数字だけ見れば「大勝利」のはずだった

AI-driven traffic has surged by 393% year-on-year, with a 269% increase in March alone.

If we only look at this figure released by Adobe Analytics for the first quarter of 2025, one might think, “If we can be found by AI, we win.” In fact, data shows that visitors coming through AI channels have a higher conversion rate than those from traditional channels.

However, many U.S. retailers are experiencing sales growth that is “not as significant as expected.”

Why is this happening? Here lies a structural issue that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must not overlook when considering future web customer acquisition.

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トラフィックは増えた。でも「利益」は増えたのか？

First, let’s clarify what is happening.

With the proliferation of Google’s AI mode (AI Overview) and ChatGPT’s browsing feature, user behavior is shifting from “searching → selecting from ten blue links” to “asking AI → jumping to 1-3 sites recommended by AI.”

This change accelerates the “winner-takes-all” phenomenon.

Traffic is concentrating on sites recommended by AI. Sites that are not recommended are nearing zero traffic. In other words, the benefits of the 393% increase are being enjoyed by only a few players, while the rest are likely losing traffic.

Moreover, the logic behind how AI selects recommendations is opaque. While there are 20 years of accumulated know-how in SEO for Google searches, optimization methods for AI recommendation algorithms have not been established. This means there is no reproducibility.

For SMEs, there is nothing more dangerous than a “customer acquisition channel with no reproducibility.”

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売上が伸びない3つの構造的理由

Even with increased traffic, sales are not growing. Breaking down this phenomenon reveals three structural reasons.

1. 価格比較が「一瞬」で終わる時代

AI can instantly cross-reference information from multiple sites. When a user asks ChatGPT, “Where can I buy ○○ for the cheapest price?” the price comparison is completed in 0.5 seconds.

Previously, there was a structure where “if you appeared on the first page of search results, customers would buy even if the price was slightly higher.” This is collapsing. Price competition is advancing to the extreme, squeezing profit margins. Even if traffic increases, if gross profit decreases, sales growth will slow.

2. 広告の「中間コスト」が膨張している

There has been a rapid increase in advertising tools and consultants claiming AI optimization. The monthly fees for services promoting “SEO measures for the AI era” are becoming 2-3 times that of traditional SEO consulting.

The cost-per-click (CPC) for traditional listing ads is also on the rise. Data shows that the average CPC for Google Ads is expected to increase by 15-25% from 2024 to 2025, depending on the industry. If traffic increases but the acquisition cost rises at the same rate or higher, there will be no profit left.

The advertising budget for SMEs realistically ranges from 100,000 to 500,000 yen per month. Whether they can afford to invest additionally in “AI optimization” within this budget is a question. Upon reflection, the answer is likely no for many companies.

3. AIが「答え」を出してしまう問題

Another often-overlooked issue is the phenomenon where AI completes the “answer” within search results.

For example, if a user searches for “how to choose ○○,” AI Overview summarizes the key points. Users read this and feel satisfied, not clicking through to individual sites. This is the expansion of what is known as “zero-click searches.”

According to a Semrush survey, about 60% of Google searches end without a click. As the accuracy of AI responses increases, this ratio is likely to rise even further.

In other words, even if content is created, it is absorbed as “learning material” for AI and does not lead to traffic to the company’s site. Only the cost of content creation is incurred, with no returns.

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で、中小企業はどうすればいいのか

There’s no point in being overly pessimistic. In light of this structural change, SMEs should focus on three strategies.

打ち手1：AIが「吸い取れない」情報を持つ

AI can summarize only generic information available on the web. Conversely, primary information unique to the company cannot be absorbed by AI.

Here are some specific examples:

• Case studies of the company’s products (including customer names and figures)
• Insights from craftsmen and technicians shared with videos or photos
• Region-specific information (e.g., “climatic conditions to know when painting exteriors in ○○ city”)

These cannot be replaced by generic AI responses. As a result, a pathway is created where “AI’s answers are insufficient → let’s check this site.”

The production cost can start with just one smartphone and 2-3 hours a month. If outsourced, content that costs 30,000 to 50,000 yen per article can be produced at nearly zero cost by utilizing the company’s on-site knowledge.

打ち手2：「検索される前」に接点を作る

To avoid being swayed by the structural changes in AI searches, it is crucial to have customer acquisition pathways that do not rely on searches.

• Maintain connections with existing customers through official LINE accounts or newsletters
• Thoroughly enhance Google Business Profiles (formerly Google My Business)
• Create offline connections through collaboration with local events and chambers of commerce

Especially, Google Business Profiles are stronger in attracting traffic through “map searches” than AI Overview. For local SMEs, when acquiring customers within a 10 km radius, strategies for Google Maps often yield a higher ROI than SEO.

The monthly cost is zero. By simply updating photos and responding to reviews once a week, the ranking in map searches can change.

打ち手3：広告費を「AI活用」で圧縮する

Finally, let’s discuss how SMEs can utilize AI.

SMEs should leverage AI not for customer acquisition “upstream,” but for reducing operational costs.

• Automate the creation of variations for ad copy using AI (previously, outsourcing 20 variations at 5,000 yen each cost 100,000 yen, but with AI, it can be virtually zero)
• Mass-produce variations for A/B testing of landing pages using AI
• Semi-automate customer inquiry responses with AI chatbots (there are cases where monthly labor hours were reduced by 30-50%)

The key is to shift the mindset from using AI as a “magic wand for customer acquisition” to using it as a “tool for cost reduction.”

If personnel and production costs account for 200,000 yen of a 500,000 yen monthly advertising budget, compressing that to 50,000 yen with AI allows the remaining 150,000 yen to be redirected to actual ad spending. This alone can effectively increase advertising effectiveness by 1.4 times.

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この変化の本質は何か

Finally, let’s take a step back and consider the essence of this change.

Behind the news of a 393% increase in AI traffic lies the fact that “the cost of information distribution has become almost zero.”

When the cost of information distribution drops to zero, the value of the information itself decreases. Instead, what gains value are “trust, experience, and relationships.”

• Trust that “if I rely on this company, I won’t be mistaken”
• Experience of “having actually seen the site”
• Relationship of “being able to contact immediately if something happens”

These cannot be replaced by AI. Moreover, these are areas where SMEs have a significant advantage over large corporations.

Large companies invest tens of millions of yen in AI optimization to capture traffic. SMEs do not need to compete on that battlefield.

In a world where AI has made information free, companies that have “reasons for people to engage” will win.

This is something local SMEs already possess.

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まとめ：今日からできる3つのこと

1. Publish one piece of primary information unique to your company on the web this week (case studies, on-site photos, customer testimonials)
2. Open your Google Business Profile, add five photos, and respond to reviews
3. Replace one task currently done by a person in your advertising operations with AI

None of these will incur additional costs. Let’s start by trying them out.