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For many companies, a website functions as a primary storefront, making the loss of 140 million visits in a single year a serious setback.

That was the reality for HubSpot, where executives point to artificial intelligence as a key factor behind the decline.

The firm, which provides sales, marketing and customer service tools to business-to-business clients, is among many grappling with a fundamental shift in how people search for information online.

"I remember the days when I would search [the web] and there was no good information," says Kipp Bodnar, chief marketing officer at HubSpot.

"Sometimes there was some stuff, but I had to scroll through 10, 20, 30 links.

"What you have now is access to all the world's intelligence in an instantaneous way. How people find information and subsequently take action is very, very different."

Several factors have contributed to declining web traffic for companies like HubSpot. Search engines have updated algorithms to combat low-quality AI-generated content, placing greater emphasis on credibility within specific subject areas.

At the same time, users are increasingly turning to AI-driven tools instead of traditional search engines. Even within search platforms, AI-generated summaries often appear at the top of results, allowing users to get answers without visiting external sites.

"The click-through rate for searches that have AI overviews is about 60% to 70% lower," says Bodnar.

In response, businesses are exploring ways to ensure visibility within AI-generated answers.

A strategy known as answer engine optimisation (AEO), also referred to as generative engine optimisation (GEO), focuses on improving how content is surfaced in AI tools, including summaries and applications like ChatGPT.

These systems rely on large language models (LLMs), a form of AI designed to process and generate human-like text.

Many firms are deploying AEO alongside traditional search engine optimisation (SEO), which aims to boost rankings on search engines.

"We've been able to use answer engine optimisation to increase the conversion rate and quality of the people who are coming to us," says Bodnar.

"I don't know how you are a competitive business in the future without having a strong competency in this."

Adapting to the shift requires understanding how user behavior is evolving.

"Maybe you enter four to six words in a traditional Google search," Bodnar says. "In an AI search engine, the average length is 40 to 60 words. So, you're talking about an order of magnitude of specificity change."

He points to the example of a motorhome rental company in New Zealand. A user might ask an AI tool to plan a family holiday for five people, including opportunities to see a favorite animal.

To appear in such responses, the company may need to publish content—such as guides to popular animals in New Zealand for children—written in natural language that mirrors user queries.

HubSpot has already begun reorganizing its own content strategy.

Previously, the company relied on long-form articles detailing product features and integrations. Now, Bodnar says, that approach is less necessary because AI tools can generate those explanations.

Instead, HubSpot is breaking information into smaller, structured sections that AI systems can easily extract. For instance, content about a specific feature like contact management is now presented in discrete, accessible segments.

AI currently accounts for between 7% and 12% of HubSpot’s monthly website traffic, though Bodnar expects its influence on customer discovery to grow further.

"You'll see people coming through direct traffic and other sources because they were influenced by those LLM responses," he says.

Elsewhere, companies are also adjusting their strategies to remain visible.

"In order to survive, you have to adapt," says Ann Lowe, head of PR and communications at Spice Kitchen.

To support a new product, the company is building a content hub focused on the history of the spice trade. The section is designed to establish authority on the topic rather than function as a direct sales channel.

"We're wanting to see whether we can hit the AI search bots with that content," she says. "It won't be a shop. It will look almost like a training course. This is for people that are doing research, but they get to discover us along the way."

Lowe has worked closely with Lumos Digital, a digital agency advising on the transition.

"Historically, you've always optimised the product page so that you are picking people up at the moment they're ready to buy," says Nathan Pearson, co-founder of Lumos Digital.

"Now, that focus seems to be shifting towards the research and decision stage and winning them at that point," he says.

Pearson recommends producing detailed buying guides.

"If you've got a guide of the best trainers for long-distance running, make sure all the products are listed and have a clear winner. AI loves that."

Experts say organizations aiming to rank in AI systems can also benefit from strengthening credibility signals.

Andy Lochtie, another co-founder of Lumos Digital, highlights the importance of expertise, authority and trust.

This includes earning links from reputable websites, linking to high-quality sources, and maintaining clear editorial policies and author biographies.

Retailers are also feeling the impact.

Andy Pickup, digital director at MKM Building Supplies, says fewer users are visiting company websites as AI tools provide answers directly.

"We are seeing fewer people come to the site because they're getting the answers from an AI model," he says. "They don't need to visit our website to read a blog on how to fit artificial grass or whatever it might be."

"If that trend continued, you'd potentially see your site traffic almost dwindle to nothing."

Pickup said the company is prioritizing inclusion in AI-generated responses.

"We need to make sure that, when people are searching for answers around building projects, these AI models are referencing us rather than our competition."

He expects that visibility to translate into increased in-store visits, where customers can seek additional guidance.

Although Google remains the dominant search engine, Pickup noted that ChatGPT is now driving more traffic than Google's built-in AI features.

"It's a seismic shift in user preference of what app [customers] use," he says. "They're making a conscious decision to not go into Google, even though it's got built-in AI, and are actually going into ChatGPT."

In response, MKM has implemented what Pickup calls a "defensive strategy," producing blog content focused on top-selling products to attract AI references.

"It was similar to SEO, positioning yourself as an expert in these areas and making sure you're giving the LLMs everything they need to provide a thorough and conclusive answer," he says.

"The content evolves from just talking about a product. It's more about how this product's going to help you solve a problem."

Unlike traditional search engines that prioritize keywords, AI systems evaluate meaning and clarity.

As a result, MKM has redesigned its pages with summaries, bullet points and frequently asked questions to improve readability.

"It's about making sure your content is very clear and concise and easy to understand," Pickup says.

Behind the scenes, the company has also introduced structured site maps to help AI systems navigate its content.

While many users may rely solely on AI-generated answers, some still click through to original sources. Over the past year, MKM’s AI-driven traffic has grown from negligible levels to what Pickup described as "a low double-figure percentage," with further increases expected.

According to Pickup, visitors arriving via AI are more likely to make purchases.

"My theory is that customers have got the information they need from the LLM answer, which gives them confidence to make a purchase."