AI Search Traffic Is Rising, But Does It Really Matter?

There’s been a lot of noise lately about AI-powered search, with tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity promising a new era of discovery and content consumption. But for all the buzz, are these platforms actually delivering meaningful traffic to businesses?

The short answer: Not really — at least, not yet.

The Data Tells a Different Story

Despite an eightfold increase in ChatGPT referral traffic over six months, these visits still represent less than 0.1% of total site traffic for top publishers like The Guardian, Forbes, and The New York Post. In other words, AI-driven search isn’t sending significant clicks — at least not at the scale traditional search engines do.

In January 2025, The New York Post received 760,000 visits from ChatGPT, representing 0.5% of its 143.5 million monthly visits. Meanwhile, The Guardian and Forbes also saw sizable gains, with 730,000 and 560,000 referrals, respectively.

For industries that rely on organic traffic (multifamily included), this raises an important question: Should we shift focus away from SEO in favor of AI-driven discovery?

Not so fast.

AI Search vs. Traditional Search: A Multifamily Perspective

Let’s bring this into our world. When renters search for apartments, they’re not just looking for answers — they’re looking for places to live. They want photos, reviews, pricing, and availability. They want an experience, not just a summary. And that’s where traditional search engines still dominate.

Google sends traffic directly to apartment websites, ILS listings, and community pages. It leads users to interactive maps, virtual tours, and leasing portals where they can take action. AI search, on the other hand, often provides summarized answers without driving users deeper into the funnel.

For property managers, developers, and marketers, that means SEO still reigns supreme. Ranking well in search results, optimizing Google Business Profiles, and leveraging high-intent keywords are still the most effective ways to capture organic traffic and convert prospects into leads.

But what about generative AI? If renters begin searching differently — asking conversational queries instead of traditional keyword searches — won’t that change the way we need to approach SEO?

Yes and no.

AI, Generative Search, and the Human Element

In one of our latest blogs, we explored how AI-powered search is evolving and what that means for content marketing. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is already shifting how search results appear, offering AI-generated summaries instead of a standard list of links.

This has some marketers worried. If AI-generated snippets provide all the information upfront, will users even need to click through to a website?

Not necessarily. 

AI-generated search results still pull their information from web content. That means the businesses that invest in high-quality, well-structured, and authoritative content will still get cited.

However, here’s where the real problem lies: AI isn’t perfect.

At Criterion.B, we’ve tested countless AI-generated pieces, and while tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are helpful for brainstorming, they lack depth, nuance, and accuracy in some instances — all things a human editor must fix before publishing. Relying too heavily on AI content leads to generic, impersonal, and often incorrect information. AI alone isn’t enough — it still needs a human touch.

We also see Answer Engine Optimization as a natural evolution of traditional SEO — not a replacement. While ranking on Google’s first page is still essential, the way users search for information is shifting. More than ever, search engine results pages (SERPs) are dominated by featured snippets, AI-generated summaries, and voice search responses. This means users increasingly get their answers before ever clicking on a website.

For multifamily websites, this shift requires a new approach. It’s not just about ranking — it’s about being the answer. Instead of focusing solely on keyword rankings, Answer Engine Optimization ensures your content is structured to deliver immediate, direct answers to user queries, increasing visibility in featured snippets, AI-powered search results, and voice search.

Multifamily SEO in the Age of AI Search

So, should multifamily marketers care about AI search? Yes — but with caution. 

AI-driven search is still evolving, and its role in multifamily marketing remains uncertain. While generative AI referrals may increase over time, they are unlikely to replace the need for a strong multifamily SEO strategy. The key is balance:

• Continue prioritizing traditional SEO — it’s still the primary driver of organic traffic.
• Enhancing structured data so search engines can better understand and feature your content.
• Prioritizing user intent by crafting content that aligns with the way people actually search, whether they’re typing into Google or asking Alexa for apartment recommendations.
• Monitor AI-driven search trends — but don’t overhaul your multifamily marketing plan just yet.
• Optimize for featured snippets and structured data to increase the chances of generative AI tools citing your content.
• Create content that ChatGPT and others want to reference — thought leadership, original research, and unique insights are more likely to be used in AI-generated responses over rehashed, generic content.

This last point is crucial. Brands that invest in proprietary data and original content will always have an advantage — because AI tools can only summarize what already exists. If your content is the original source, AI will use it.

The Future of AI Search and Multifamily Marketing

We’re still in the early days of AI-driven search, and no one knows exactly how it will shape the industry long term. But if there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s this: SEO isn’t dead. It’s just evolving.

What’s your take? Are you seeing meaningful traffic from AI-driven search, or is it all just noise? Let’s discuss.