What happened, in plain English

The traffic is slipping. On its earnings call last Thursday, Reddit said visits from Google search fell by more than 1 million a week on average in October, and the drop sped up late in the quarter.

The CEO named the cause. Steve Huffman pointed to Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, the AI-written answers at the top of search results. His words: "The AI mode does not drive traffic, not for us and not to anybody as far as I know."

Investors reacted fast. Reddit's revenue was up 53% from a year ago. The stock still fell about 30% on Friday, because investors care where the visitors will come from next.

⬡ Why This Matters to You

Your customer got their answer. You never got the visit.

Picture someone searching "how much does a crown cost" or "do I need a CPA for my LLC." A year ago, they clicked a few websites. Now Google's AI writes the answer at the top of the page, and many people stop there.

That doesn't mean your website stopped mattering. It means its job changed. It has to be the source the AI trusts, and every visitor who does click through is worth more, so you need a way to keep them.

3 moves to make this week

① Check your own numbers.

Open Google Search Console or your website analytics and compare this October to last October. If clicks from Google are down while your rankings held steady, AI answers are a likely reason.

② Be the answer, not just a link.

Put clear, plain-language answers to your customers' top questions on your site: prices or price ranges, hours, service area, what to expect. And keep your Google Business Profile complete and current. AI answers draw from what they can find and trust.

③ Own a channel Google can't take.

An email list, a text list, a referral habit, a stack of reviews. Every customer who reaches you should leave with a reason to come back without searching first. Search is rented. Your list is owned.

Fewer visitors means each one has to count.

Enter your website in The Promptory's Stack Finder and Jordan, our AI advisor, shows you the bottleneck to fix first and the tools that fix it, whether that's missed calls, slow follow-up, or leads that never come back. It takes about a minute, it's free, and there's no sales call.

Move ③ in action. AWeber is one of the most established email platforms built for small businesses, with AI writing help built in, and there's a free plan to start. If you don't have a customer list yet, this is the week to start one. It's the one channel no search engine can turn off.

Your ChatGPT plan is changing in December

OpenAI · Plus, Pro & Business plans

Starting in December, ChatGPT and Codex, OpenAI's coding tool, will draw from one shared usage allowance instead of two separate ones. OpenAI hasn't announced an exact date.

Our take: if your team uses only ChatGPT, you may not notice. If someone also uses Codex, heavy coding days could eat into everyone's chat time. Either way, it's a good excuse for a year-end check: list every AI subscription you pay for, who actually uses it, and what it's done for you since January. Cut what you can't answer for before it renews in 2027.

I run [business name], a [type of business] in [city]. Search the web and answer these the way you'd answer a customer:

1. "Who's the best [type of business] in [city]?" Do you mention us? Why or why not?
2. "How much does [your main service] cost in [city]?" What do you say, and where does it come from?
3. What do you know about [business name]: hours, services, prices, reviews? Is any of it missing or wrong?

Then tell me the 5 changes to my website or Google Business Profile that would make you more likely to recommend us, starting with the most important.

See you in Dallas on Wednesday

I'll be at the Small Business Expo on November 4 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Reply to this email and let's find each other. Bring your website and I'll show you what AI says about your business, and your stack, on the spot.

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