to leave enough impact on the massive datasets Google analyzes. Even as users exhibit positive engagement—scrolling, dwelling, or clicking through—these actions usually don’t convert to substantial SEO benefits.
To put it plainly, if Google Ads were to influence organic SEO results directly, smaller brands would struggle to rank, allowing larger competitors who spend more money to dominate. But, as many noticeable brands continue to flourish, it serves as evidence against this correlation.
This prompts another interesting consideration: if PPC leads to high traffic volumes, it may indirectly impact rankings by increasing the search queries related to the brand itself. If consumers begin searching for certain products, like branded t-shirts, the increased name recognition may signal relevance to Google’s algorithms.
Therefore, advertisers are encouraged to adopt strategies such as building branded visibility through PPC. It’s claimed these efforts can trigger spikes in organic search traffic for generic phrases as more customers familiar with the brand seek those terms.
These insights showcase advertising heads’ need for mindful adjustments to their strategies. They must assess the efficacy of PPC initiatives and how they contribute to overall brand visibility when faced with the scenario of declining organic traffic.
To summarize, the dual challenges of adapting to increased competition from AI features within search results and deciphering the relationship between PPC and SEO demands close attention from digital marketers. There’s no singular solution, but as businesses pivot their marketing strategies, they must also optimize their online presence to navigate this rapidly changing environment.
Running large-scale, well-targeted PPC campaigns can, without doubt, send signals to Google's algorithm to evaluate specific web properties favorably for relevant searches. While the days of easily acquiring traffic through organic means may be waning, the future of online visibility relies on adapting wisely to the intersection of these digital marketing facets.