Google’s organic traffic is falling, AI-generated answers are absorbing clicks, and the old SEO playbook no longer covers enough ground. Our team is actively restructuring client strategies around generative engine Optimisation (GEO)—ensuring brands appear not just in traditional search results but inside AI-generated citations and chatbot responses. Here’s what we’re doing right now and why it matters.

Key Takeaways

• SEO strategy in 2026 must account for both traditional search rankings and AI answer visibility.
• Free AI chatbots can accelerate keyword research, but every suggestion needs validation against real search data.
• Google traffic is declining for many sites—diversifying traffic sources is no longer optional.
• AI visibility gap analysis reveals exactly where competitors get cited by AI engines and you don’t.
• Backlinks remain a core trust signal for both search engines and AI citation algorithms.

Rebuilding SEO Strategy Around AI Answers and Traditional Search

The days of optimising for ten blue links alone are over. We now build every client strategy around a dual objective: rank in Google and get cited by AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s own AI Overviews. This means structuring content to answer specific questions concisely, using clear entity markup, and targeting the exact prompts users type into AI tools.

Our planning process now starts with six core decisions—audience definition, intent mapping, content format, distribution channel, measurement framework, and AI citation targeting—a workflow closely aligned with the modern SEO strategy framework published by Semrush. We recommend every business owner works through these decisions before producing a single page of content.

Using AI Chatbots for Keyword Research—Then Validating Everything

Our content team regularly uses ChatGPT, Gemini, and other free chatbots to brainstorm keyword clusters and topic angles. They’re fast. They surface long-tail queries we might otherwise miss. But they hallucinate volume data and invent metrics.

Every AI-generated keyword suggestion gets cross-checked against actual search volume, keyword difficulty, and SERP features. This two-step process—generate with AI, validate with data—is exactly the approach detailed in Semrush’s testing of five free chatbot tools for AI keyword research. Skip the validation step and you’ll waste months chasing terms nobody searches for.

What We Tell Clients When Google Traffic Drops

Traffic dips are hitting sites across every sector. AI Overviews answer queries directly, reducing click-through rates on informational content. We’ve seen clients lose 15–25% of organic sessions on how-to and definition pages over the past year.

Our response is blunt: stop relying on Google as your only channel.

• Build email lists aggressively.
• Invest in owned communities and direct-to-site audiences.
• Create content formats AI can’t easily replicate—original research, proprietary data, video walkthroughs.

This mirrors the strategic guidance in Semrush’s analysis of marketing success in the age of AI-related traffic loss. Diversification isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s survival.

Spotting AI Visibility Gaps Before Competitors Close Them

GEO introduces a new competitive dimension. Your competitor might not outrank you on Google—but they could be the brand AI engines cite when users ask about your core service. We now run regular AI visibility audits for clients, identifying the specific prompts and sources where competitors appear in AI-generated answers and our clients don’t.

This gap analysis is central to our GEO workflow, a process we’ve refined using the AI visibility gap methodology outlined by Semrush. Once gaps are identified, we create targeted content designed to earn those citations.

Backlinks Still Drive Authority—for Search Engines and AI Alike

Nothing has replaced backlinks as a trust signal. AI models pull citations from authoritative, well-linked sources. A page with strong referring domains is more likely to be quoted by ChatGPT or surfaced in Perplexity answers.

We use seven proven tactics—digital PR, guest contributions, resource page outreach, original data studies, broken link building, HARO responses, and partnership content—to build links for clients. These methods align directly with the backlink acquisition strategies documented by Semrush. Quality over quantity. Every single time.

The shift to GEO is not a future concern—it’s the present reality. Businesses that adapt their SEO strategies now, validate their keyword research with real data, diversify beyond Google traffic, audit their AI visibility gaps, and continue building authoritative backlinks will hold a measurable advantage. We’re implementing these changes across every client account today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)?

GEO is the practice of optimising your content so it gets cited in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. It extends traditional SEO by targeting the prompts and source patterns AI engines use to select citations.

How do web designers and marketers find AI visibility gaps?

You identify the specific queries and prompts where competitors are cited by AI engines but your brand is not. Tools like Semrush now offer dedicated reports that compare your AI citation presence against competitors across key topics.

Why does on-page SEO still matter if AI is answering queries directly?

AI models pull their answers from well-structured, authoritative web pages—so on-page SEO determines whether your content gets selected as a source. Strong headings, clear entity markup, and concise answers increase your chances of being cited.

What should a business do when Google organic traffic drops?

Diversify immediately into owned channels like email lists, communities, and direct audiences. Simultaneously, create content formats AI can’t easily replicate—original research, proprietary data, and interactive tools—to retain search value.