Why is the Organic Traffic Decreasing?

Recently, multiple SaaS companies are noticing a worrying trend: a decline in organic traffic, even while investing gradually more in SEO including content, technical SEO, and backlinks. However, rankings or keyword search volumes or content production volumes haven’t significantly changed. So why the drop?

Because the nature of search is changing. Users are increasingly satisfied with answers delivered on the search results page, or even via AI tools and chatbots. They don’t necessarily click through to your website anymore. This phenomenon—often called zero-click search—is real, growing, and poses a material threat to businesses that rely heavily on organic traffic for lead gen, brand awareness, and conversions.

The decrease is largely due to the change of the nature of search. Users are increasingly utilizing the answer engines- ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.- and even in the traditional search engines, are satisfied with the AI answers delivered at the very top of the search engine result page (SERP). They don’t necessarily click through to your website anymore- a phenomenon necessarily called as ‘zero clicks.’ Even from the examples below, you can clearly see that zero-click cases are actually occurring right now.

• According to the report by Forbes, ~60% of searches now end without a click.
• A Bain survey also found 80% of consumers rely on zero-click results in at least 40% of their searches, and that organic traffic is being reduced by 15-25% due to AI summaries and generative AI features in search engines.
• Another recent study notes that U.S. websites are seeing nearly 60% drop in organic search traffic mainly because of AI tools, zero-click searches, along with content saturation.

If you’re a SaaS marketer or SEO manager, this means a lot of your efforts may still be producing value (awareness, education, brand trust), but much of it is not actually contributing to website visits, traffic, or leads. Without adapting, your traction can erode even if you maintain “good SEO.”

This article will show how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) offers a way to not just prevent the loss, but also to recapture and even expand the brand visibility in this new search era.

Understanding the Zero-Click and its Main Cause- the Rise of AI Search

What is Zero-Click Search?

Zero-click searches are search queries where the user finds their answer without clicking any result. Some common manifestations include:

• Featured snippets
• Knowledge panels
• Instant answers (definitions, calculations, weather, etc.)
• AI-powered summaries and overviews at the top of the SERP (Search Generative Experience, etc.) - including Google's AI Overview and Naver's AI Briefing

Why is Zero-Click Increasing?

Several factors contribute to the increase of zero-click behaviors, including:

1. Search engines adding more direct answers: Google, Bing, etc., are integrating generative AI and summary boxes so users get quick information, even without actually clicking into the websites.
2. User expectations: People expect fast, no-friction answers; they will stay on the SERP if their question is resolved.
3. Advances in AI / LLMs: Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly competent at aggregating information, synthesizing from multiple sources, and providing summaries.

The Impact on SaaS and Business Websites

• Loss of click-through rate and website traffic: even if you rank well, fewer people may click because the answer is provided even before clicking.
• Reduced visibility of branded content: your content might be used as a source in generated summaries but without attribution or link (or less visibility).
• Degraded conversion paths: fewer users coming to your site means fewer opportunities for them to engage with free trials, demos, content offers etc.
• Difficulty in demonstrating ROI of content marketing and SEO since “rankings” may look good but traffic/conversions are still slipping.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is an emerging tactic of content optimization designed for visibility not only in traditional search engines like Google and Bing, but also in generative AI-powered search engines, models, overviews, AI assistants, and environments where answers are provided (or pulled) directly by models or search engines, often without links.

GEO aims to ensure that your content is structured, credible, relevant, and optimized for how these AI engines retrieve, synthesize, and present information. It does have many overlapping elements with traditional SEO, but with some new emphases.

GEO vs SEO

Why GEO is Important Right Now

• Because of increasing zero-click search behavior, as described above. If your content is not optimized to be included as a part of the AI answer, you might lose your visibility.
• Because AI-generated search tools are proliferating (Google SGE, Bing AI, chat assistants, etc.). GEO helps you adapt content so it’s more easily usable by those tools.
• Because of changing user expectations: they want concise, trustworthy, immediate answers. Brands that can satisfy that, or feed into those ecosystems, get rewarded.

How Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough

Many SaaS companies have smooth SEO procedures: keyword research, link building, content calendars, technical optimizations. But now, those alone are less effective in the presence of:

• Featured snippets and answer boxes which serve the answer directly. If your competitor already occupies the snippet, even being position one for traditional results is less effective.
• AI summaries where content is structurally pooled from many sources. If your content doesn’t meet the format or quality that AI expects, it may be left out, even if SEO is good.
• Semantic mismatch: users phrase queries differently when expecting conversation with AI than when typing in a keyword. Traditional keyword-centric content may not anticipate that, so content might miss being cited.
• Localization differences: if your audience spans several geographies or languages but your content is uniform (or only loosely translated), AI tools retrieving from a region might ignore your content or deprioritize it in favor of locally adapted content.
• Case study: swapping UK English to US English for product descriptions led to ~24% organic traffic lift in a UK-to-US market test.

Key Components of GEO Strategy for SaaS Companies

Here are the main parts of some important GEO strategies tailored to SaaS companies:

Content Designed for AI & Generative Results

• Structured content: headings, bullet lists, numbered steps, FAQs, summary tables. These are more “indexable” to AI-systems and more likely to be pulled into featured snippets or AI overviews.
• Topical depth & completeness: Cover topics fully to satisfy user intent. AI systems often prefer sources that answer related follow-ups, context, background.
• Authority, E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. Including credentials, case studies, data, updated content, links to credible sources. These help AI systems trust your content.

Optimize for “Answerability”

• Identify questions your ideal users are asking, especially ones that are likely to be answered directly.
• Do actively use FAQ sections, “What is …”, “How to …”, “Why …”, etc.
• Provide concise answers early in content, then expand. Many featured snippets pick up the first paragraph or summary.

Structured Data & Schema Markup

• Use schema.org markups: FAQ, Q&A, article schema, product schema (if relevant), review schema.
• Make sure meta descriptions are brief and clear, but informative.
• Use “rich results” where possible. Structured data can help AI identify the relevant sections of a page.

Semantic & Entity-Based Optimization

• GEO goes beyond keywords: optimize around entities & topics. Use named entities, definitions, examples.
• Use internal linking for related topics to maintain topical authority.

Monitoring AI Visibility & Citations

• Track if your content is being used in AI-generated answers (e.g. “is your content cited in Google AI Overview for a certain topic?”).
• Use tools that monitor “SERP features”, “AI answer visibility”, or “prompt tracking”.

User Engagement & UX

• Since many users are satisfied without clicking through, when they do click, you must deliver value fast. Good site speed, mobile responsiveness, clear navigation.
• Use visuals, summaries, context.

Localization (we’ll expand this later)

• Adapting content for different markets: translation, local examples, local dialects, local search trends.

Measuring the Impact & Data-Driven Monitoring

To know whether GEO strategies are working, you’ll need to track things differently than traditional SEO alone.

Here are the key metrics and methods:

Key Metrics

1. AI Referrals & Citations
   • How often your content is used in AI summary boxes, overviews, answers, etc.
   • How often your website URL is cited.
2. Featured Snippets & SERP Features Capture Rate
   • How many queries where you appear in the snippet / “Answer Box” / local pack / knowledge panel etc.
   • Weekly, monthly, and regular monitoring of changes over time.
3. Organic Traffic, by Geography, Query Intent, etc.
   • Not just total traffic, but segmented by query type: question-based, task-based, informational vs. transactional.
   • By region / country / language to see where your content is performing (or failing).
4. Engagement Metrics on Content
   • Bounce rate, time on page, scroll depth. If content is shallow or not satisfying user needs, AI-citations may happen but users won’t click through or engage.
5. Conversion & Lead Metrics
   • Free trial signups, demo requests, newsletter signups tied to content.
6. Visibility in Analytics of “Search Generative Experience” Tools (where available)

Methods & Tools

Method and tools that might help you monitor your GEO performance would include:

• Google Search Console for traditional SERP features and clicks.
• Tools specialized in AI search visibility (some newer platforms allow tracking of AI overviews, AI answer features).
• Regional keyword tools, local analytics to measure localization impact.
• Content A/B testing (e.g. localized vs non-localized, short answer vs expanded).

