Understanding Hefty Traffic Drops From AI
Understanding your data and ensuring you get the correct value from your investments is a tricky but crucial balancing act. The first step is always having access to the most relevant data regarding your site, which means setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console (GSC) accounts, at a minimum.
Both free tools provided by Google offer invaluable insights into how people reach your site (GSC) and how people engage with it afterward (GA4). Building up months of data means you can review this information and start spotting trends, letting you plan for the future and plugging holes where content and pages aren’t providing the maximum value.
But what happens if you start seeing trends completely different from what you saw in the past? Usually, you can connect the dots between Clicks and Impressions, Page Views and Users.
However, with the rollout of AI and its impact on how users engage with content, sites are seeing dips in and changes that were unlikely to happen before 2024. The Google AI Overview (AIO) is changing how we look at SEO, and now is the time to review your data and understand the next steps. In Episode 70 of the Perfect Afternoon Morning Show, SEO nerds Dwight Zahringer and Gary Jones discuss talking points and the next steps for spotting things that don’t add up.
Summary: Since January 2025, many have seen differences in traffic vs. rankings (going up), but impressions and clicks are decreasing. How is AI impacting search results, and how do you pivot? Discuss the chances of hefty traffic drops and how to alter your tactics for your digital strategy with Perfect Afternoon.
