How Will AI and LLMs Change Digital Marketing?

It’s no longer a question of if AI and LLMs will impact search. The answer is clear: because of AI the digital marketing landscape is experiencing a seismic shift. According to the latest 2025 Previsible AI Traffic Report featured in Search Engine Land, AI-driven traffic has exploded by an unprecedented 527%, fundamentally challenging everything we thought we knew about search engine optimization.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: AI Traffic Is Surging

The data from the report reveals a striking transformation in how users discover and consume content online. Comparing the first five months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, total sessions from Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini surged dramatically from 17,076 to 107,100 across 19 GA4 properties analyzed.

This isn’t just a temporary spike—it represents a fundamental shift in user behavior. While AI-driven traffic currently represents a modest 0.25% of total web traffic, projections suggest this could grow to 10% of the overall traffic mix by the end of 2025 if current growth rates continue.

AI Platforms Are Transforming Discovery

The rise of AI platforms is reshaping how people find information online. Rather than traditional search engines being the primary gateway to content, LLMs are increasingly becoming part of the user journey. This shift is particularly pronounced in certain sectors:

• Retail: Adobe Analytics reports that traffic from generative AI sources to U.S. retail websites jumped 1,200% between July 2024 and February 2025
• E-commerce and Health: Platforms like Perplexity and Gemini are gaining significant traction in these sectors
• Various Industries: ChatGPT continues to lead AI referral traffic across multiple industries

The SEO Playbook Is Being Rewritten

This dramatic shift in traffic patterns means that traditional SEO strategies are no longer sufficient. The old playbook of optimizing solely for Google’s algorithms is giving way to a more complex landscape where multiple AI platforms influence content discovery.

What Are the Key Changes SEO Professionals Must Consider?

1. Multi-Platform Optimization: Instead of focusing exclusively on Google, marketers must now consider how their content performs across various AI platforms and LLMs.

2. Content Strategy Evolution: The rise of generative search experiences raises new challenges around visibility, trust, and content strategy. Content must be optimized not just for search engines, but for AI platforms that may summarize, quote, or reference it.

3. User Behavior Patterns: Interestingly, users coming from AI sources demonstrate different engagement patterns—they browse more but convert less, with 12% more page views per visit but lower conversion rates.

4. Citation and Authority: With AI platforms increasingly citing sources, earning visibility in generative search results becomes crucial for maintaining traffic and authority.

What Does the Shift to AI Search Mean for Digital Marketers?

The implications of this shift extend far beyond simple traffic metrics. As AI platforms become integral to content discovery, businesses must adapt their digital marketing strategies to remain competitive.

Immediate Action Items:

• Track AI Traffic: Begin monitoring traffic from AI platforms in your analytics to understand your baseline and growth patterns
• Optimize for AI Citations: Focus on creating content that AI platforms are likely to cite and reference
• Diversify Discovery Channels: Don’t rely solely on traditional search engines for organic traffic
• Adapt Content Strategy: Create content that performs well in both traditional search and AI-generated responses

The Future of Search Is Here

The 527% increase in AI traffic isn’t just a statistic—it’s a clear signal that the future of search and content discovery is already happening. While traditional SEO isn’t disappearing overnight, the landscape is evolving rapidly.

Businesses that recognize this shift early and adapt their strategies accordingly will be better positioned to capture the growing segment of AI-driven traffic. Those who continue to rely solely on traditional SEO methods risk being left behind as user behavior continues to evolve.

The question isn’t whether AI will impact your website’s traffic—it’s how quickly you can adapt your strategy to thrive in this new era of AI-powered discovery.

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This analysis is based on data from the 2025 Previsible AI Traffic Report and related industry research. As the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly, these trends and recommendations should be regularly reassessed and updated.