ZDNET Urges Websites to Chase AI Citations as AI Traffic Jumps 66% but Stays Below 0.15%
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Jul 20
ZDNET Urges Websites to Chase AI Citations as AI Traffic Jumps 66% but Stays Below 0.15%
3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 20
Summary
AI traffic to websites rose 66% in 2025, but Semrush data cited by ZDNET says it still makes up less than 0.15% of total visits, underscoring how AI answers are displacing clicks rather than replacing them.
ZDNET says site owners should measure AI visibility by testing 10-15 likely queries in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Mode, checking Google Analytics referrals, or using AEO tools that range from free options to plans starting at $29 a month.
A 2024 study from Princeton, Georgia Tech and the Allen Institute for AI found nine tactics lifted visibility by up to 40%, including allowing AI crawlers in robots.txt, writing self-contained answer passages, citing sources and numbers, and experimenting with llms.txt.
The guide argues traditional SEO still matters, but AI search rewards precise, immediately useful text and broader brand presence across sources like YouTube and Reddit, making citations a branding play even when direct traffic never arrives.