How to Increase Traffic on Your Website in 2026: 12 Questions, Answered With Real Examples

Meet GlowLab: The Example We Will Use Throughout

GlowLab is a fictional D2C skincare brand. They sell a 5-product range of clean, science-backed serums and moisturisers. Price range: $28-$65. They launched 18 months ago, have a Shopify store, 12,000 monthly visitors (mostly from Instagram), and a small but loyal customer base. Their Google rankings are decent for long-tail keywords, but traffic has plateaued.

GlowLab is the kind of brand that should be recommended by AI. Their products solve a specific problem (sensitive skin + acne-prone), they have strong customer reviews, and their ingredients story is genuinely differentiated. But when you ask ChatGPT "What are the best serums for acne-prone sensitive skin?", GlowLab does not appear. CeraVe, Paula's Choice, and The Ordinary do.

Every question below uses GlowLab to show the exact steps.

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Q1: "Why is my website traffic not growing even though my SEO is fine?"

The Short Answer

Because your customers have moved, but your strategy has not. Google's share of total search is now 34.5%. AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are handling a growing share of product discovery. Gartner predicts traditional search volume will drop 25% by 2026. Your SEO may be fine for Google, but Google is no longer the only game.

The Step-by-Step Fix for GlowLab

1. Check your AI referral traffic. Open Google Analytics 4 > Traffic Acquisition. Filter by source. Look for: chat.openai.com, chatgpt.com, gemini.google.com, perplexity.ai. If these sources show zero or near-zero, you are invisible to AI.
2. Ask AI about your category. Open ChatGPT and type: "What are the best serums for acne-prone sensitive skin under $50?" If GlowLab does not appear, there is a visibility gap to close.
3. Split your effort 50/50. Dedicate half your content effort to traditional SEO (Google rankings) and half to GEO (AI visibility). The two require different optimisation strategies.

What GlowLab Finds

GA4 shows exactly 0 visits from AI platforms. ChatGPT recommends CeraVe, Paula's Choice, and The Ordinary for every skincare query in GlowLab's category. GlowLab's Shopify store has good meta descriptions but no structured data, no FAQ schema, and no comparison content. The site is optimised for Google. It is invisible to AI.

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Q2: "What is GEO and how is it different from SEO?"

The Short Answer

Dimension	SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Goal	Rank in Google's list of blue links	Be cited and recommended by AI assistants
How it works	Backlinks, keyword density, page speed	Semantic relevance, structured data, citation diversity
Content format	Long-form articles targeting keywords	Self-contained sections AI can extract individually
Traffic source	Google organic (1.76% conversion rate)	ChatGPT (15.9%), Perplexity (10.5%), Gemini (3%)
Time to results	6-12 months	60-90 days
Key signals	Domain authority, backlink profile	FAQ schema, Reddit mentions, review site presence

The Step-by-Step Fix for GlowLab

1. Keep your SEO. Do not abandon Google optimisation. GlowLab's existing rankings still drive 12,000 monthly visits.
2. Add GEO on top. For every new piece of content, ask: "Can AI extract a useful answer from this paragraph without reading the rest of the page?" If the answer is no, restructure it.
3. Rewrite key pages. GlowLab's product pages currently say: "Our Niacinamide Serum is formulated with 10% Niacinamide and Zinc PCA for clearer, calmer skin." Good for Google. But AI needs: "GlowLab's Niacinamide Serum contains 10% Niacinamide and 1% Zinc PCA. It is designed for acne-prone sensitive skin. Price: $34. Made in the US with vegan, cruelty-free ingredients." Self-contained. Factual. Extractable.

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Q3: "Which AI platforms should I focus on for traffic?"

The Short Answer

Platform	Market Share	Conversion Rate	Growth (YoY)	Best For
ChatGPT	64.5%	15.9%	Stable leader	Highest conversion, largest audience
Gemini	21.5%	3.0%	+388%	Fastest growing, integrated with Google Search
Perplexity	2.0%	10.5%	Growing	Cites sources in 97% of responses
Grok	3.4%	Emerging	New entrant	Weights X/Twitter social signals heavily

The Step-by-Step Fix for GlowLab

1. Prioritise ChatGPT. 64.5% market share and 15.9% conversion. This is where GlowLab should focus first.
2. Prepare for Gemini. With 388% YoY growth, Gemini will matter more every quarter. Its integration with Google Search means appearing in Gemini often boosts traditional search visibility too.
3. Do not ignore Perplexity. It cites sources in 97% of responses and converts at 10.5%. For a D2C brand, every Perplexity citation is a direct link back to your product page.

