Right on schedule

Another week, another SEO obituary. This time they’re calling it The Great Decoupling: when your Google impressions keep rising, but the clicks vanish like foot traffic at an open house on Memorial Day Weekend.

It sounds dramatic. But the data doesn’t lie. Or… maybe it only lies a little, because here’s the part you won’t hear on the SEO Chicken Little podcasts:

Some sites are still crushing it.

Yes, even post-AI Overviews. Even after the algorithm shift. Even with Google stapling auto-summarized nonsense on top of your content like a robot intern with no grasp of nuance.

We’ve looked at the data across our client sites. What we’re seeing? Mild tremors. No landslide. Some CTR dips, sure. But plenty of sites still performing just fine. Some better than ever.

Let’s talk about why.

Lazy SEO Was Always Going to Die

Keyword-driven content used to be a smart, repeatable play. But AI Overviews changed the game. The tactics that once brought steady traffic are now barely keeping you on the field.

But here’s the truth. SEO hasn’t really been about optimizing for search in a long time. It’s about optimizing for humans who search. If your content actually answers real questions, builds trust, and earns attention, you’re probably not feeling this shift the same way others are.

It’s not that AI is killing traffic. It’s that AI is finally exposing which content was coasting.

The Real Reason Some Sites Are Still Getting Clicks

They’re showing up for search terms that actually matter.

Not fluff. Not vanity traffic. Not “what is probate” 101-level blog filler.

I’m talking about bottom-of-funnel, high-intent, real-world searches. The kind where people want to hire someone, buy something, or book a call, and not read a paragraph from ChatGPT stitched together from six anonymous sources.

And the brands that are still thriving? They’re memorable. Recognizable. Findable. Not because they gamed the system, but because they’ve been worth finding all along.

What You Should Be Doing (That You Might Already Be Doing)

If you’re working with us, chances are your SEO isn’t built on matchsticks. So here’s how to keep that advantage:

→ Show up with something to say. Real perspective. Specific value. Not just keywords and summaries.

→ Be someone worth searching for. When your name, your brand, and your content are built around the real questions people care about, Google doesn’t get to decide who gets the click. The user already did.

→ Stop counting on Google to send you customers. Use it as one signal. Then build direct traffic, email subscribers, video views, and actual conversations.

→ Write for the person, not the platform. If AI steals your intro paragraph, fine. Make your second one so damn compelling people still want to click through.

Cue the Panic. Or Don’t.

So no, AI didn’t kill your traffic. It just stopped rewarding content that no one really wanted to click in the first place. The shortcut’s gone. The game has changed. Now it’s brand, clarity, and actual value—or nothing.

Build something worth remembering, or get used to being summarized. Let’s get to work.

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