Benchmarks & Expectations

• Since GEO is still relatively new, early adopters are seeing substantial gains. For example:
  • One SEO localization study: after localizing content in different markets, organic traffic rose by +150%, conversion rate tripled, time on page doubled.
  • Ahrefs’s case in “Localization SEO That Works: 10 Real-World Lessons from 14 Markets” saw huge traffic gains when adapting content to local dialects (e.g. Brazilian Portuguese vs Continental Portuguese).
• It’s realistic to expect 15-30% recovery of lost organic traffic (or more) if GEO practices are properly applied- since this AI search era will continue. Some studies suggest content structured for GEO can reduce traffic decline, and even reverse it.

Overcoming Common Obstacles of GEO

When SaaS companies try GEO, some obstacles or erroneous beliefs often tend to slow the implementation. Here are what they are, and how to address them:

Why Localization Is Critical in GEO

This is perhaps the most vital component, especially for SaaS companies operating in multiple markets or planning to scale globally. Localization is more than translation. It includes:

• Language/dialect differences (e.g. UK vs U.S. English; European Portuguese vs Brazilian)
• Cultural tone, idioms, syntax
• Adapting examples, case studies, use cases to local context
• Local units, currencies, formatting, legal or regulatory references
• Local search behavior: how people phrase queries differently across markets

How Localization Impacts SEO + GEO

• Keyword & query phrasing vary regionally: words that work in one market may not rank in another. Eg, “sneakers” vs “trainers” in UK vs US. A case study also shows that localizing UK English content for US audiences (swapping “trousers” to “pants”, etc.) yielded ~24% lift in organic traffic. https://www.searchpilot.com/resources/case-studies/seo-split-test-lessons-localising-product-content-for-us-site?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• Search engine algorithms consider locale: Google (and likely other AI-powered engines) give preference to content that’s regionally relevant. Local intent searches are a large share (e.g., nearly half of Google searches show local intent).
• Improved user engagement: Users trust content in their region/language; they engage more deeply when content is relevant to them. That helps with bounce rate, time on page, etc., which are signals both for SEO and AI systems.
• Better inclusion in AI / generative search: Because AI systems draw on many sources and signals, local language, phrasing, correct local metadata (e.g. hreflang, region tags) help your content be eligible & picked for region-specific answers.

Evidence & Case Studies

• In BubbleShare, by proper localization and also adding AI-frendly structure, we could increase the AI traffic by 185% in our client's project.
• Ahrefs: In “Localization SEO That Works: 10 Real-World Lessons from 14 Markets”, they saw dramatic traffic boost when content was adapted—for example adjusting dialect, phrasing, local examples.
• Another article about SEO localization shows that localized content doubled time on page, increased conversion rates 200%, etc.
• Case studies also show that non-localized content may be ranked but not clicked (or clicked less), especially in markets with strong local preferences.

How Localization Can Fit into GEO Best Practices

Proper localization in GEO practices can help SaaS companies overcome traffic loss:

1. Faster & more accurate regional content: Reduced time & errors in localizing content for new markets, enabling consistent content rollout. This lets you expand your reach in GEO-friendly way.
2. Localized keyword intelligence: Since the process of localization includes identifying local search phrases, idioms, and query styles, you can ensure your content aligns with what AI-powered systems will parse when users ask in local variant.
3. Improved content relevance in generative / AI summaries: When content is localized, AI engines are more likely to use your material in generating region-specific answers and summaries, increasing chances of citation, snippet inclusion, or knowledge panel appearances.
4. Consistency & authority across markets: Proper localization ensures that not only is the content linguistically correct, but metadata, schema, links, cultural references are consistent. That builds credibility (which contributes to E-E-A-T), which is very important for GEO.
5. Scalability without losing quality: As you scale GEO globally, manual translation/adaptation becomes slow & expensive. A good localization tool helps you maintain quality, keep up with regionally optimized content, and respond to new market needs or zero-click opportunities quickly.

Thus, localization isn’t just “nice-to-have,” it’s a essential gear in a GEO-oriented content machine—especially for SaaS companies with global aspirations or multiple user locales.

