Ahrefs just analyzed 146 million US searches. The headline? Google’s AI now answers 58% of “how-to” questions before showing any website links.
When someone searches “how does a heat pump work” or “should I repair or replace my furnace,” they’re getting their answer directly from Google’s AI. Your carefully written blog post? It’s sitting below the fold, if it shows up at all.
I’ll be honest: when I first saw these numbers, my immediate reaction was concern for our clients. Our SEO company has spent years helping service businesses build educational content that ranks, drives traffic, and generates leads. That playbook worked consistently for the better part of a decade.
But the data is clear. Something fundamental has shifted.
The Old Playbook Is Less Reliable
The strategy that worked for the past decade was straightforward: write helpful blog posts answering common questions, rank in Google, visitors read your content and call.
It was predictable. It was measurable. And for years, it worked.
That reliability is fading. Here’s what recent research shows: even when your content appears in AI Overviews, you can rank prominently but still get zero clicks. And even if you do get clicks, Google doesn’t report them in your analytics.
We ran a small study across several client websites, analyzing their question-based queries over the past three months. The pattern was consistent: impressions held steady or climbed. Rankings remained strong. But clicks to educational content? Down. Conversions from blog posts? Flat or declining.
The educational content isn’t broken. The path from content to customer has changed.
Local Search Is Still Wide Open (For Now)
Here’s the important part: while AI has taken over informational queries, local search behavior is different.
AI appears for only 8% of “near me” searches and just 2% of booking-intent queries. When someone searches “HVAC repair near me” or “emergency plumber Ottawa,” they’re not getting an AI summary. They’re seeing your Google Business Profile, your local pages, and your competitors’ listings.
That gap won’t last forever. But right now, local search remains the most reliable path from online visibility to customer calls.
Think about what this means: fewer people are clicking through to your website, even when your visibility metrics look strong. Our home services SEO clients are reporting the same pattern—impressions up, website visits down, but phone calls holding steady or growing.
The conversions aren’t coming from blog post readers anymore. They’re coming from people who see your GBP, check your reviews, look at your photos, and call directly.
The Reality Check on AI Traffic
Before we talk strategy, let’s kill one myth: AI referral traffic is not replacing Google Search traffic.
Recent studies found that AI referrals made up just 1.08% of total website visits and are only growing about 1% per month. Almost 90% of that tiny slice comes from ChatGPT alone.
What does this mean practically? Google Search and your Google Business Profile still drive the overwhelming majority of your leads. AI search is interesting. It’s evolving. But it’s not where your customers are finding you today.
That said, the trajectory is clear. AI agents are gradually reducing traditional search behavior by handling search, filtering, and comparing options on behalf of users. Future customers may not “search” at all—agents will do it for them.
That future isn’t here yet. But it’s coming fast enough that you need to start adapting now.
What You Should Do Right Now
Most business owners will keep running the same playbook from 2022. The strategic ones are already adjusting.
Your blog posts aren’t dead. But their role has changed—from lead generation engine to authority builder, from primary traffic driver to sales enablement tool.
Here’s what matters now:
Treat your Google Business Profile like your homepage. Since fewer people click through to your website, your GBP needs to answer everything: What services do you offer? Where? What do reviews say? How do I contact you right now? Most business owners treat GBP like an afterthought. That’s a mistake you can’t afford anymore.
Look at your actual traffic sources. Where are your conversions really coming from? In our analysis of client sites, educational blog traffic declined while GBP-driven calls remained steady or grew. Let your data tell you where to focus.
Stop measuring success by blog post traffic alone. If your visibility is up but site visits are flat, that’s not failure—that’s the new reality. Start tracking GBP actions: calls, direction requests, website clicks from your profile.
Create content AI can’t replicate. Generic “what is” posts lose value when AI answers the question directly. What still works: your specific pricing, your actual process, your customer stories. Things that require local knowledge and real experience.
Diversify where you show up. Educational content still works for building authority. You just can’t rely on it as your only channel. Smart business owners are balancing their efforts across Google Local Search Ads, social media where they control distribution, local SEO fundamentals, and content structured for AI to cite rather than compete with.
So, Do Blog Posts Help SEO?
Your blog posts still work. They build expertise. They support sales conversations. They provide value to customers who research deeply before making contact.
They just can’t be your only answer anymore.
The game hasn’t ended. The rules have changed. And the business owners who recognize that early will dominate their markets while their competitors wonder why traffic keeps declining.
The question isn’t whether to keep creating content. It’s whether you’re creating the right content, putting it in the right places, and measuring the right outcomes.
Most won’t adjust. The strategic ones already are.
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