Navigating the AI Shift: What You Need to Know About Generative Engine Optimization

By Brad Timofeev

If your website traffic from SEO has been steadily declining since January 2025, you’re not alone. Businesses across industries are experiencing month-over-month drops. According to Ahrefs, top-ranking pages are seeing an average 34.5% decline in click-through rates.

And the trend isn’t slowing down. Gartner projects another 25% decline in organic click-through rates in the future. Why is this happening, and what can you do to combat the changes?

Why Your SEO Traffic Is Dropping

Search Engine Optimization has historically focused on offering up answers to frequently asked questions in order to draw traffic to your website. With the rise of the AI overview in Google and rapid-response information through platforms like ChatGPT, users no longer need informational pages. AI overviews serve up the necessary information without the need for a clickthrough. This is leading to sizeable drops in traffic from search engines.

Your Most Pressing SEO & GEO Questions, Answered

Should I Be Worried About the Decline in SEO Traffic?

No. Most of the traffic loss stems from high-ranking, research-driven keywords. For example, if someone was interested in improving their fitness and doing preliminary research, they may Google “what is the most effective kind of exercise?” Previously, an informational blog on a fitness brand’s website may have ranked well for that question, gotten a click, and introduced the user to their brand. Now, the AI overview will provide a quick summary answer, negating that traffic.

Users leveraging AI overviews are typically in the early stages of their buyer journey. These visitors were unlikely to convert anyway, even before AI. Now, they’re simply gathering information faster, without needing to click through multiple websites.

Is Generative Engine Optimization Replacing SEO?

No. SEO still plays an essential role in bringing visitors to your site. AI overviews can’t complete transactions; users still need to visit your website directly or search for your brand by name. AI overviews are just another (albeit newer) element of search engines. Ads, map listings, structured snippets, images, videos, and traditional search listings still show up on search results and reinforce your brand to users. These elements build brand visibility and trust, which work together to drive users to your site.

Should My Business Invest in Generative Engine Optimization?

That depends. GEO is a high-funnel strategy, ideal for businesses offering products or services that require in-depth research. If your budget is limited, it might make more sense to focus on lower-funnel tactics that directly drive leads and revenue, such as SEO and paid search.

How Can I Measure GEO Success?

1. Brand Mentions in AI Overviews – More mentions lead to higher brand recall when users are ready to convert. If your quantity of brand mentions is increasing, then your efforts are paying off.
2. Website Leads & Revenue – Since most AI overviews don’t have direct clicks, users will still reach your site through branded search or direct traffic. A notable uptick in conversions (without significant shifts in other digital marketing strategies) can be attributed to GEO efforts.
3. Offline Correlation – Does your business have a brick-and-mortar location? Track how your overall leads or revenue grow over time in relation to your GEO investment. An increase in visitors to your store may be a result of AI overview presence increasing brand awareness.

What ROI Should I Expect?

Currently, GEO won’t guarantee a high direct ROI. Generative platforms rarely include clickable links. Instead, GEO supports brand visibility and long-term recall. This type of strategy is comparable to many other high-funnel marketing channels, like social media content and event sponsorship.

In the future, as generative AI overview interfaces improve and more users adopt the use of generative AI, this will most likely become a revenue or lead-generating channel. It’s always good to get ahead, but don’t expect drastic growth in leads or revenue to start. Consider it an investment in future growth as user behavior shifts and these technologies evolve. In the short term, GEO helps maintain, not explode, your current lead or revenue levels.

7 Best Practices for Generative Engine Optimization

1. Monitor Brand Mentions in AI

Brand mentions are currently the primary Key Performance Indicator for tracking GEO efforts. Various tools can help track how often your brand appears in generative responses. Pair this with expert analysis to refine your strategy and improve performance.

2. Content Marketing Is Back, With Purpose

Over the past 3-5 years, content marketing has become increasingly less effective at driving leads. That’s changing with Generative AI. Instead of posting blog articles, your website needs more purposeful content that answers prospective customers’ real questions. Get comfortable sharing your competitive advantages, pricing, customer service approach, FAQs, and industry expertise. Build E-E-A-T: Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust.

3. Use Schema Markup

If you haven’t implemented schema, now is the time. Schema helps AI engines interpret your site and include it in AI-generated summaries and overviews. Making your website easier for the AI to read goes a long way. If it can’t read the information you wrote, it won’t be able to show you in answers.

4. Keep Investing in SEO

GEO should complement your existing SEO strategy, not replace it. These two strategies are like two instruments in your marketing orchestra; meant to complement each other, not replace one another.

5. Keep Your Content Fresh

Generative engines prioritize recent, relevant information. Stay active with new content, thought leadership, PR mentions, and industry roundups to boost your visibility.

6. Work With a Dual-Discipline Agency

SEO and GEO require different mindsets. GEO is a psychological skillset; it’s about understanding what drives your customers and answering their questions early in their decision-making process. SEO, on the other hand, is technical. It’s about making sure your site ranks for the right queries. Don’t assume that your SEO agency has the skill set to optimize your website for generative AI engines. Partner with an agency fluent in both.

7. Test Constantly

AI-generated search overviews are evolving fast. No one has it all figured out. Try new approaches, evaluate what works, and stay grounded in E-E-A-T principles as you experiment. If you stay on your toes, you’ll be well-positioned to get ahead of changes as they come.

Curious About Generative Engine Optimization?

At LeadPoint Digital, we’ve been working hard to stay ahead of the curve. As a certified Google Partner agency, we had early access to generative AI overviews and we’ve been testing and experimenting for quite a while, giving us top-level knowledge in this constantly evolving technology. With a customer-psychology-first approach and over 20 years of experience helping local and national businesses grow, we bring deep insight into both customer mindset and cutting-edge digital marketing tactics. Learn more about our GEO services here.

Let’s explore how GEO fits into your marketing strategy.

Contact LeadPoint Digital to start the conversation.

Book Brad Timofeev to Speak at Your Next Event

Brad Timofeev, founder of LeadPoint Digital and former director of digital marketing for a national agency, has been at the forefront of search engine marketing and digital strategy for over two decades. With a unique blend of technical expertise and behavioral psychology, Brad delivers insightful presentations that demystify how search engines (and now AI engines) shape customer behavior.

Looking for an expert who understands the future of digital visibility?

Book Brad to speak and give your audience a head start in the era of Generative AI.