Is AI Search Worth It for Builders? What 3 New Studies Say
Three new studies say AI search sends little traffic compared with Google. See what builders should do first, and what to skip.
Bilal
3 min read
Three new studies suggest AI search sends only a small share of the traffic that Google sends. Search Engine Roundtable collected them on 22 October 2026.
So should builders keep spending time on AI visibility? This guide gives a balanced answer. First, a note. Most of these studies use small samples, and some authors sell SEO tools.
What the Studies Found
- Marie Haynes reviewed 12 months of GA4 data across 100 sites and over 145 million sessions. She titled her piece ‘GEO is a distraction’.
- SEO Works found that organic search delivered 39 times more traffic than AI assistants.
- For every 100 organic conversions, AI referrals delivered 3.2, according to SEO Works.
- Kevin Indig studied 12 sites. He found no reliable link between AI visibility and branded or direct traffic.
PPC Land adds that the samples are small. Also, Indig’s result shows an absence of evidence, not proof of no effect. Even so, the direction is the same in all three: Google still sends far more visitors than AI tools do.
What the Studies Do Not Prove
- Similarweb data, summarised by Surfaced, found that brands recommended by ChatGPT were 2.5 times more likely to get a site visit within seven days. Most visits came through branded search, so AI mentions may help in ways referral reports miss.
- A Semrush study found AI Overviews on most tracked commercial searches. However, it measures appearance only, on US desktop, according to PPC Land.
- Minuttia found that just under 10% of brand mentions matched across five AI engines. So tracking one engine gives an incomplete picture.
What Builders Should Do First
- Fix your Google basics: your profile, reviews and a fast website. Start with our guide to Google Business Profile changes.
- Publish proof, such as a construction case study and clear service pages.
- Keep your facts consistent across your site and listings. Our guide to schema markup shows how.
- Add low-cost AI basics, such as FAQ answers and open crawler access. See our guide to LLM optimization.
- Measure results. Add ‘How did you hear about us?’ to your enquiry form, and watch for referrals from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.
What to Skip
- Skip expensive AI visibility packages that offer no clear reporting.
- Avoid chasing one tool’s score, because tools often disagree.
- Never rewrite your whole site for AI before you fix the Google basics.
- Never judge results from a single week of data, because AI answers change often.
How We Can Help
We offer AI visibility work as part of SEO, so weigh our view with that in mind. Google basics come first, because they bring most enquiries today. We can also set up tracking, so you see where enquiries really come from. See our SEO for construction companies service.
Book a free consultation at bilalwebstudio.co.uk or email [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AI search send much traffic to websites?
Very little, according to the studies Search Engine Roundtable collected. SEO Works found that organic search sent 39 times more traffic.
Should builders still care about AI visibility?
Yes, but as a low-cost extra after the Google basics, because Google still sends far more traffic. The evidence of a direct return is thin so far.
How can I track AI traffic?
Check referrals from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini in your analytics. Also ask new clients how they found you.
Are these studies reliable?
They are useful signals, but the samples are small. Also, some authors sell SEO tools, so read them with care.
