63% are getting AI traffic

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research… 

In today’s release: 

• Why 63% of sites are seeing traffic from AI tools, and how optimizing for answers (not just rankings) could boost yours too.

• The 6 GEO tactics that lifted one agency’s AI traffic by 2,300%, including how a simple FAQ block triggered a 37% spike in visibility.

• Why leads coming from ChatGPT and Perplexity are more qualified 

New here? Join 8,100+ marketing pros and see us in your inbox every Friday—

DEEP DIVE

Every week, I’m doing a CRM/Lead deep dive to pin down what’s working for us… and what’s not. 

We all know AI is a big thing. LinkedIn is chalkful of tips, tricks, and downloads ($198, today only! 😉) about how to use AI for the content creation side… I won’t get into my opinion on that end. 

But when was the last time you really looked at your lead quality who are coming in via AI search? 

The last few weeks, we’ve driven more leads via GenAI search than LinkedIn (traditionally a really good platform for us). BUT, the cool part, leads coming in via AI are: 

• More qualified

• Ready to jump in sooner

• Know exactly what they’re looking for

And… we’re not alone. So, let’s shift our AI lens from ‘content creation’ to ‘lead gen’ for a few minutes, and look at the numbers and strategies working in today’s digital marketing world…

Introducing GEO: Generative Engine Optimization.

The data

• 63% of sites report AI-driven visits.

• Organic search traffic could drop by up to 50%

• Improving text fluency and structure (shorter sentences, bullet points, clear intros) increases inclusion in AI summaries by 15–30%.

• Pages that included supporting stats and quotes from authoritative sources were 30-40% more likely to show up in AI summaries.

• FAQ sections increase AI inclusion rates by 37%

We’re shifting from searchability to answerability

Google’s first page used to be the battlefield. Now, it’s the chat box.

AI tools no longer serve up 10 blue links. They synthesize responses—and guess what they choose? Clear, concise, direct answers. Not your 400-word intro about “the history of email marketing.”

Instead of trying to “rank,” GEO means aiming to be the source quoted in the answer.

Case in Point

One SEO agency rewrote blog posts using GEO techniques — adding statistics, clearer headers, removing fluff, and emphasizing direct answers.

Result?
2,300% increase in AI traffic.
90 new keywords ranking in Google SGE (from zero).
ChatGPT citations where once there were none.

SEO who?

The big takeaway: GEO is a lead gen game changer. When your content is structured to answer questions, not chase rankings, AI starts sending you leads who are informed, qualified, and ready to buy. It’s time to dig in.