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Has AI killed SEO? That’s what many have been asking. A new study says not so fast. Fears of an AI-driven SEO apocalypse might be overblown. It appears Google traffic is holding steady, even with all the AI advancements.
Graphite, in partnership with Similarweb, recently dug into this topic. They analyzed traffic trends from over 40,000 websites. The goal? To see how AI is really impacting organic search.
The key finding? Organic traffic decline is minimal. In fact, reports show only a slight decrease. This suggests the SEO landscape is changing, not collapsing.
Debunking 4 Myths About AI’s Impact on SEO
The Graphite study tackles four big myths. These myths have fueled the idea that SEO is dying. Let’s look at each one and see what the data reveals.
Myth 1: SEO Traffic Has Dropped Drastically
The myth: SEO traffic has dropped 25-50%. Some even think it will keep declining.
To investigate, the study analyzed 40,000 US websites. They compared traffic from February-December 2024 to January-November 2025.
The finding? Only a slight decrease of -2.5% year-over-year. That’s not nearly as drastic as the myth suggests. It appears that AI Search Is Here, Don’t Let Your Local Business Fall Behind.
Mid-sized websites saw the biggest decline. But the smallest and largest websites actually grew their traffic.
For example, the top 10 websites increased traffic by nearly 2%. Instagram.com even saw a +21% increase.
Some categories also gained organic traffic. These included shopping, clothing, and marketplaces.
The conclusion? The traffic decline isn’t alarming. Google also stated that organic clicks to websites have remained relatively stable.
Myth 2: People Are Abandoning Search Engines for LLMs
The myth: People are using LLMs (like ChatGPT) instead of search engines. Some believe Google visits are quickly declining.
The study found global web traffic increased for both Google (+0.8%) and major search engines (+0.4%) in 2025.
Looking back, search engine traffic grew 6.9% from 2019 to 2020. It increased 3.4% in 2021. While there was a -1.5% dip in 2022, things have stabilized since 2023.
Worldwide visits to Google Search also tell a story. Duplicate visitors decreased slightly (-0.3%) between 2024 and 2025. But the fourth quarter of 2025 actually saw a 1.4% increase.
So, search engines remain relevant. We continue to rely on them. Traffic increased slightly for both Google and other major search engines in 2025.
Myth 3: AI Has Caused a Critical Drop in CTRs
The myth: AI Overviews are drastically reducing click-through rates (CTRs). This is causing SEO traffic to fall dramatically.
An Ahrefs study showed AI Overviews can drop CTR by -34.5%. Okay, that sounds bad.
But AI Overviews don’t appear all the time. Reports show they only show up about 30% of the time.
AI Overviews also appear more often for informational queries. Commercial keywords are less likely to trigger them. This means valuable keywords might not be as affected.
AI Overviews show up for 25% of non-branded keywords. They appear for 13% of branded keywords.
Consider this: AI Overviews have replaced Featured Snippets. Featured Snippets used to appear 20% of the time. While AI Overviews can drop CTR, they only appear 30% of the time.
Myth 4: Google Is Diverting Traffic from Organic to Ads
The myth: Google is “stealing clicks” by showing more ads. They’re diverting clicks from organic results to paid ads.
The study found the ratio of organic clicks to ad clicks decreased by 7%. So, there’s been a shift.
But here’s the big picture: 90% of all clicks on Google are still for organic results. Paid results only account for 10%.
Yes, ad clicks have increased. But organic clicks still dominate. People are still clicking on those “free” listings.
Final Thoughts: The State of SEO and AI
The Graphite/Similarweb study brings good news. Fears of an AI SEO apocalypse seem overblown. Organic traffic hasn’t plummeted. Search engines are still relevant. And organic clicks continue to dominate.
The SEO landscape is evolving. AI is changing things. But SEO isn’t dead. It’s just different. You can find great Affordable SEO Services in Pakistan with SERPRankers.com
So, don’t panic. Instead, keep learning and adapting. SEO is still a vital part of online success. To further develop your SEO skills check out this article about the AI Search Is Here, Don’t Let Your Local Business Fall Behind
FAQs
Has AI killed SEO?
No, AI hasn’t killed SEO. A recent study shows organic traffic is still strong. Search engines remain relevant, even with AI advancements.
Are people using search engines less because of AI?
No, people aren’t abandoning search engines. Global web traffic to Google and other search engines actually increased in 2025. Search engines are still a primary way people find information.
Are AI Overviews hurting click-through rates?
AI Overviews can reduce click-through rates when they appear. However, they don’t appear for every search. Also, organic results still get the majority of clicks.
Is Google diverting traffic to ads instead of organic results?
While ad clicks have increased, organic clicks still dominate. 90% of clicks on Google are for organic results. So, organic search is still very important.
What should I do to adapt my SEO strategy to AI?
Focus on creating high-quality content. Understand how AI Overviews work. Also, monitor your keyword rankings and traffic. Staying informed and adaptable is key.
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