Is AI eating your traffic?

by Kevin Windorf, CEO, FCS; CMO, 2112 Communications

The value of traditional SEO is shifting – and fast. As AI-powered search tools and Google’s zero-click results become the norm, the playbook for driving organic traffic is being rewritten. For financial marketers and media pros, this is a fundamental challenge to visibility and engagement.

Historically, the SEO game was simple: optimize, rank, and wait for clicks. But zero-click search – where users get answers directly on the search page – means fewer visits to publisher sites. AI summaries, like Google’s AI Overviews or ChatGPT browsing features, are accelerating the trend, allowing high-quality content to be consumed without either attribution or driving traffic. In short, the pipeline from search to owned media is at risk of drying up.

This is especially critical for editorially driven brands and thought leadership content. Financial firms that invest heavily in white papers, insights, and commentary must now rethink how that content reaches audiences. It’s no longer enough to optimize for keywords – you need a strategy for visibility beyond the click.

Here’s what matters now:

• Build brand authority: Make your firm synonymous with trust and credibility so that readers seek you out directly.
• Leverage distribution: Paid media, newsletters, and syndication channels can amplify content that search alone no longer supports.
• Optimize for AI discovery: Structure content with clear, direct answers and rich metadata to increase your chances of being cited or summarized.

AI and zero-click aren’t necessarily death knells for SEO – but they are wake-up calls. Financial marketers must adapt or risk losing mindshare in a market that’s no longer driven by the attractiveness of blue links.