From News Desk
A Northern Ireland digital marketing expert is warning businesses that organic search traffic is fragmenting across multiple AI platforms, requiring urgent strategy changes in 2026.
Ciaran Connolly, Founder of Belfast-based digital agency ProfileTree, says businesses that rely solely on traditional Google rankings risk losing significant visibility as users increasingly turn to AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and other AI-powered search alternatives.
The warning comes as research indicates that up to 25 percent of traditional organic search traffic could shift to AI chatbots and answer engines by 2026, fundamentally changing how consumers in Belfast, Dublin, London and across the UK discover and choose businesses.
The Fragmentation of Search
“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how people find information online,” said Connolly, who has led ProfileTree’s growth from a Belfast startup to one of Northern Ireland’s most established digital agencies over the past 14 years. “It’s no longer just about ranking on page one of Google. Your business now needs to appear in AI Overviews, be cited by ChatGPT, show up in Perplexity results and be referenced by Claude and Gemini. The search landscape has fragmented and most businesses haven’t adapted.”
Google’s own AI Overviews feature, which provides AI-generated summaries at the top of search results, has already reduced click-through rates by 25 to 60 percent for many queries. This means that even businesses ranking in the top three positions on Google are receiving significantly fewer website visitors than they did just 12 months ago.
For MSMEs, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities. Businesses that adapt quickly to the new AI search environment stand to gain market share from competitors who remain focused solely on traditional SEO techniques.
The Belfast digital marketing sector has seen significant growth in recent years, with businesses increasingly seeking expertise in AI-driven marketing strategies. ProfileTree, which operates from its headquarters in County Antrim, has been at the forefront of this shift, delivering over 1,000 AI training programmes to businesses across the island of Ireland and throughout the UK.
“Northern Ireland businesses are particularly well-positioned to adapt to these changes,” Connolly explained. “We have a strong tradition of SME innovation and the cross-border nature of many Irish businesses means they’re already used to operating across multiple markets. The same flexibility that helps Belfast companies serve clients in Dublin, London, Manchester; and beyond will help them adapt to serving customers across multiple AI search platforms.”
The agency has observed that businesses in sectors including professional services, hospitality, retail, manufacturing and technology are all being affected by the AI search shift. Local businesses that previously relied on Google Maps listings and local SEO to attract customers in Belfast, Derry, Newry, Lisburn and other Northern Ireland towns are now finding that AI assistants are increasingly mediating these local discovery moments.
Understanding AI Search Behaviour
According to Connolly, the key difference between traditional search and AI-powered search lies in how these systems select and present information to users.
“When someone searches on Google, they see a list of results and choose which website to visit,” he said. “But when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for a recommendation, the AI provides a direct answer, often citing just two or three sources. If your business isn’t one of those cited sources, you’re invisible to that user entirely.”
This shift has significant implications for digital marketing strategy. Traditional SEO focused heavily on keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and technical website optimisation. While these factors remain important, AI search optimisation requires additional considerations.
AI systems tend to favour content that is clearly structured, factually accurate, frequently cited by other authoritative sources and written in a style that can be easily quoted or referenced. Businesses need to create content that AI systems view as trustworthy and quotable, not just content that ranks well in traditional search results.
The Rise of Generative Engine Optimisation
The digital marketing industry has begun using the term Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, to describe the practice of optimising content for AI-powered search systems. ProfileTree has been developing GEO strategies for clients across Belfast, Dublin, and the UK since early 2024.
“GEO is fundamentally different from traditional SEO,” Connolly noted. “With traditional SEO, you’re trying to convince Google’s algorithm that your page is the most relevant result for a particular query. With GEO, you’re trying to ensure that AI systems understand your business well enough to recommend you when users ask relevant questions.”
Key elements of an effective GEO strategy include creating comprehensive ‘Why Choose Us’ pages that clearly articulate a business’s unique value proposition, ensuring consistent brand information across all online platforms, building citations and mentions on websites that AI systems frequently reference, and structuring content in formats that AI systems prefer to cite.
Practical Steps for Businesses
ProfileTree recommends that businesses take several immediate steps to prepare for the continued fragmentation of search traffic.
First, businesses should audit their current AI search presence. This involves searching for their brand name, products and services in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s AI Overviews and other AI platforms to understand how they are currently being represented. Many businesses are surprised to find that AI systems have outdated or inaccurate information about their offerings.
Second, businesses should review their content strategy to ensure they are creating material that AI systems want to reference. This includes developing clear, factual content that answers specific questions, creating comprehensive guides and resources that establish expertise and ensuring all business information is consistent across the web.
Third, businesses should diversify their digital presence beyond Google dependency. This means building authority on platforms whom AI systems frequently cite, including LinkedIn, YouTube, industry publications and reputable news sources. ProfileTree’s own YouTube channel, which recently surpassed 250,000 subscribers with business education content, has become an increasingly important source of referral traffic as AI systems cite video content more frequently.
Fourth, businesses should invest in building genuine expertise signals. AI systems are increasingly sophisticated at identifying authoritative sources; and they tend to favour businesses with demonstrated expertise, clear credentials and strong reputations. This means that traditional reputation-building activities such as earning media coverage, collecting customer reviews and participating in industry events have become more important, not less.
Disclaimer – The details expressed in this post are from the companies responsible for sending this post for publication. This website doesn’t endorse the details published here. Readers are urged to use their own discretion while making a decision about purchasing or using a product/service related to this company, or using this information in any way. There has been no monetary benefit to the Publisher/Editor/Website Owner for publishing this post and the Website Owner takes no responsibility for the impacts of purchasing or using these products/services on the reader, or using this information in any way.
News and Opinions... 