Your content can rank #1 and still be invisible in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. That gap is AEO - and ignoring it is getting expensive.
69% of Google searches now end without a click. AI Overviews appear in 13%+ of queries. The businesses that thrive will optimize for both traditional search and AI-generated answers.
Analysts estimate hundreds of millions of people now use OpenAI products weekly. Google's AI Overviews appear in 13.14% of search queries according to Semrush data from March 2025 - up from 6.49% in January. Perplexity reports serving millions of users and queries daily. For business owners who spent years mastering SEO, this creates an uncomfortable question: What happens when the answer appears before anyone clicks through to your site?
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Key Numbers: Similarweb data from July 2025 shows 69% of Google searches now end without a click (up from 56% in May 2024). Semrush reports AI Overviews appear in 13%+ of queries - doubled since January. One 2025 analysis found Position #1 CTR falls from 7.3% to 2.6% when AI Overviews appear - about a 47% drop. In another recent study, only 11% of domains were cited by both ChatGPT AND Perplexity.
The short answer to "what changed" is this: You need both SEO and AEO. The longer answer requires understanding what actually happened - and what the data tells us about where traffic is going.
SEO optimizes for rankings. AEO optimizes for citations. That sounds simple, but the implications run deep. Your content can rank #1 in Google and be completely invisible to AI systems that generate answers instead of links.
According to Similarweb data comparing May 2024 to July 2025, 69% of Google searches now end without a click to any website. That's up from 56% just over a year earlier - a 13 percentage point jump driven by AI Overviews, featured snippets, and knowledge panels.
Where are those clicks going? Nowhere. Users get their answers directly from AI-generated summaries. The search engine became the destination.
One 2025 analysis found that when AI Overviews appear, the CTR for organic Position #1 drops from 7.3% to 2.6% - about a 47% decline in traffic for the same ranking. Your SEO might be working perfectly while your traffic tanks.
Public rollout in US market. Initial appearance rate approximately 5% of queries.
OpenAI introduces web search capabilities directly in ChatGPT.
Semrush baseline measurement shows steady growth in AI Overview triggers.
Semrush data shows approximately 100% growth in AI Overview appearance rate.
Similarweb reports highest zero-click rate recorded to date.
| Factor | SEO | AEO |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank high in search results | Get cited in AI-generated answers |
| Success Metric | Rankings, organic traffic, CTR | Citation frequency, brand mentions, answer inclusion |
| Content Format | Long-form, keyword-optimized | Direct answers, structured data, clear facts |
| Technical Priority | Page speed, mobile, Core Web Vitals | Schema markup, structured data, machine readability |
| Authority Signals | Backlinks, domain authority | E-E-A-T, citation footprint, topical coverage |
| Platform Focus | Google (primarily) | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI, Claude, Gemini |
If you're tracking organic traffic as your primary success metric, you may be optimizing for a shrinking pie. Position #1 doesn't mean what it used to when 69% of searchers never click anything.
Reddit's organic traffic grew over 250% between July 2023 and July 2024 according to third-party analyses. AI systems favor authentic user discussions and specific experiences over polished marketing content.
Low citation overlap between AI platforms means you need separate tracking for each. Content that works for one may not work for others.
AI systems are designed to cite reliable sources. Real expertise - clear author credentials, specific experience, verifiable claims - becomes a competitive advantage.
Some enterprise publishers - including HubSpot - have reportedly seen severe organic declines, with third-party analysts estimating drops of 70% or more following the rollout of AI Overviews. If they're vulnerable, most businesses are too.
Gartner predicts traditional search engine volume will drop about 25% by 2026 as users move to AI chatbots and virtual agents. That's not an SEO apocalypse - it's a channel diversification. Smart businesses will optimize for both.
Traditional SEO isn't dead. 31% of searches still result in clicks. Branded searches still drive direct traffic. Local SEO still connects physical businesses with nearby customers. The goal isn't replacement - it's addition.
The Bottom Line: The businesses that thrive in 2026 won't be the ones who picked SEO or AEO. They'll be the ones who understood that search behavior is fragmenting across multiple AI platforms - and built visibility strategies for each.
We're building a tool that analyzes your content and shows exactly what AI search systems see - and what's missing. Based on what's actually working for our 7-figure jewelry business, not theory.
AEO is the practice of optimizing content to be cited by AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews. Unlike SEO which focuses on ranking in search results, AEO focuses on being selected as a source when AI generates answers.
No. SEO and AEO work together. SEO still drives organic traffic from traditional search results, while AEO captures visibility in AI-generated answers. The smartest strategy combines both approaches. 31% of searches still result in clicks.
Focus on clear, factual content with strong E-E-A-T signals. Use structured data and schema markup. Answer questions directly in the first 40-60 words. Build topical authority through comprehensive content clusters. Track your citation footprint across platforms.
According to Similarweb data comparing May 2024 to July 2025, 69% of Google searches now end without a click to any website, up from 56% just over a year earlier. This is driven primarily by AI Overviews, featured snippets, and knowledge panels answering queries directly.
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