Target AI search visibility with new metrics

Marta says: “You need to add new metrics for measuring SEO success and face the reality that search has changed.

It's no longer the same traditional search engines we used to know, and you need to adapt to the reality. You need to combine classic traditional SEO metrics with new ones that target AI search visibility.”

Which metrics aren't as relevant anymore, compared to the metrics that you have to focus on in 2026?

“There has been a big shift in metrics. Clicks, organic traffic, and click-through rate have all been hit by what is happening with the shift in search behaviour, so they have become less relevant. They're not going to give you the picture in the same way they used to.

We are seeing a big rise in zero-click search results. People find the answer very quickly now with AI tools, and even if you appear in an AI overview, that doesn't mean that the user will click on to your site. This shift means that we’re seeing a drop in clicks and organic traffic.

In the same way, the rankings are not going to show us the whole picture because, according to some data, 36% of people in the US will be using AI for search by 2028. We need to adapt to it. That doesn't mean that the normal traditional search and engagement metrics are going to disappear, but we need to adapt and find the metrics that are relevant for us now, with AI search in the picture.”

How satisfied are clients with the idea of aiming for visibility, and can you tie that back to any metric that results in a measurable impact?

“You can measure AI visibility with different tools, but the problem is the price. My second prediction is that, in 2026, it's going to become standard for us to have tools that aren’t as expensive as the big tools are right now.

At the moment, if you want to see your visibility in AI search, you need to put in at least €6,500 on top of what you are paying. In my opinion, there are going to be smaller tools that will adapt very quickly and show us that visibility for a reasonable price, so it's going to become standard and be included in other tools as well.

It isn’t easy to see the entirety of that AI visibility now, but there are a few metrics that you can look at. For example, in GA4, you can look at referral traffic. When you filter by source, you can see how much traffic is actually coming as a referral from AI tools, and you will even see which AI tools are driving that traffic.

Another metric would be AI overview impressions: how often your site appears in Google’s AI overviews. This is something you can either track manually, or SE Ranking has a very good tracking tool for it, and it's a bit cheaper than some of the others on the market. You can do the same with citations, which are probably one of the most useful for measuring visibility now.

Some of the more advanced web ranking tools will also show you the market share of AI visibility. That is the percentage of AI-driven results in which your site is appearing compared to your competitors, which is probably the biggest umbrella term for measuring AI visibility.

If you combine these with the traditional classic metrics, like rankings, organic traffic, engagement, and conversions, you will have a good picture of how your site is ranking.”

Can you measure the impact of an increased brand presence on AI platforms, or do you have to estimate that a certain number of those people will end up buying from you?

“It goes both ways. With zero-click visibility, even if your content is showing in the search result generated by large language models, that doesn't mean that the user will convert. They may not even click at all.

However, that zero-click visibility can still indirectly give you brand visibility and authority. The same is true with AI overviews or AI citations. There is no guarantee that the user will convert from there.

One metric that will definitely show you whether there is conversion, and even engagement, is in GA4. In fact, very often, you will see that the traffic coming from AI-driven search results brings more engagement and conversions. You can measure that directly through the referral traffic from AI search.

The other metrics are more indirectly supporting that conversion as well.”

Is the use of AI search expected to increase as much in countries outside of America, and do certain types of businesses receive more traffic through AI?

“I don't have the breakdown per country and per business. I can only assume that it's going to affect informational queries more significantly, from what we are observing.

From what we are observing, AI overviews in general are growing from one day to the next. Just a few months ago, I was still getting the traditional blue links when I searched for anything on Google. Now, from both the feeling that I get and the data that I’ve seen, AI search is taking over more and more, but I don't have the data per country or per business.

AI search is very important, but it’s still not forecast to be the majority of search in the next few years. The majority of search is still going to come through traditional search engines.

In fact, there are some recent studies saying that, while people are using more AI tools, those people are also engaging with Google more. AI search apparently drives more users to Google. I don't think that Google and traditional search are not going to matter at all, but even Google is now using a large language model for AI Mode and AI overviews.

We will have both, which is why it's good to blend the traditional classic SEO metrics (conversion, engagement, organic traffic, and rankings) with the new metrics. My hope is that everyone will be able to afford access to that data, and you won’t need to ask for an extra €7,000 in budget.

Even AI overview impressions aren’t included in Google Search Console. We can’t filter for that yet, but I think we will be able to do so in 2026. Hopefully, Google will help us with that, and we will be able to filter for the impressions that are actually coming from AI overviews.”

Do users tend to initiate their query on an AI platform, then go to Google and hone their decision there?

“Whether they go there directly after using an AI platform, the usage of Google as a search tool is not decreasing with AI search.

It could be the other way around. People could start on Google and then go to ChatGPT, or they might compare the responses and search on both at the same time.

I don't think it's only going to affect younger age groups, either. It's like COVID; everyone will get it at some point. It's going to affect everyone, regardless of age.”

What metrics do you not pay attention to anymore that used to be important?

“As I mentioned, clicks are not going to give you the same picture because they are down. They are down because of the rise in zero-click visibility in search, driven by large language models. Click-through rate is down across all the websites I'm taking care of. I’ve already seen it drop over the last few months.

Also, rankings alone are not going to give you the whole picture, and the same is true for organic traffic. It's important to explain to the business owners, and the people you report to as an SEO, why there is a drop in organic traffic.

Sometimes, your success is not only reflected in the rankings. Maybe you're now more visible in AI searches.”

What elements would you recommend incorporating within your content to make it more likely to appear in AI search results?

“The content has to be structured better for AI, which means that having a very clear hierarchy of the content is now more important than ever. If I'm honest, even adding structured data and adding more studies and resources is nothing new.

I don't think we need to completely change. All the strategies related to EEAT are still relevant, maybe now more than ever.

However, everything that happens outside the content – brand mentions, sentiment, how people talk about you, and everything else that surrounds your content – that matters more.”

Marta, what's the key takeaway from the tip you shared today?

“In 2026, when you wake up as an SEO, you won’t be asking yourself, ‘How am I ranking today?’ Instead, you’ll be asking, ‘Am I part of the AI-generated answer?’

You need to adapt and combine both classic traditional metrics with the new metrics that track AI visibility.”

Marta Szmidt is an SEO Consultant at SEO by Marta. Find out more over at SEObyMarta.com.