The 2026 Traffic Rules Have Changed
I've talked to dozens of wellness coaches in the past few months. They're all saying the same thing: - "I'm posting consistently. I'm using keywords. I'm showing up. But fewer people are finding me." Here's what I discovered, and why it's not your fault. Think about how libraries used to work. You'd browse the shelves and find what you needed. Now imagine there's a librarian who answers questions directly and only recommends books she trusts. If the librarian doesn't know your book exists, no one will ever find it on the shelf, no matter how good it is. That's exactly what's happening with AI. Most of your potential clients aren't browsing Google anymore. They're asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews for wellness advice. And if your expertise isn't feeding those AI systems, you're invisible to them. The data is startling: - 60% of searches now end without a click. - People get their answers from AI, not from visiting your website. LinkedIn's own marketing team saw traffic decline by up to 60% across awareness-driven topics, even while their rankings stayed stable. The game changed. Discovery now happens inside AI-generated answers, often before anyone clicks to find you. Your website still matters for trust, depth, and conversion. But it's no longer where discovery begins. Test this yourself: Ask ChatGPT and Google AI for advice on [your wellness specialty]. See if your name or content shows up. That's your AI visibility baseline. Part 2 of this series will show you how to optimize for AI citation, not just Google rankings.