The number of visitors who come through generative search tools is still small next to classic search traffic. But these visitors behave noticeably differently, and the difference works in the business's favour.
Why are they different?
Because the filtering has already happened before they reach the site. The user has asked the question, got a summary, seen the alternatives and still clicked through to your page. So the person arriving isn't coming to “browse” but to verify or to take a step.
In classic search, by contrast, all of the top ten results get tried; most visits end within the first few seconds.
What does this mean in practice?
- While visit numbers fall, actions such as form submissions and calls may rise proportionally.
- Looking at total traffic and saying “there's a drop” can be misleading; you need to look at the number of actions.
- The site being persuasive becomes more important than it being findable.
Be careful when measuring
Separating out this traffic isn't always easy; some tools don't show the source directly. So rather than drawing firm conclusions from a single figure, it's sounder to track visits and enquiries together over several months.
We don't claim exact rates in our own measurements either; we tell you the direction, not the figure.
