Googled anything lately? Chances are you have, since Google processes about 9.1 billion searches every single day.

So you’ve probably seen — and maybe even used — a Google AI Overview. It’s that summary box at the top of search results that tries to answer your question instantly, without requiring a click.

The feature first rolled out in May 2024, and a recent analysis estimates that Google’s AI Overview appears on about 21% of all searches, with certain queries more likely to trigger it. For example:

• Single-word queries activate an AI Overview just 9.5% of the time.

• Question-based queries trigger an AI Overview 57.9% of the time.

As AI search and AI summaries grow — and they’re expected to grow massively — the outcome is more eyeballs on AI and fewer clicks to actual websites.

We’re already seeing the fallout. Website traffic trackers show that 88% of major U.S. news sites lost traffic between July 2024 to July 2025, with declines averaging 24.9%. Forbes was hit hardest, losing 50% of its visitors and later revealing that referral traffic dropped 40%.

Entrepreneurs are likely to feel the squeeze, too. For my business, PostcardMania, our leads were down to start last year, but we managed to rebound and ended up setting a new all-time high for leads generated last year: 149,028.

Here’s how smart businesses continue to grow leads in an AI-first world.

Create content that addresses specific questions people might ask AI

AI doesn’t invent answers — it pulls them from existing content. The businesses that win AI citations are the ones supplying clear, specific, authoritative answers to the exact questions prospects are asking.

So ditch the broad, fluffy blog posts. You need deep, focused content designed to answer real questions your customers are asking AI. Questions like:

• “How much does ___ cost?”

• “Is ___ worth it for a small business?”

• “What’s the difference between ___ and ___?”

• “What mistakes should I avoid when choosing ___?”

The goal isn’t just ranking — it’s becoming the answer that AI supplies. That requires:

• Headlines and subheads that ask the exact questions prospects are likely to ask (see above)

• Plain-language explanations (no jargon)

• Real-world examples like case studies

• Clear pros-and-cons lists (a common AI query!)

The key is to supply AI with content it can easily summarize or even pull directly from your site. This ensures AI will mention your business in its results, which creates an impression with prospects. This is how you shift from chasing clicks to building authority.

The next step is to make the most of every website visitor, so make sure your website is optimized to convert traffic into leads and customers.

Create a deeper offline impression with prospects before they reach for AI

There’s only one marketing channel that boasts a 5% response rate with prospects while also reaching people where AI summaries, algorithms and ad blockers simply don’t exist.

That’s direct mail.

When done correctly, direct mail:

• Puts your offer directly into the hands of your ideal prospect at the right moment

• Builds brand familiarity before they ever search online

• Drives 70% better recall than digital ads

• Sends people to your website in a way that AI can’t cannibalize

With direct mail, you can create a real-world experience that anchors your business with a prospect — long before they search, ask AI for recommendations or compare options.

To get started with direct mail, focus first on your targeting. Build a list of your best current customers, then work with a direct mail provider to create a list of lookalike prospects in your service area who share those same characteristics. Start with a manageable audience and commit to repeated mailings, not a one-off send. Track responses with a unique phone number or URL so you can refine the list and steadily scale what works.

Once you master traditional prospecting direct mail, you’ll be ready to move into direct mail automation — its newer, fully responsive cousin that’s ideal for follow-up. I recommend starting with direct mail retargeting, which is just one type of direct mail automation.

It’s exactly like online retargeting — where you can automatically show follow-up ads to anonymous website visitors after they leave your site — but automatically triggers a mail piece rather than banner ads. I suggest targeting visitors who spend more than 30 seconds on your site and including an offer on your mail piece to entice them back to convert fully, so you can continue to follow up until they close.

Increase your Google reviews so you beat competitors based on real-life experience, not AI summaries

More and more people might start their buying journey with AI, but prospects rarely buy based on an AI experience alone. They’re still going to do their due diligence before opening their wallets, and that’s where reviews come in.

Google reviews remain one of the strongest trust signals for buyers. Businesses with more frequent, authentic, high-quality reviews consistently:

• Stand out in local results

• Convert more clicks into calls

• Win trust faster than competitors with better-looking websites

In an AI-driven search environment, reviews are social proof that AI can’t fake.

The key is consistency. Don’t wait for happy customers to remember to leave a review. Build a simple, repeatable process that asks at the right moment — after a win, a successful service or a positive interaction.

When buyers see dozens (or hundreds) of real people vouching for you at key moments when they’re ready to buy, it outweighs any AI-generated summary.

AI isn’t killing marketing — it’s exposing weak strategies. Businesses that rely on a single traffic source, a single channel or “set it and forget it” SEO will feel the squeeze first.

But if you implement — and stick to — everything outlined above, you’ll diversify, stay visible and keep showing up where your customers actually are.

That’s how you stay relevant and continue to grow, not only through this latest AI shift, but through whatever else might come.