Why Are My Website Clicks Down (and Why It’s Not a Bad Thing)?

If you’ve been checking your website analytics recently, it wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve discovered a lot of drops.

Your click-through rates (CTR) and organic clicks may be down, perhaps quite dramatically compared to the same time last year.

It would be understandable if this made you panic slightly, wondering whether those months of hard work you’ve poured into your SEO have been all for nothing, or if Google’s algorithm update has just tanked your rankings despite doing everything right.

Firstly, take a breath. Chances are that what you’re experiencing isn’t necessarily a problem. In fact, it might represent that search is working better than before, and just in a different way.

People Search for Answers and Products Differently

Over the past 18 months or so, the way people find information online has fundamentally changed.

It’s not that fewer people are searching; they’re just getting their answers in different ways.

Traditional search used to work like this:

• Someone types a query into Google
• They scroll through the ‘ten blue links’
• They may click on a few websites to compare information
• They make a decision based on what they’ve discovered

If they clicked through to and browsed your site, each one of those clicks would show up in your analytics.

More recently, search engines like Google have begun providing answers directly on the results page. With featured snippets, knowledge panels, and Google’s AI Overviews (and AI Mode), among others, users now often find out what they need to know without clicking through to any website.

When you consider the growing use of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, where users ask questions and receive comprehensive answers without traditional “clicks” at all, and it’s understandable why clicks may be down across the board.

However, even if there are fewer clicks overall to report, that doesn’t mean there are fewer opportunities for your business.

Fewer Clicks = Better Leads?

When someone does click through to your website nowadays, there’s a good chance that they’re further along in their decision-making journey.

They may have already seen your business mentioned or featured in an AI-generated answer. They may have already had their basic questions answered. Now they’re clicking because they’re genuinely interested in working with or buying from you.

Think about it from a customer’s perspective. In the old model, they might click on five or six websites just trying to understand what a service actually involves. Most of those clicks never converted into enquiries because they were still in the preliminary research phase.

Using this new search process, AI tools handle that initial research phase. When someone arrives on your website, they’re more likely to be qualified leads who are ready to take the next step. They might fill out a contact form, call your number, or book a consultation.

So yes, your total clicks might be down. But your conversion rate? That’s potentially much healthier.

What Metrics to Track Instead of Clicks?

If clicks alone aren’t the metric to obsess over, what should you be tracking instead?

• Lead quality over quantity. Are the enquiries you’re receiving more relevant? Are potential customers asking more specific, informed questions? These are signs that the right people are finding you.
• Engagement metrics. When people do visit your website, are they staying longer? Are they viewing multiple pages? Are they taking meaningful actions like downloading resources or requesting quotes?
• Actual business outcomes. Ultimately, what matters is whether your phone is ringing, your inbox is filling with genuine enquiries, and you’re winning new customers. If those metrics are holding steady or improving despite fewer clicks, your online presence is probably in a good place.
• Visibility in AI platforms. Is your business being mentioned when people ask AI tools for recommendations in your industry? This is harder to track than traditional clicks, but it’s increasingly where customer journeys begin.

The shift towards AI-led search is, contrary to popular belief, nothing to fear. For small and medium-sized businesses, it can be a welcome reprieve from the days where big brands with huge marketing budgets would invariably dominate the first page (through sheer volume of content and links).

AI tools, however, prioritise relevance and quality of information over domain size. If you’re a local expert providing genuinely helpful content, AI platforms are more likely to cite and recommend you, regardless of whether you’re competing against national chains. Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) ensures your business appears when potential customers ask AI tools for recommendations.

Instead of fighting for position one on page one of Google, you could be the business ChatGPT suggests when someone asks, “Who’s the best [your service] in [your area]?”

This is where LLM Optimisation comes in. Large language models don’t just match keywords; they understand context, assess expertise, and recommend businesses that demonstrate genuine authority in their field.

By structuring your content properly and building topical authority, you make it easier for these AI tools to recognise your business as a trusted source.

How Artemis Has Helped Businesses Adapt to Change

At Artemis, we’ve spent over 21 years helping businesses get found online. We saw this shift coming and have spent the past few years developing our expertise in AI-driven search.

Our proprietary ARTEMIS INTELLIGENCE® methodology combines traditional SEO strategies with cutting-edge optimisation for AI platforms. We don’t abandon what works; we build on it.

We take the time to audit your current visibility and identify opportunities to build on it with the help of AI. This may involve structuring and repositioning your content strategically, as it will likely need to work harder to satisfy traditional search algorithms and LLMs, without ignoring the most important audience of all: your customers.

We help our clients, whatever their sector or area(s) of expertise, build genuine authority. AI platforms prioritise businesses that demonstrate real expertise, and this is why we help you create content that showcases your knowledge, answers common customer questions thoroughly, and positions you as a trusted voice in your field.

Looking deeper than the quantity of clicks, we help you understand the quality of traffic you’re receiving and whether your online presence is translating into actual business growth.

From where we sit, search will continue to evolve. Our approach ensures you’re not just reacting to changes but staying ahead of them.

What You Should Do Now

If you’re seeing a decline in overall clicks but your business is still generating quality leads, you’re probably doing fine. There’s reason to believe that your website is in a good position, even if it may unfamiliar.

However, if both your clicks and your enquiries are down, or if you’re uncertain whether you’re visible in AI-driven search at all, it’s time to take action.

The businesses that thrive over the next few years won’t be the ones clinging to old metrics and approaches. They’ll be the ones who understand that customer discovery has changed and adapt accordingly.

You don’t need to become a technical expert in AI or spend hours learning about large language models. That’s what we do. You just need to recognise that getting found online now requires a more sophisticated approach than it did even two years ago.

It’s completely normal to feel uncertain when familiar metrics start behaving differently. But consider this: the fundamentals haven’t changed.

Customers still need your products or services. They’re still searching for businesses like yours. They’re just discovering you through different channels and arriving at your website with different expectations.

If you’re a time-stretched business owner without a dedicated marketing team, this can feel overwhelming. You know you need to adapt, but you’re not sure where to start or whether you’re doing the right things.

That’s exactly why we’ve developed our AI marketing services. We take the complexity and technical jargon out of the equation and deliver a clear, practical strategy tailored to your business, your industry, and your customers.

We’ve helped local shops, service businesses, and eCommerce retailers (and everyone in between) navigate this transition successfully. We can do the same for you.

If you want to understand what’s really happening with your website traffic and ensure you’re positioned for sustainable growth, get in touch with our friendly team today. We’ll provide an honest assessment of where you stand and what steps make sense for your business.

Ultimately, clicks are just a number. What matters more is whether your business is growing, your customers are finding you, and your online presence is working as hard as you are.