Worried that AI is stealing all your clients' website traffic? Well, I've got some surprisingly good news for you and your sales team!
Search Engine Land did an analysis of nearly 400 SMB websites and revealed that generative AI isn't just taking traffic away, it's actually becoming a significant referral source. And like with anything AI-focused, this trend is growing FAST.
AI traffic is booming: key stats your sales team can use
Let's cut straight to the data your team can use when talking to prospects:
- Massive growth: AI referral traffic rose by 123% between September 2024 and February 2025
- Increasing importance: AI referrals as a percentage of organic traffic jumped from 0.54% to 1.24% (a 130% increase) in just six months
- ChatGPT dominance: While other AI engines fluctuate month-to-month, ChatGPT consistently drives the most referrals, growing about 21% each month
What does this mean for your sales conversations? It's time to stop just talking about "AI-proofing" websites and start discussing "AI optimisation" as a growth strategy.
Which industries is AI sending the most traffic
Not all industries are seeing the same patterns. Here's the breakdown your sales team needs:
- Travel & Finance: These get the highest proportion of referrals from ChatGPT
- Health & E-commerce: While ChatGPT still leads, Perplexity accounts for nearly 20% of AI traffic to these sites
- E-commerce: Gets substantial referrals from Gemini (worth noting if you're selling digital marketing to online retailers!)
Why it matters to your sales team RIGHT NOW
Most prospects are aware of AI. Some might be fearing it, some will be ready to embrace the changes! When speaking with prospects, your sales team can use this data to:
- Counter the AI doom narrative: "Actually, we're seeing AI engines sending more traffic to SMB websites like yours, not less"
- Create urgency: "The businesses optimising for AI referrals now are seeing over 100% growth in that traffic source in just six months"
- Demonstrate expertise: "Different AI engines favour different industries. For your sector, we'd recommend focusing on..."
How to help your clients capture more AI traffic
Based on this research, here are some talking points for your sales team when discussing how your agency can help:
- Review citation opportunities: AI engines need to cite sources so make sure your clients' sites are optimised to be those sources
- Industry-specific strategies: "Since your business is in healthcare, we'll pay special attention to optimising for Perplexity alongside ChatGPT"
- Content that answers questions: AI engines refer traffic when they need to send users somewhere for deeper information—create content that fits that need
- Tracking setup: Many businesses aren't even tracking AI referrals correctly, therefore you can offer to set up proper attribution so they can see this growing traffic source
Pivot into this new selling opportunity
While AI-driven traffic still represents a relatively small slice of the pie (1.24% of organic traffic), its rapid growth rate makes it an opportunity your sales team should be talking about because your competitors get in there first.
Remember, this isn't replacing traditional SEO, it's adding a new dimension to it. And being early to this conversation is exactly the kind of value-add that can differentiate your agency in sales pitches.
Want to help your sales team convert more leads with data-driven insights?
Book a demo to see how Insites can equip your team with the tools they need to identify opportunities and close more deals.
