Mind The Gap: AI Search Traffic May Be Rising, But Conversion-Efficiency Doesn’t Compare To Organic 

Even as AI’s takeover of search gets so much attention, it’s important to remember one of the insights made clear by BrightEdge’s recent research: AI referral traffic does not necessarily mean real-life conversions.

“AI search functions as a research channel, not a conversion channel,” says the BrightEdge report, which analyzed thousands of search queries and sites from January through August, only to find “near-zero direct conversions tracked.” 

Compared to organic search, which consistently saw between 1.2% and 1.4% conversion rates, AI search is seeing an “efficiency gap [that’s] actually increasing over time.”

 

AI Referral Traffic ‘Not Making Up For Search Losses’: How Publishers Can Respond

Growing referral traffic from AI is nowhere near making up for losses from search since the arrival of Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, leading publishers have said. … Representatives … agreed there is no meaningful value exchange from AI bot traffic to websites and that publishers need to bolster themselves via the use of human experts and original content.

 

SMBs Are Doing More Than Ever. So Why Is Confidence Failing?

While you might be tempted to only use social media, tried-and-true channels, like email and SMS, are reemerging — delivering strong results with less cost and complexity. 44% of SMBs say email is their most effective channel — nearly double from last year.

 

Shoppers Trust GenAI More Than Brand Websites For Purchase Advice

Generative AI (genAI) is the second most preferred source for purchase recommendations among genAI users worldwide, with users nearly twice as likely to use genAI than retailer/brand websites or apps, according to January 2025 data from Accenture.