The Alligator Effect: Why AI Search is Devouring Your Clicks
AI-powered summaries are now front and center on Google, pulling answers from across the web and showing them directly on the SERPs. This shift is causing a sharp split in performance metrics: impressions are rising, but clicks are dropping. For many businesses, that is the understatement of the decade.
If your site isn’t ready, (or even if it is) you will be getting chomped between the powerful jaws of what some call the “Alligator Effect.” Or “Crocodile Effect”. Or the “biggest SEO-related sea change since Panda/Penguin circa 2011”.
We explain what’s happening, why, and how you can attempt to mitigate your ridiculous traffic losses.
What Lies Beneath
The Alligator / Crocodile Effect
Regardless of the specific reptile, this phenomenon has been named after a very dangerous chap. And with good reason. I don’t remember where I first saw the term used (likely about a month ago on LinkedIn), but it tickled me immediately and I knew eventually it would result in a blog post with several related AI-generated images.
Picture an alligator’s jaws - wide open as it prepares to ruin a water buffalo’s day. The upper jaw points skyward and represents organic impressions. The lower jaw points down and, halway through 2025, is likely the current unfortunate state of your clicks.
The gap between them has grown, with no end in sight, widening the jaws and creating this fun little analogy.
Universally (with fewer and fewer exceptions) impressions are climbing because Google now counts AI summary appearances alongside standard organic impressions. Only 2 weeks ago they confirmed this lumping togetherness is a real thing.
And clicks are falling as users get what they need from those summaries, skipping visits to actual sites.
Brands see their search visibility spike, while previously dependable site visits drop go through the floor. And FastFrigate’s clients are no exception. All I added was the Mississippiensis:
- With your delicious organic clicks - I’m all like: Nom, nom, nom
Why does this matter?
More impressions look good, but if they don’t turn into visits or sales, the business impact is, “meh”.
Marketers and SEO teams face tough questions about falling traffic, even as “visibility” numbers rise.
Your CEO does not give a rat’s ass about impressions, and never will. You have to be prepared to illustrate their importance in terms of overall site health, value to content strategy, and overall AI summary inclusion potential.
And then they likely still won’t give a sh*t. Maybe practice your tap dancing, too.
Why AI Summaries Changed Search Behavior
AI-powered summaries pull details from multiple sources to answer questions right on the search results page. These summaries often give users all the information they need, making click-throughs to actual websites unnecessary.
If this sounds like a tremendous paradigm shift which has us all in a bit of a kerfuffle - it’s because it is.
Key reasons for the widening jaws:
Speed: Users get answers right away, without clicking through.
Detail: Summaries often address the main question and related points.
Trust: AI summaries pull from top-ranking, reliable sources.
Frequency: AI summaries are gaining prime real estate for more and more searches, everyday.
The result? Fewer clicks for everyone except the most trusted or uniquely positioned sites.
Zero-Click Searches: The New Normal
Zero-click searches aren’t new, but AI summaries have made them much more common. Featured snippets and knowledge panels have been taking clicks for years. Now, AI-generated answers are making it even harder for brands to attract visits.
What’s different now:
AI summaries are more visible than old-style snippets.
They answer more complex questions that used to need multiple clicks.
They cover more types of searches, including those with buying intent.
What this means:
Brands that don’t appear in these summaries may be invisible.
Even those that do appear might not see more traffic.
Transactional Intent Is Surging
One of the most striking trends is the jump in transactional intent among users of AI search tools. In the last year, the share of queries with clear buying or action intent has grown from 0.6% to 6.1% - a ninefold increase.
What does this mean?
More users are ready to buy or act straight from AI search results.
If your site isn’t in AI summaries for these searches, you’re missing out on high-value visitors.
The fight for these spots is tough, especially for non-branded keywords. So you’d best get started.
How to Appear in AI Summaries
Getting your content into AI summaries isn’t as simple as ranking #1 in traditional search. And it’s a longer conversation we’ve covered elsewhere. But, to recap:
Challenges:
AI models pull from many sources, not just the top organic result.
They favor clear, well-structured, and trusted content.
Brand confusion is common if your name or product is similar to others in different fields.
Best practices:
Write content that answers specific questions directly.
Use schema markup and structured data to help search engines understand your page.
Build trust through high-quality links and consistent expertise.
If you’d like to dig deeper into the SEO for AI swamp, we’ve got you covered at the link.
Winning Strategies for Branded and Non-Branded Searches
To succeed, you need to optimize for both branded and non-branded queries.
Search Type/Challenge/Strategy/Branded/Name confusion, multiple companies overlapUse unique descriptors, clarify expertiseNon-BrandedHigh competition, AI pulls top sourcesFocus on niche topics, show authority
Action steps:
Check your search results presence for both branded and non-branded terms.
Find opportunities where your expertise is unique or underrepresented.
Update content to target question-based and buying-focused queries.
Wrangling the Alligator Effect
Here’s how to give your brand a fighting chance in the new AI-driven search world:
Track Impressions and Clicks Separately: Don’t be misled by rising impressions. Watch click-through rates and conversions closely.
Write for AI Summaries: Give clear, direct answers to common questions. Use bullet points and plain language.
Use Structured Data: Add schema markup for FAQs, products, and reviews.
Build Topic Authority: Publish detailed content on niche topics where you can be the best source.
Keep Content Fresh: AI models favor up-to-date information.
Encourage Brand Searches: Make your brand the answer to specific problems so users search for you directly.
Prepare for Brand Confusion: Stand out with unique value and clear messaging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are my impressions up but clicks down?
A: AI summaries count as impressions, but users are getting answers without clicking through. This widens the gap between visibility and actual site visits.
Q: How can I get my content into AI summaries?
A: Focus on direct, trusted answers to common questions. Use structured data and keep your content up to date.
Q: Is this trend affecting all industries?
A: While the effect is strongest in information-heavy and competitive sectors, nearly every field is seeing some impact from AI search summaries.
Q: Should I focus on branded or non-branded keywords?
A: Both. Branded keywords help with recognition, but non-branded terms reach users earlier in their search - and are often more competitive in AI summaries.
Key Takeaways
AI-powered search summaries have wiped out our previous expectations around how users interact with search results in 2025 - and forever.
The crocodile in the conference room? Impressions are up, but clicks are down - and the gap is only getting wider.
Brands must adapt by optimizing for both traditional and AI-driven search, focusing on trust, clarity, formatting, authority, brand strength, and unique value propositioning.
Those who move quickly will not only survive the Alligator Effect, but gain ground as search keeps evolving in perpetuity
Track both impressions and clicks.
Write for both AI and traditional search.
Make your brand stand out at every chance.
Act now, and you’ll be ready for what comes next. Hopefully we’ll (somehow) return to the era of fluffy pandas and leave the scaly, scary reptiles somewhere in Florida.
