AI Search Is Cutting Your Website Traffic

GBC Digital Marketing helps contractors grow their businesses by getting found online. But in 2025, something big is happening. Something that could cost you leads if you’re not paying attention. Google is changing. Search behavior is changing. And your marketing strategy needs to change with it.

Let’s talk about what’s really going on and what it means for contractors like you.

The Internet Has Quietly Shifted

You might still be ranking on page one. You might still be putting out blog posts, doing SEO, and running ads. But something feels off. Website traffic is down. Calls are slowing. Form fills are dropping. You look at your numbers and think, “Why is this happening?”

It’s not your imagination. Google is showing AI answers right on the search results page, and that’s stopping people from ever visiting your website.

You may have already seen them. They’re called AI Overviews, and they look like little paragraphs at the top of the page. They give users a full answer before they even scroll. No need to click a link. No need to visit a site.

That’s a problem. And now we have proof.

Pew Research Confirms What We’re Seeing

In a major study released by Pew Research in May 2025, they tracked 2.5 million web browsing sessions. Here’s what they found:

• 6 out of 10 search users were shown an AI Overview during their session.
• When AI was present, people clicked on traditional search links only 8 percent of the time.
• When there was no AI, that number jumped to 15 percent.
• Only 1 percent clicked a link inside the AI summary.
• A large number of users simply ended their search after reading the AI summary.

That means more than half the time, people are finding answers and leaving without clicking a single site.

You may still be ranking, but the traffic isn’t coming through. That’s why your leads are drying up.

What This Means for Local Contractors

If you run a fence company, plumbing business, remodeling service, or any local trade that depends on search to drive leads, this shift is serious. You’re not just competing with other contractors anymore. You’re competing with Google’s AI.

People who used to click through to read your blog post or service page are now stopping at the AI box. That means fewer eyeballs on your site, fewer calls, and fewer jobs.

Worse yet, when Google does cite a source in the AI summary, it’s often a big national site. Reddit, Wikipedia, WebMD, YouTube, or a major news outlet. Local businesses like yours are rarely mentioned.

You worked hard to build that website. You spent time and money writing blog posts, optimizing pages, and getting reviews. But now that content is being used to power Google’s AI responses without sending people to your business.

That’s not just frustrating. It’s costing you money.

If Your SEO Company Isn’t Talking About This, You Should Be Concerned

Here’s the part that might sting a little. If your marketing company hasn’t brought this up, they may not know what’s going on. Or worse, they’re hoping you don’t notice.

Because the truth is this: SEO in 2025 is not the same as SEO in 2022. The rulebook has changed. If your strategy hasn’t, you’re falling behind while your competitors get smarter.

Now is not the time to stay comfortable. Now is the time to ask the hard questions.

• How are we adapting to AI Overviews?
• Are we still getting results from our content?
• What other channels are we using to get leads?
• Are we being seen outside of just our website?

If your current provider can’t answer those questions clearly, it may be time for a new approach.

What GBC Digital Marketing Is Doing Right Now

At GBC Digital, we work with contractors all over the country. We build strategies that work in the real world, not just on paper. And we’ve already adapted to this shift in AI search.

Here’s how we’re keeping leads flowing even with AI at the top of the results page.

1. Targeting the Local Map Pack and Google Business Profile

When people skip websites, they often still click the phone number or directions on Google Maps. We optimize your profile, add updates, monitor reviews, and make sure you show up when it matters.

2. Running Local Service Ads and High-Converting PPC

If Google is keeping traffic, we go where the traffic is. Paid ads give you visibility right at the top, even above the AI boxes. And when someone needs a contractor fast, these ads convert.

3. Creating Content Built for Featured Snippets and Voice Search

We still write content, but we write it in a way that answers questions clearly and quickly. That gives you a shot at being pulled into the AI answer itself, or getting into the featured snippet box that shows up above the links.

4. Expanding Your Brand Beyond Your Website

We help your business get mentioned on other platforms too. Local directories, social media, review sites, YouTube, Reddit, forums—places where AI pulls its information. That way, you show up even if your website doesn’t get the click.

5. Tracking Leads That Don’t Come From Your Website

We don’t just track site traffic. We track phone calls, messages, bookings, and direction clicks from your Google profile. Because in 2025, that’s where many leads are coming from.

Let’s Be Honest About What’s Coming

This shift is only going to grow. Google isn’t going to stop with AI Overviews. They’ll add more, show them more often, and rely more on large sources to power them.

That’s the direction we’re heading, whether we like it or not.

But there’s good news.

You can still win.

You just need the right strategy. You need a marketing team that understands how the game has changed and has a plan to keep your business visible in the places where people are now making decisions.

The Takeaway

If your phone isn’t ringing as much, and your website traffic is down, don’t wait. Start asking questions.

Are you showing up in the right places?

Are you on top of the map pack?

Is your content still pulling in leads?

Is your provider aware of how AI Overviews are affecting your results?

If not, we can help.

At GBC Digital Marketing, we don’t wait for trends. We spot them early, we test what works, and we build systems that get results for local contractors across the country.

If you’re ready to stop worrying about traffic drops and start focusing on getting jobs booked, let’s talk.

Your business deserves a strategy that works now, not one built for a world that no longer exists.