Large corporations proactively purchase common misspellings of their websites. This strategy, known as combating 'typo squatting,' prevents others from exploiting user typos for malicious purposes or profit. Google, for example, owns numerous variations to redirect users who make common spelling mistakes, thereby protecting its brand and user security.

Major platforms have shifted from being traffic sources to walled gardens. They algorithmically suppress posts with external links and provide answers directly in their UIs, forcing marketers to adapt to a world where driving traffic to their own website is no longer the primary goal.

Contrary to the belief that AI assistants replace search, clickstream data reveals a surprising trend: users who start using tools like ChatGPT subsequently perform *more* searches on Google. This is likely due to fact-checking AI responses or researching concepts and products suggested by the AI.

Surprisingly, legacy websites like Yahoo and Microsoft Bing generate more traffic than ChatGPT. This isn't due to active user preference but the powerful, persistent effect of their position as default search engines and homepages in web browsers.

In AI-generated search results, a 'mention' offers visibility, but a 'source' provides a clickable link. This distinction is critical for driving traffic. To avoid a zero-click future, brands must focus their strategies on becoming a citable source of authority for LLMs.

The middle of the marketing funnel is compressing as AI provides answers directly on the search results page. This drastically reduces website clicks, forcing marketers to rethink traffic-based goals and find new ways to engage customers off-site.

Traffic driven by answer engines is significantly more qualified. Webflow observed a 600% higher conversion rate from LLM referrals compared to traditional search. This is likely because users have higher intent after a detailed conversational query process, making AEO a highly valuable channel.

Instead of a traditional blog, IT management firm Kanji created a media property on a separate domain. This strategy unexpectedly led to it being treated as an authoritative external source by LLMs. As a result, 17% of new leads now report finding the company through AI-powered search tools.

By posting a job for a "virtual receptionist," Donald Spann's company, Vicky Virtual, was featured on high-traffic blogs. Google's algorithm then associated his brand name with the search term. This accidental SEO drove a flood of qualified customer leads, not just job applicants, becoming a key growth engine.