Someone asked me over coffee recently where they should be advertising their business these days. Google, social media, influencers? It’s a good question and the answer is something of a moving feast lately due to the influence of AI.
Most small businesses WebSolutionZ has worked with historically didn’t spend much effort on Google Ads, because they found the process complex, expensive and time-consuming to manage without an analytical background. For them, we focused on making sure the website was set up properly with good SEO foundations, clear content and the right structure, so that when someone searched for what they offered, they showed up in the results. For a long time that was enough.
Google’s AI Overviews are changing that. The feature answers many search queries directly on the results page, which means the person searching gets what they were looking for without clicking through to any website. Research from search analytics company Sistrix found that appearing first in Google search results typically earns a click about 27% of the time. When those results include an AI Overview, that drops to just 11%. The Reuters Institute reported that traffic to websites from Google fell by a third in 2025, with projections suggesting a further 43% decline over the next three years.
If you’ve noticed fewer enquiries coming through your website over the past year without an obvious explanation, this is probably why.
Local businesses are in a better position
The searches most affected are broader informational ones – “how to choose an accountant,” “what does a bookkeeper do,” “do I need a website for my business.” These are exactly the kinds of searches that used to send people to well-written small business websites, and Google is now answering them directly on the page.
Searches with strong local intent are less affected. “Plumber Northcote,” “bookkeeper Brunswick” and similar searches still tend to surface Google Maps and local listings. If your business serves a specific area and your Google Business Profile is current and active, you’re in a reasonable position – though all indications are this will affect every business that depends on Google traffic eventually.
What to do instead
Paid advertising – Google Ads, Meta ads or anything else – works best on top of a website that’s already earning its keep through other means.
An email list is an audience you own. Once someone gives you permission to contact them, you can reach them without paying a platform or depending on an algorithm. Engaging with former customers or people who’ve expressed interest via a regular email costs almost nothing and keeps you visible to the people who already know you.
Referral relationships are also worth attention. Word of mouth has always driven small business growth in Australia and building reciprocal arrangements with other businesses that serve your clients tends to be more durable than any paid channel. We covered this in has your referral network gone quiet.
For your website, content that specifically addresses the questions your clients are actually asking is more valuable than it used to be. AI search tools reference content that demonstrates specific expertise, and a page that directly answers a real question your clients have is more likely to show up in an AI-generated response than a generic services page.
If you’d like help thinking through what this means for your website and online visibility, our Communications and Marketing service is a good starting point.
