AI Overviews Are Eating Your Search Traffic: Here’s How to Adapt

At Animalz, we’ve seen this trend firsthand. Many companies are generating more search impressions through strong content, yet average CTR continues to fall. Like in the example below:

The common cause? A growing number of keywords that trigger AIO results and capture user attention before they ever reach the organic listings. As a result, brands grow search traffic at a slower pace.

And with Google not even acknowledging this decline (CEO Sundar Pichai claims AIO boosts CTR), companies are left to navigate the fallout on their own. We’ve already shared how to strengthen visibility in AI search with the AI Visibility Pyramid. In this article, we’ll go over how to continue driving growth through traditional search even as CTRs shrink.

1. Realign Internally Around Success Metrics

For many companies, organic traffic has long been the default metric for content success. But as AI Overviews make search traffic less predictable, it’s time to expand the lens.

Instead of relying solely on traffic, elevate full-funnel conversions as your north star. That might mean tracking CRM-sourced leads, product demo requests, gated content downloads, or newsletter signups — whatever actions signal meaningful engagement for your business. Even qualitative data like "How did you hear about us?" (HDYHAU) survey responses can shed light on your content’s impact.

You can also use SEO for brand visibility. In that case, place more value on search impressions. Impressions don’t reflect clicks, but they do show how often your brand appears in front of potential buyers, a useful proxy for brand awareness.

Redefining success often requires internal conversations. You’ll need to align stakeholders around why traffic isn’t always the best indicator of performance, and show how new metrics better reflect content’s real impact. The upside? You’ll build a more resilient, ROI-focused program in the process.

2. Systematically Cover Every Relevant BOFU Keyword

Bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content captures searchers actively evaluating tools or ready to make a purchase. Yet many companies leave opportunities on the table by failing to cover the full spectrum of BOFU queries.

It’s common to see brands publish "Product A vs. Product B" articles or competitor comparisons, but skip essential queries like "[Competitor] alternatives" or "best [category] tools." These gaps allow competitors to win over buyers at the final decision stage.

Run a structured audit of your BOFU keyword coverage. Look for modifiers like: best, top, alternatives, vs, tools, software, and platforms. Use them to identify overlooked search intents in your category.

Once you have a comprehensive list, build a prioritized content plan and methodically create the pieces that address each gap. This approach helps ensure your brand shows up wherever buying decisions are being made.

3. Identify High-Converting Topic Clusters 

Most teams track traffic and aggregate conversions, but few zoom in on how individual pages perform. Yet, per-page conversion data is a goldmine for discovering what truly drives business outcomes. But don’t stop at identifying which blog posts or product pages convert best. Use the data to uncover scalable opportunities.

A single high-performing article often points to a high-potential topic cluster. If one piece in the cluster drives conversions, chances are related topics will too, especially if they target the same audience intent.

Take Preply as an example. Animalz worked with this language learning platform to identify 114 new revenue-driving topics across 15+ topic clusters.

Covering these topics enables Preply to enjoy a significant conversion and traffic boost. It also de-risks content investment because the team has the data to prove their efforts can drive growth. 

4. Use Content Upgrades to Convert More Visitors 

Content upgrades are gated downloadable assets unique to a blog post or landing page. Unlike generic lead magnets, these offers are tailored to the topic at hand, making them far more likely to drive email signups. 

For example, a blog post on thought leadership might offer a free list of 100 writing prompts to help readers brainstorm social content. This resource is directly relevant to readers’ goals.

Content upgrades can take many forms:

• Checklists
• Cheatsheets
• Templates
• Swipe files
• Spreadsheets
• Mini ebooks
• Data reports
• Quizzes
• Email courses

HubSpot often deploys this strategy. In an article on creating a marketing plan, they offer a free marketing plan template so that readers can more easily implement what they’ve learned.

Content upgrades don’t have to be complex or expensive to produce. As long as they offer immediate value, they can significantly increase your conversion rate. Brian Dean, a founder of SEO site Backlinko, used content upgrades to boost conversion rates by 785%. 

Content upgrades are also a powerful tool for long-term audience growth because they help you build a qualified email list. You can continue sharing valuable content through email and stay top of mind until readers are ready to buy.

5. Match CTAs to Funnel Stage

Calls to action (CTAs) aren’t one-size-fits-all. A visitor reading top-of-funnel (TOFU) content isn’t ready for a sales pitch as they’re exploring a problem. In contrast, someone on a bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) page is likely considering vendors.

Mapping CTAs and content assets to funnel stages ensures each piece of content drives the most relevant next step. Here’s how to tailor your CTAs by funnel level.

TOFU CTAs nurture early-stage interest and typically feature low-friction asks:

• Subscribe for more insights
• Download our free guide
• Take the self-assessment

MOFU CTAs build trust and qualify buyer intent. These may reference your product more directly:

• Get the software buying checklist
• Watch our product tour
• See how Company X achieved Y with us

BOFU CTA’s content should drive direct action. They are geared toward leads who are ready to talk to sales or demo your product. CTA examples include:

• Book a demo
• Request a quote
• Start your free trial

Audit your existing content to ensure CTAs reflect where the reader is in their journey. A generic "Contact Us" button on every blog post won’t move the needle, but a strategic, funnel-aware CTA can.

This small but powerful adjustment helps you move more readers from interest to intent to action.

6. Don’t Shy Away From Mentioning Your Product

Some brands still treat TOFU and MOFU content like a zone where product mentions are forbidden. The fear is understandable: no one wants to come off as pushy or overly promotional. But in the age of AI Overviews and increasingly zero-click search experiences, holding back your solution is a missed opportunity.

People are looking for clear answers and actionable next steps. Offering your product as part of that path forward respects their time and intent.

This doesn’t mean every blog post should read like a pitch deck. Strategic product inclusion simply means referencing your solution in a way that’s helpful and contextually relevant to the topic. That could be:

• A one-sentence mention of a feature
• A link to a related use case or demo
• A brief example of how your product solves the discussed problem

Semrush offers a great example of this in action. In their introductory "What Is SEO?" guide, an extremely TOFU piece, they subtly highlight a product feature that offers value without distraction.

The best content makes product mentions feel obvious, natural, and helpful. Done well, this approach builds awareness and shortens the distance between interest and action.

7. Refresh Content More Often to Stay Competitive

Search intent and SERP features constantly evolve. A blog post that ranked well six months ago might fall behind if newer content addresses the query more directly or better aligns with updated intent. 

The pace of change in search results has only accelerated with AI Overviews. That’s why content refreshing is essential. Regularly revisiting your existing content allows you to:

• Update outdated information or statistics
• Optimize for new SERP features like AI Overviews or featured snippets
• Reframe angles to better match how users are searching today

Focus first on refreshing high-traffic and high-converting pages. Use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, and your SEO tools of choice to spot declining traffic and keyword rankings.

Then, revise with intent. Add clarity. Incorporate fresh examples. Align headlines and intros with current phrasing and expectations. Consistent updates can help maintain rankings, extend content lifespan, and protect your investment.

Search Remains a Growth Lever

AI Overviews are rewriting the rules of search, but they’re not the end of search-driven content. Brands that cling to legacy metrics, ignore declining CTRs, or avoid adapting their strategies will find it harder to maintain growth. 

But there’s still plenty of opportunity for those willing to shift their focus toward conversions, revenue-generating clusters, product-aligned messaging, and high-ROI refreshes. SEO remains a powerful and cost-effective growth lever. We’ll just need to work a little harder, and a lot smarter, for it to deliver on its potential.

Ajdin Perco

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