Has AI killed SEO? HubSpot traffic down 75%
Marketers across every industry are scrambling since Ryan Law dropped his atomic SEO truth bomb about HubSpot’s organic search traffic numbers. His posts and articles have since been deleted (I’m guessing HubSpot wasn’t too happy to see their data in public), but here’s the chart he shared:
HubSpot organic search traffic and the AI effect
Keep in mind these numbers are just estimates and come from best-guess SEO tools (like Ahrefs, where Ryan works), but there’s a very good chance these numbers are realistic. HubSpot has one of the best SEO teams in the world, so if this is the situation they’re facing, I think it’s safe to say:
The SEO game has changed.
GenAI tools like ChatGPT are making it harder for top-of-funnel content to perform. Plus, Google’s AI overviews are providing the quick answers people are looking for. There’s no real need to sift through a pile of links looking for answers when Google can just as well present the most important stuff right at the top.
As I said before: SEO isn’t dead, it just smells funny.
Let’s break down what’s happening and what you need to do in 2025 to stay ahead of the AI effect.
HubSpot’s SEO surge—and sudden drop
As you can see in the chart above, HubSpot’s organic traffic growth over the past decade surged to incredible heights, reaching 24 million hits per month. Then in early 2023, it took a nosedive down to 15-18M/month, followed by another nosedive in late 2024 to 6-7M/month. Changes in Google’s search algorithms and the AI overviews took HubSpot’s traffic down to numbers they hadn’t seen in 6 years!
Now, I’m not here to point fingers at HubSpot (though that’s basically what I’m doing), but rather to demonstrate that this likely isn’t just a HubSpot problem. It’s a content marketing problem.
What’s killing organic traffic?
A few big shifts explain what’s happening with organic search traffic:
1. AI-powered Search is changing click behavior
Google’s AI overviews are giving users direct answers at the top of the results page. Why click on a blog post when Google gives you everything you need?
Instead of sending traffic to websites, Google is keeping users on their own pages, using AI to summarize content from various sources. This means fewer clicks, less organic traffic, and a harder fight to rank.
2. Google’s EEAT model is reshaping rankings
AI overviews may dominate text-based search results, but they can’t replace human presence. Video content gives you an edge by providing:
A personal connection (people trust faces more than text)
More engaging, harder-to-replicate content
A format that AI can’t summarize (or generate) as easily (yet)
If you’re not already investing in video, now’s the time. It’s certainly not too late, but the sooner the better.
3. Focus on bottom-of-funnel content
Top-of-funnel content is disappearing. AI tools are handling the easy questions, so your job is to answer the hard ones—the kind of in-depth expert insights that AI can’t generate.
Shift your focus to:
Complex, industry-specific topics
Proprietary knowledge and unique research
Tactical, step-by-step insights based on real experience
If Google sees that AI can’t replace your content, you’re much more likely to rank higher. The algorithm is actually looking for deep content!
Is there a future for SEO content?
HubSpot’s SEO struggles aren’t a failure of their strategy, but a sign that the game has changed. AI is rewriting the rules of content marketing, nullifying the old rules of SEO. Don’t get left behind—consider getting on board with LLMO (large language model optimization). Write the kind of authoritative content that AI tools and AI overviews reference and link to.
The future belongs to deep, engaging, expert-driven content. That means less regurgitation, more original insights, and a stronger emphasis on credibility.
So yes, there is a future for SEO content, but the rules are different and so are the outcomes.
