Dive into the evolving world of search engine optimization and digital marketing with Milena Traikovich, a Demand Gen expert renowned for crafting campaigns that nurture high-quality leads. With a deep background in analytics and performance optimization, Milena has witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts caused by AI-driven search summaries and zero-click behaviors. In this interview, we explore the challenges of declining organic traffic, the reshaping of user engagement, the redefinition of success metrics, and innovative strategies to maintain visibility in a landscape where traditional clicks are no longer guaranteed. Join us as Milena shares actionable insights and real-world examples from her extensive career.
How have AI summaries impacted organic traffic in your work, and can you share a specific instance where you saw a significant drop?
Oh, the impact of AI summaries has been a real game-changer, and not always in a good way for organic traffic. I’ve seen this play out with several clients, where we’ve noticed drops in line with industry reports of 15% to 25% less traffic. One particular case that stands out was with a mid-sized publisher focused on informational content like how-to guides. Almost overnight, their traffic tanked by close to 20% after AI Overviews started appearing for their core topics. It was disheartening to see months of hard work on rankings get sidelined by a summary box at the top of the search results. We scrambled to analyze which pages were hit hardest and pivoted by adding more interactive elements and user-specific angles to the content, hoping to draw clicks for deeper insights. While we recovered some ground, it was a stark reminder that the old playbook for SEO just doesn’t cut it anymore.
What’s your perspective on the shift in user behavior with fewer clicks due to AI answers, and how have you adapted a campaign to this trend?
I’ve definitely noticed users clicking less when those AI answers pop up, and it aligns with what studies have shown about changing search habits. It’s frustrating because you can have a perfectly optimized page, but if the answer is right there at the top, why would they click through? I remember working on a campaign for a B2B service provider where we saw engagement drop sharply on key landing pages after AI summaries started covering our main keywords. We had to rethink our approach, focusing less on broad informational queries and more on niche, decision-driven content that AI couldn’t easily summarize. We also doubled down on branded content to encourage direct searches. Honestly, it felt like relearning how to fish in a completely new pond, but those adjustments helped stabilize our metrics over time and taught us to prioritize depth over volume.
Informational content seems to be hit hardest by AI summaries. How have you tackled this challenge, and can you walk us through a specific project?
It’s true—informational content like how-to articles or quick explainers are taking a brutal hit, sometimes losing up to 60% of traffic as reported in the industry. These are the easiest for AI to distill into a neat little box, leaving little reason for users to click. I faced this head-on with a client in the DIY space, where their bread-and-butter content was step-by-step guides. After AI summaries rolled out, their traffic plummeted by nearly half on some of their top pages. It was a gut punch to see those numbers drop. We shifted gears by embedding more personal stories and unique visuals into the guides, things AI couldn’t replicate, and focused on community-driven content like user-submitted tips. We also optimized for related, more complex queries to capture clicks further down the funnel. Recovery wasn’t overnight, but we saw a gradual uptick as users started seeking out our more detailed, human-centric content.
With success now tied to being cited in AI answers rather than just clicks, how are you redefining visibility for your clients?
Visibility in the age of AI summaries is a whole new ballgame. It’s no longer just about getting to the top spot for clicks; it’s about being the source AI pulls from, even if users don’t visit your site. I’ve started focusing on structuring content with clear, concise data points and authoritative language that AI systems can easily parse and cite. For one e-commerce brand, we noticed their product descriptions started appearing in AI answers for comparison queries. We didn’t get the click, but we tracked an uptick in branded searches afterward, which showed the summary was building awareness. We leaned into this by ensuring their online presence—across social, reviews, and their site—was consistent and robust, amplifying the chance of being referenced. It’s like planting seeds in a garden you don’t fully control; you have to trust the exposure will bloom into something tangible later.
How has the loss of first-party data from declining website visits affected your marketing strategies, and what solutions have you explored?
