😯AI Search = Website Traffic Drop. Here's What to Do.
Hotelier, there’s a day coming, maybe it has already happened, when you open your analytics and see it:
Organic traffic is down.
Not a tiny dip.
A real drop.
And in about three seconds, your brain starts building the emergency plan:
“Do we need more content?”
“Do we need more budget?”
“Is SEO broken?”
“What does this do to bookings?”
Then comes the part no one enjoys: the RevOps/Commercial meeting.
It's tough to enter a room with a report that says, “Traffic is down.”
It feels frustrating to say, “Performance is down” or “I missed the mark.”
You end up defending your solid work, but the numbers tell a different story.
Here’s the reframe I want you to take into that meeting:
AI search has written new rules for what "good" looks like in marketing.
It’s no longer a clean game of high-volume clicks → website visits → bookings.
More answers are happening before the click.
More discovery happens inside AI tools.
And fewer people will arrive on your site the “old way."
But, if hotels keep measuring marketing by traffic volume alone, they'll keep doing one thing....
Spending more money to get more of something that is fading.
Instead of staring at traffic, stare at revenue.
Traffic isn’t the goal.
Bookings and profit are.
The best way to protect revenue is to convert more of your current traffic.
Don't rush out to buy new visitors.
Conversions are about efficiency, not volume.
Sidebar: CRO = conversion rate optimization
Recent data shows that LLM-driven visitors (e.g., ChatGPT) tend to arrive with higher intent.
They are already pre-sold and closer to booking, so improving conversion lets you capture more revenue from fewer clicks.
First, start with the right conversion metrics
Hotels don’t have one conversion rate.
You have multiple “yes points.”
When traffic dips, this matters because you need to know where you’re losing people.
Type #1: Website conversion rate:
Visits divided by bookings.
This is your “did the site do its job?” rate.
Type #2: Booking engine conversion rate:
Booking-engine entrants divided by bookings.
This is your “did people finish?” rate.
Other conversion rates depending on your hotel:
Lead forms submitted (groups, corporate, weddings)
Email capture (promos, newsletter sign-ups)
In that RevOps/Commercial meeting, this is how you keep the conversation grounded:
“Traffic is down, but we see a lift in revenue.”
“We’re seeing more lead forms or email sign-ups.”
Pull these 4 levers to move the conversion needle.
These are the 4 levers that I follow when auditing a hotel website.
It keeps teams focused and avoids random “let’s redesign everything” decisions.
Lever 1: Message Match
Does the page deliver what the search promised?
A guest arrives with an expectation.
If the page doesn’t confirm quickly that they’re in the right place, they bounce.
Landing on the page, can a guest tell at once:
What this is
Who it’s for
What to do next
A vague headline can hurt your traffic. A pretty first screen without clear info does the same.
Keep it clear, or traffic declines will hurt even more.
Lever 2: Provide Proof Early
Do others like this? Is this safe to choose?
You don't need to have a wall of reviews on your website.
Guests need a glimpse that satisfies the skeptic in them.
Quick proof that works:
Rating snapshot near the top
A short guest quote that matches intent (“perfect for families,” “quiet for work trips”)
The goal here is to keep them moving, not lost in reading reviews.
Lever 3: Details That Drive Decisions
Can they choose fast without confusion?
Hotels unintentionally create homework all the time:
Too many room types that sound similar
No clear “what’s the difference?” summary
Key details buried (beds, kitchens, parking, fees, cancellation)
To help guests make a decision, consider implementing these tips.
“Best for” labels
One clear difference line per room type
A simple comparison grid
If a guest can’t decide, they don’t book.
Lever 4: Friction Audit
What’s making guests hesitate in the booking engine?
Friction in the booking engine usually goes unnoticed by Hoteliers.
As a result, people often blame marketing performance.
Common friction:
Policies and fees are revealed late
Confusing rate plan names
Too many steps or fields
Unclear totals until the end
Important: a better website often sends more people into the booking engine.
If friction is high, you won't get more bookings with more traffic.
That’s why you separate the two conversion rates (if you missed this point, scroll up).
If you only do one thing after reading this...
Open your homepage and ask, like a real guest:
“What do I want and need to know in this moment?”
Then check if the page answers it.
Is this for me?
Can I trust it?
Did I find the answer I was looking for?
What do I do next?
If it doesn't answer it, don’t add more traffic.
Fix that first.
Hoteliers, if you want a quick win, hit "reply" and drop your hotel URL in the email.
I’ll tell you which of the 4 levers is most likely leaking and what to fix first.
No cost, all help.
