AI Discovery Won’t Replace SEO — It’s Making It More Powerful

How organic search and AI Discovery work better together, not in competition.

As AI Discovery transforms how people search and make decisions, marketers are asking whether SEO still matters — or if AI is rewriting the discovery playbook.

Our hypothesis: SEO continues to punch above its weight, driving more conversions than traffic alone might suggest. Meanwhile, while still small in volume, AI Discovery traffic is driving highly engaged and decision-ready traffic to brand websites.

We analyzed traffic, conversion, and intent signals across both channels to reveal where marketers should focus next. The data confirmed:

• SEO remains the workhorse of organic performance.
  
• AI Discovery is becoming a steady, growing contributor to conversion pathways.

The future isn’t about AI Discovery overtaking SEO. It’s about uniting their strengths to unlock new pathways for discovery and growth.

Key Takeaways

‍We looked at 20 Knotch clients from March to August 2025 to measure traffic and conversion trends. We used the Knotch Conversion Index — a measure of how efficiently traffic converts relative to its volume.

• SEO continues to outperform its size.
  Across the period, SEO represented roughly 15% of total traffic but generated nearly 17% of all conversions – a Knotch Conversion Index of 111, (11% higher than the site average) – confirming that organic traffic is still high volume and intent.
  
• AI discovery referrals are still nascent, but their conversion share is growing faster than their traffic share.
  Referrals from LLM platforms such as ChatGPT, Bing, Copilot, and Perplexity made up only 0.09% of total traffic, yet produced 0.33% of all conversions – a Knotch Conversion Index of 376, nearly four times the site average. Even at low volume, these visitors behave differently: they come in with defined intent and act decisively.

• Marketers don’t need to choose.
  AI Discovery is not replacing SEO. It is extending it. These two channels are complementary, and the opportunity lies in learning from both.

Knotch Conversion Index

SEO: The Steady Conversion Engine

SEO accounted for roughly 15% of total visits but drove nearly 17% of all conversions – a Knotch Conversion Index of 111 - 11% higher than the site average.

Importantly, these conversions came from both initial and follow up sessions over 6 months. Tracking multi-session journeys is vital for understanding SEO because users rarely convert on their first visit. By connecting sessions, we can see which keywords and content attract return visits, accurately attribute conversions, and optimize the full funnel. This holistic view ensures SEO’s true impact on user behavior, engagement, and revenue is recognized—beyond what last-click metrics show.

Our data shows that organic traffic isn’t just high volume, it’s high intent. Visitors arriving through SEO continue to engage more deeply and convert more efficiently than the average site session.

In 2025, SEO remains one of the most efficient and reliable contributors to sitewide results. Even when overall traffic softens, its conversion share holds – a sign that organic audiences arrive with stronger intent and deeper engagement than average visitors.

Marketers should view SEO not simply as a top-of-funnel lever, but as a compounding asset that continually reinforces conversion momentum and signals overall content health.

AI Discovery: Small Volume, Big Signal

AI Discovery is still nascent. Referrals from platforms such as ChatGPT, Bing, Copilot, and Perplexity made up just 0.09% of total traffic. Yet those visits delivered 0.33% of total conversions, yielding a Knotch Conversion Index of 376 — nearly four times the site average.

This pattern confirms that visitors arriving from LLM platforms behave differently: they come with defined needs and a readiness to act. While volume remains small, the efficiency signal is unmistakable. AI Discovery referrals may represent a narrow channel today, but the visitors they deliver are highly qualified — an ideal audience for testing new content, lead offers, and conversion experiences.

And that’s only the visible layer. Indirect LLM-influenced traffic — visitors who discover content via AI-shaped searches or chatbot recommendations — is likely far larger and growing fast.  More on this point in a future Knotch Labs report.

SEO + AI Discovery: Better Together

The data shows that this is not a zero-sum game.

AI Discovery referrals are not stealing traffic from SEO. They are emerging as a parallel, high-efficiency channel that builds on the same infrastructure. Many AI-served links are based on the same schema, structure, and authority signals that drive organic rankings.

That means the two work best in tandem:

• SEO builds breadth, brand trust, and long-term visibility
  
• AI discovery brings precision, relevance, and mid-funnel momentum
  

The future of discovery is layered. Marketers who treat these forces as complementary will see faster learnings and stronger results.

What Marketers Should Do Next

Here’s how to act on what the data is showing now:

• Establish your AI visibility baseline: Most analytics tools don’t yet label AI referrals cleanly. Start by identifying LLM-influenced traffic through referral data, behavioral patterns, or brand mentions in LLM answers — to create a baseline.

• Apply AI Discovery content insights to SEO: Many LLM-surfaced pages have clarity, schema, and semantic match. Those traits boost SEO performance too.
  
• Set up shared dashboards: Don’t silo your channels. Track AI discovery, SEO, and sitewide performance in one place to see how they interact.
  
• Refine the conversion experience: LLM-referred users are likely closer to making a decision. Don’t bury your CTAs or make them jump through hoops. Simplify.
  

The Bottom Line

SEO still matters. AI Discovery is just getting started.

Marketers who understand how both channels work — and where they intersect — will be better equipped to capture conversions today and adapt to what’s coming next.

As AI-Discovery behaviors grow, brands that unify traditional and emerging pathways into one cohesive strategy will not just keep up. They’ll lead.

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Published October 15, 2025