The decline in website visits due to zero-click searches has really hurt our ability to gather first-party data, which is critical for understanding user behavior and building targeted lists. Without those direct interactions, it’s like trying to solve a puzzle with half the pieces missing. I encountered this with a client in the travel sector where their traffic from informational searches dropped significantly, cutting down on form fills and email signups. It was a challenge to lose that direct line to potential customers. We pivoted by investing more in off-site engagement, like social media polls and interactive email campaigns, to collect data outside traditional website funnels. We also partnered with third-party tools to glean insights from broader market trends. It wasn’t the same as having users on-site, but it helped us stitch together a clearer picture of intent and keep our marketing efforts on track.
Since complex topics and personal experiences still drive clicks, how are you leveraging these areas to maintain engagement?
I’ve found that content around complex topics or personal stories is a goldmine right now because AI struggles to capture the nuance or emotion that users crave. These areas still pull people in, hungry for authentic, detailed perspectives. For a health and wellness client, we created a series of in-depth articles featuring real patient journeys and expert interviews on niche conditions—stuff AI summaries couldn’t boil down to a paragraph. The response was incredible; engagement metrics like time on page and social shares were double what we saw on our basic informational posts. It felt rewarding to see readers connecting with those stories on a human level. We’ve since made this a cornerstone of our strategy, ensuring every campaign has an element of personal insight or complexity that compels users to click through and stay.
How are you helping clients strengthen their brand identity to encourage direct searches after AI mentions?
Strengthening brand identity has become a key tactic to turn AI mentions into direct searches down the line. If users see your name in a summary, you want them to remember it and seek you out later. I worked with a small tech startup to build a distinct brand voice—think quirky, relatable messaging paired with consistent visuals across all platforms. After AI started citing their content in summaries for industry-specific queries, we saw a noticeable bump in direct searches for their name. It was like watching a lightbulb go on; those mentions planted a seed of curiosity. We achieved this by ensuring every piece of content, from blog posts to social media, screamed their unique vibe, and we encouraged user reviews to reinforce trust. It’s about making your brand sticky in a user’s mind, so even a fleeting AI mention turns into a deliberate search later.
With traditional metrics like click-through rates becoming less reliable, how are you updating your approach to performance tracking?
Old-school metrics like click-through rates just don’t hold the same weight anymore when zero-click searches are so prevalent. It’s forced us to get creative with how we measure impact. In a recent campaign for a lifestyle brand, we saw dismal click numbers despite high rankings, and it was clear traditional KPIs weren’t telling the whole story. We started tracking alternative indicators like branded search volume, social media mentions, and even how often our content appeared in AI summaries through manual checks and third-party tools. We also looked at downstream engagement, like newsletter signups from other channels, to gauge awareness. This shift felt like stepping into uncharted territory, but it gave us a more holistic view of our reach and helped us focus on presence over pure traffic.
How have you seen SEO and paid media teams collaborate more closely in response to shrinking top-funnel clicks?
The shrinking clicks at the top of the funnel have definitely pushed SEO and paid media teams to join forces in ways I hadn’t seen before. There’s a shared urgency to capture attention wherever we can. I was part of a project for an online retailer where organic clicks on broad queries dropped due to AI summaries, so we synced up with the paid media team to target those same users with precise, intent-driven ads on search and social. The SEO side provided deep keyword insights and content gaps, while paid media amplified visibility with retargeting and lookalike audiences. It was like two halves of a brain finally working in sync, and the result was a 30% lift in overall conversions compared to running in silos. This kind of collaboration has become non-negotiable; we’re all fighting for the same scarce attention now.
What’s your forecast for the future of search and digital marketing in the era of AI and zero-click behaviors?
I think the future of search and digital marketing is going to be a fascinating, if challenging, landscape shaped by AI and zero-click trends. We’re likely to see an even greater emphasis on creating hyper-specific, value-driven content that AI can’t easily replicate, alongside a heavier reliance on branded ecosystems to drive direct engagement. Marketers will need to get comfortable with metrics that prioritize influence over interaction, like mentions and sentiment, rather than just clicks. I also foresee tighter integration across all marketing channels—SEO, paid, social, even offline—to create a seamless user journey. It’s going to be about adaptability; those who cling to old models will struggle, while those who experiment and evolve will find new ways to connect. I’m curious to see how this unfolds, but I’m betting on creativity and human connection being the ultimate differentiators.
