MILWAUKEE — Artificial intelligence is changing how people search for information online, raising questions about the future of website traffic and how businesses reach consumers.
Dr. Jake Teeny, an associate professor of marketing at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, joined Wisconsin’s Morning News to discuss how AI-generated search summaries may be reducing the need for users to visit individual websites.
Teeny said research suggests more people are getting answers directly from AI summaries rather than clicking through to the original sources, potentially affecting businesses that rely on website traffic and advertising revenue.
“It’s definitely changing the way we interact with businesses online and use the internet,” Teeny said.
The shift is also changing how businesses approach search engine optimization. Teeny pointed to generative engine optimization, or GEO, as an emerging strategy for making website content more accessible to AI search tools.
“For a long time, we’ve been trying to persuade other people. Now, we’re going to be trying to persuade other machines,” Teeny said.
While traditional search remains more widely used, Teeny expects AI’s influence to continue growing. He said businesses that begin learning how to use the technology now may have an advantage as online habits evolve.
