Issue #91: What Happens When Google Search Traffic Falls to Zero?
Howdy 👋🏾. A few months back, I wrote about the shift from SEO to AEO, how Answer Engine Optimization was becoming the new game as people moved from Google searches to AI conversations.
Since then, I’ve been getting the same question over and over: “Should I stop SEO optimizing my website and platforms?” The answer is no. SEO is dying because search engines aren’t the front door they once were, people are embracing new forms of discovery, and the results you get from Google will continue to decline. But what I don’t want to be lost is that many of the principles of SEO have direct value to AEO. It’s more of an evolution than a replacement.
When you rethink how you approach optimization, you start to realize the focus may be different, but the core principles of AEO actually expand on SEO.
The data is getting clearer on what’s actually happening. A recent analysis by SparkToro and Datos found that nearly 59% of Google searches now end in zero clicks, meaning users get their answers directly from Google’s results page without visiting any websites. Discovery patterns have fundamentally shifted beyond just Google Zero, though. More people turn to social media for restaurant recommendations, and common searches like “resume help” or “QuickBooks alternatives” increasingly start with ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity rather than Google.
But here’s the critical difference: AI doesn’t give you 20 links, it gives you 2 or 3 names. In niche markets, that can be a massive tailwind if you make the shortlist. If you’re not in the answer, you’re invisible. And here’s the twist: SEO is feeding these AI systems.
When you ask ChatGPT about data lakes or Perplexity about QuickBooks alternatives, these AI models aren’t just pulling from their training data (which can be months old). They’re using RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) to grab real-time information. Many have relied on Bing or other private search engines to drive those results, and many of these engines have closely followed Google’s approach. This is important for understanding why SEO value still exists.
With Microsoft retiring the Bing Search APIs in August 2025, we’re watching the old pipes get dismantled. ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are building their own indexes, meaning discovery will be even less centralized than the Google + Bing duopoly we’ve known.
Even as this shift happens, core SEO concepts such as trusted sources and authority remain critical. These AI engines might care less about keywords and more about entities such as companies, people, and products that are consistently represented across the web. However, they still need to find this information from sources they feel they can trust. They’re just doing it through different pathways.
However, some things proven critical in SEO still matter: respectability through deep links from trusted sources, authoritative content from Wikipedia, and other trusted sources. These companies are still trying to measure trust and authority in different ways. If you’re seeing less traffic from keywords but a spike in company name searches in Google Search Console, that’s a direct sign you’re already seeing the impact.
So what should you actually do about it?
Here’s where the 8 core AEO principles come into play, and they’re more actionable than you might think:
Start with the audit: Ask ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity about your business, services, products, and team members. Do these tools know you exist? If they do, what do they know about you? This sets the floor for your strategy.
Then get practical:
- Reframe your content around questions. Instead of “Our Data Lake Solutions,” try “How do I choose the right data lakehouse architecture?” AI engines are looking for direct answers to specific questions.
- Add schema markup if you haven’t already. FAQ Page, HowTo, and LocalBusiness schema help AI systems “read” your content properly.
- Claim everything, everywhere. Google Business, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, industry directories, consistency across platforms matters more now because AI engines care about entities, not just keywords.
- Watch your Search Console differently. Look for the pattern: less traffic from keywords, more company name searches. That’s your AI discovery signal.
Most importantly: Don’t silo this work. AEO isn’t separate from your existing SEO, content, or PPC strategy—it’s an evolution that expands on what you’re already doing.
The rules of discovery have changed. You’re no longer just optimizing for Google; you’re optimizing for a world where AI is often the first stop, and making the shortlist is everything. The question isn’t whether you’re on page one anymore.
The question is: are you even in the answer?
Remember: don’t just Google yourself and your business. Test every single AI model. Ask the same questions across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and whatever new tools emerge. This is also the worst AI we’ll ever use. Companies are figuring this out as a moving target, and when I revisit this topic in a few months, things will have changed and maybe consolidated as the market matures.
The shift from SEO to AEO isn’t the end of optimization; it’s the next chapter. The fundamentals haven’t changed; the context has. The best marketers and builders will be the ones who adapt faster than the algorithms, testing how they show up across every new surface of discovery.
-jason
🎙️Fresh From the Studio
For this week’s episode of Thoughts on Tech & Things, I sat down with Andy Janaitis, founder of PPC Pitbulls, to unpack what happens when Google search traffic falls to zero and how to stay visible when answers replace clicks. We get into Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), how AI-driven search from ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity is reshaping discovery, why Shopify’s ChatGPT shopping changes the funnel, and what it really takes to “be in the answer.
Listen now and subscribe on Apple or Spotify. If you enjoy it or have ideas for future episodes or guests, I’d love to hear from you. I read every message: just hit reply or email contact@jasonmperry.com.
🔗 The Best in Tech This Week
🛒 Amazon vs. Perplexity – Amazon has sued Perplexity, claiming its AI browser Comet poses as human shoppers to scrape data—hinting at a future where bots don’t just find deals, they buy them.
📉 Wikipedia’s Traffic Is Falling Fast – As AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity answer questions directly, Wikipedia is losing visitors and raising questions about what happens when the open web starts to dry up.
📚 Elon Musk Launches Grokopedia – Musk’s new AI-powered encyclopedia replaces human editors with his Grok model, signaling a shift toward an internet increasingly written and curated by machines.
🎤 The AI Roadshow: Workshops, Talks & Beyond
November 15 – Maryland DevFest
January 5 – CES
P.S. Before you go…
In San Francisco’s Mission District, a Waymo self-driving car struck and sadly killed a beloved neighborhood cat named KitKat. It’s a heartbreaking reminder that as AI takes the wheel, accountability becomes less clear. When the driver is an algorithm—who’s truly responsible? RIP Kit Kat 🌈
