Websites Lose Millions of Visits to AI Search as Companies Rebuild Content Strategy
Michael Peres
September 17, 2026
HubSpot lost 140 million website visits in a single year as users switched to AI search tools and search engines added AI overviews that answer questions without clicking through. Companies are adopting answer engine optimisation (AEO) to rank in AI systems, restructuring content into smaller chunks with clearer credibility signals. Early results show AI visitors convert at higher rates than search engine visitors, making this shift essential for competitive businesses.