Although it looks like a human is killing your website in this photo, it’s actually your own computer doing it–namely AI is killing your website. Let me tell you why – yes, it’s true according to Harvard Business Review research on the effect of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.ai on your marketing and website.

The problem: buyers have stopped Googling. I’m talking about all buyers, but especially B2B buyers who now ask AI questions related to issues or use AI as a search engine. When they ask topic-related questions, ChatGPT suggests “would you like me to put together a shortlist of vendors capable of helping you?” and literally shortlists based on criteria that research still can’t pinpoint exactly.

One research piece found online research decreased 20% as soon as users started adopting ChatGPT or other AIs. The highest-value purchasers shifted fastest – they’re more sophisticated buyers, more comfortable with technology and AI, early adopters using AI to look for purchase information and responding well to AI vendor suggestions. Buyers ask for AI recommendations and never see what’s on your website. There are links (I’ve seen and clicked them), but most times I have to ask “can I have the link of the purchase site or company?”

Goodbye SEO, Hello GEO

If websites have lost importance, the second research point is that SEO is dead and long live GEO. SEO (search engine optimization) typically involves companies doing keyword stuffing, providing regular content with actual keywords for targets, link building, and metadata tricks – the whole old school of being seen by Google online. Now it’s called GEO (generative engine optimization). AI wants structured strategic thought leadership according to this research – specific and authority-driven because they’re culling from every data piece around the need you’re expressing.

The third research point about AI killing websites: community and credibility beat information. Research compared two websites – Stack Overflow (information listing for developers) and Reddit (a community where real people express opinions in real-time comments). After introducing AI to users of both, Stack Overflow almost collapsed while Reddit had no change in traffic, engagement, or posts. The reason: one is just information, the other has community, chatter, opinions – it’s more human and trustworthy.

Leadership Must Own the Strategy Shift

You need to change how you’re marketing because how you’re being found is different and your website is no longer how you’re found online. The problem isn’t just your marketing and website – it’s your whole strategy, and leadership must take ownership of being crystal clear both online and in-person about what your company stands for with a super niche target of very specific industry and problem you solve. I’ve taught super-niching for decades and it couldn’t be more important now where generative AI simply looks for crisp, clear leadership in one pain point for one industry – the best fit for the shortlist they’ll give.

Marketing can’t change lack of strategy. Websites are the tip of the iceberg – the bottom is your strategy of how you pick who to target, what pain to specialize in, how to message that, how to become a thought leader and authority in that specific niche. Leadership decides strategy (usually when a strategist like me comes in).

Research says AI agents (bots acting like humans doing tasks – you can ask them to fill your fridge and they’ll order using your purchase cadence and past patterns, reaching out to Instacart or Walmart) are making more purchases now than actual humans and will increasingly do so. No human will ever see your site because they’re not looking at sites – they’re saying to AI “purchase, fill my fridge or find me this color and model car to buy.”

The New Marketing Playbook for an AI World

Here’s the advice: no more generic messaging – you must super-niche. No more information cramming into websites – you need solution-filled, pain-based messaging that’s niched. Double down on both online and in-person expert thought leadership. To become an expert in one thing, pick one thing. What will you be? Which pain and industry will you specialize in so you have more visibility, bolder presence, and stance? Create experiential environments like advice columns or chats so buyers take notice because now AI finds and recommends you.

In addition, take a look at current ROI of your Google search funnels – how much are you spending on SEO? How are you getting clients right now? Is a website even how you get clients? If it is, what percentage of your clients does it get? Build a plan to switch out of that to crystallize your messaging and visibility with a super-niched, well-researched strategic target and pain point so you have the right message and visibility online and offline to become part of that community. Join in-person stuff where you’re dealing with humans interacting with buyers who get to know, like, and trust you – they see you speaking somewhere, see your blogs and videos.

It’s a new world and we’re all learning together – I’m here to help you navigate it.

Want to reposition your messaging to grow your leads? Follow me on X, friend me on Facebook, watch my Podcast onYouTube or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk.