TLDR: Contrary to initial concerns, a recent report by NP Digital indicates that a significant majority of marketers (56%) are experiencing increased traffic from Google’s AI Search. This trend is prompting a strategic shift in SEO, emphasizing brand mentions and the creation of authoritative content to capitalize on the evolving search landscape.
A new report from NP Digital reveals a surprising trend in the digital marketing landscape: 56% of marketers are observing traffic gains directly attributable to Google’s AI Search capabilities. This finding challenges earlier apprehensions within the industry regarding the potential for AI-driven search to diminish organic traffic.
Industry experts are weighing in on this development. Guy Jarvie noted that ‘AI Overviews and generative search are already influencing user behaviour locally,’ highlighting the immediate impact of these advanced search features. Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, previously stated that AI Overviews alone are driving over 10% growth in user search queries, underscoring the expanding reach and utility of AI in search.
The report suggests that the nature of traffic from AI Overviews is also evolving. Google has indicated that ‘when people click to a website from search results pages with AI overviews, these clicks are higher quality.’ This is attributed to AI results providing users with more context, leading to more engaged site visitors.
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This shift necessitates a re-evaluation of traditional SEO strategies. Analysis by Ahrefs, cited in a July 2025 digital marketing roundup by Neil Patel, found that higher-traffic websites receive more frequent citations in AI-generated responses. This creates a powerful feedback loop where existing traffic attracts further visibility through AI mentions. Consequently, AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are increasingly favoring sources that already demonstrate strong traffic and engagement, moving beyond content quality alone. This emphasizes the critical importance for marketers to drive consistent traffic to their sites, as invisibility to AI systems could mean being overlooked by millions of daily users.