Action Plan: Real Steps SaaS Companies Should Take Now

Here is a roadmap and checklist SaaS marketers & SEO managers should follow to integrate GEO into their strategies and recover, and even grow traffic in this new zero-click era.

• Identify which keywords / queries have shrunk, especially question-based/intents likely to produce zero-click.
• Assess how much content is being used / cited in zero-click features if tools allow.
• Check current localization state: which markets have localized content, which don’t; quality, metadata, dialects. | SEO team + analytics tools + localization team/vendors | Clear understanding of losses, gaps, and where localization is weak. | | Strategy Definition | - Define GEO goals: visibility in AI summaries, snippet capture, local market penetration.
• Identify priority markets/locales.
• Keyword/research mapping: standard SEO + AI/zero-click potential queries (question phrases, etc.).
• Decide resource allocation: content production, localization, schema, technical adjustments. | Head of SEO / Content Strategy / Product + Localization | Roadmap with prioritized targets, market list, content pieces. | | Content & Structure Implementation | - Create content that is designed to be answerable: FAQs, summaries, quick answer sections, bullet / list formats.
• Ensure depth, authority, credibility: link to credible sources, use case studies, data, quotes.
• Use schema markup (FAQ, Q&A, Article, etc.).
• Optimize for local markets with your localization tool: proper phrasing, dialect, localized keyword use, metadata, hreflang, etc. | SEO & Content Team + Localization Tool + Technical SEO | New content that is “GEO-friendly” and localized. | | Technical & On-page Enhancements | - Ensure page speed, mobile responsiveness.
• Correct canonicalization, hreflang tags, regional sitemaps.
• Structured data implementation.
• Audit internal linking to connect local/regional versions. | Dev / Technical SEO | No technical barriers to ranking or being used by AI engines. | | Monitoring & Feedback Loop | - Track metrics: snippet captures, AI citations, zero-click vs click traffic, regional organic traffic, engagement and conversions by locale.
• Use tools for SERP-feature tracking, AI answer visibility, local keyword tools.
• A/B test variations: localized vs not, short answer front-loaded vs longer content.
• Iterate: refresh content, update based on new AI features, changing user behavior. | SEO / Data Analysts + Marketing Leadership | Detect what works, adjust, improve constantly. | | Scale & Institutionalize GEO + Localization | - Build processes around content localization: style guides, glossary of dialects, consistent metadata, cultural adaptation.
• Train content writers, SEO, localization teams on GEO principles.
• Integrate GEO thinking into product / documentation / support content, not just marketing.
• Use your localization feature to automate & streamline these processes. | Content Ops + Localization team + Product Management | A repeatable, scalable system, capable of serving many locales without quality loss, staying ahead of zero-click challenges. |

The digital search landscape is undergoing one of the most profound shifts in SEO’s history. With zero-click searches becoming increasingly common, and AI-powered generative search tools changing how queries are answered, relying solely on traditional SEO is risky.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming essential. GEO combines many familiar best practices of traditional SEO (keyword research, technical SEO, content quality) but adds new layers: structuring content for AI, optimizing for answerability and citations, monitoring AI visibility, and ensuring relevance across locales.

For SaaS companies especially, whose products are often used globally and whose growth depends on consistent lead generation through organic channels, adopting GEO early can mean the difference between losing market share and leading in visibility in AI ecosystems.

Localization is one of the key factors in GEO success. You can have excellent content, but if it’s not adapted for local markets, local query phrasing, dialects, cultural contexts, search behavior, etc., your content will underperform—and AI-driven tools may ignore it in favor of more locally resonant sources.

That’s where your localization feature becomes pivotal. By enabling accurate, high-quality localization, region-wise keyword adaption, consistent metadata and schema across locales, and cultural relevance, your feature helps SaaS companies scale GEO faster, more effectively, and with real ROI.

If you are a SaaS marketer or SEO manager, now is the time to audit your GEO readiness, prioritize localization, adjust content and technical structure, and commit to a strategy that recognizes search is no longer just about getting clicks, it’s about being part of the answer.