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Q4: "What content should I create to increase traffic?"

The Short Answer

Bottom-funnel content drives the most AI referral traffic. Case studies, pricing pages, and comparison pages outperform generic "how-to" guides for AI citations. Articles over 2,900 words are 59% more likely to be cited by ChatGPT (Semrush). But length alone is not enough. Structure matters more than word count.

Content Priority for AI Traffic

Content Type	AI Citation Impact	Traffic Potential	GlowLab Example
Comparison pages	Very High	Very High	"GlowLab vs CeraVe: Which is better for acne-prone sensitive skin?"
FAQ / Q&A pages	Very High	High	"Niacinamide for Acne: 15 Questions Answered by a Formulator"
Case studies	High	High	"How 500 customers with rosacea rated GlowLab's Calming Serum"
Pricing / value pages	High	Medium	"GlowLab pricing: cost-per-day breakdown vs premium alternatives"
Long-form guides	Medium	Medium	"The Complete Guide to Building a Sensitive Skin Routine"
Ingredient explainers	Medium	Medium	"What does Niacinamide actually do? The science, explained."

The Step-by-Step Fix for GlowLab

1. Week 1-2: Create 3 comparison pages. "GlowLab vs CeraVe," "GlowLab vs The Ordinary," "GlowLab vs Paula's Choice." Each page should be 2,000+ words, include ingredient-by-ingredient comparisons, price comparisons, and customer review summaries. These pages directly answer the queries where GlowLab is currently absent.
2. Week 2-3: Build a comprehensive FAQ page. 15-20 questions covering: ingredients, pricing, skin type suitability, shipping, return policy, and how GlowLab compares to competitors. Use FAQPage schema markup on every question.
3. Week 3-4: Publish a data-driven case study. Survey existing customers. "We asked 200 customers with sensitive skin to rate their experience after 30 days." Include specific numbers, before/after data, and direct quotes.
4. Ongoing: One new content piece per week. Brands producing 12+ optimised content pieces see up to 200x faster visibility gains than those producing just four.

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Q5: "How do I write content that AI will actually cite?"

The Short Answer

Make every paragraph self-contained. AI may extract a single section from your page without reading anything else. If your paragraph references "as mentioned above" or "the chart below," AI cannot use it as a standalone citation.

The Structural Rules

Rule	Bad (Google-Only)	Good (AI-Optimised)
Self-contained paragraphs	"As we discussed earlier, the serum works well..."	"GlowLab's Niacinamide Serum contains 10% Niacinamide. It is designed for acne-prone sensitive skin. Price: $34."
Specific claims	"Our serum is really effective"	"87% of customers reported reduced breakouts within 28 days (based on a survey of 200 users)"
Named entities	"Our product is better than the competition"	"GlowLab's Niacinamide Serum uses 10% concentration vs CeraVe's 4%"
Structured answers	A long paragraph mixing multiple topics	One question, one clear answer per section with H2/H3 headers

GlowLab Before/After Example

Before (current product page):

"Introducing our best-selling serum! Powered by science-backed ingredients, this lightweight formula absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling amazing. Perfect for your daily routine. See our other products for a complete skincare experience."

After (AI-optimised):

"GlowLab Niacinamide Clarity Serum is a daily treatment serum for acne-prone sensitive skin. It contains 10% Niacinamide and 1% Zinc PCA. The formula is vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free. Price: $34 for 30ml. Made in Portland, Oregon. 87% of customers with acne-prone skin reported fewer breakouts within 28 days (GlowLab customer survey, n=200, January 2026)."

The second version contains seven verifiable facts AI can extract and cite independently. The first version contains zero.

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Q6: "What technical changes should I make to my website?"

The Short Answer

Three technical changes have the highest impact on AI traffic: FAQ schema, AI bot access, and structured product data.

Technical Checklist for AI Traffic

Fix	Impact	Effort	GlowLab Action
Add FAQPage schema	Very High	Low	Add JSON-LD FAQ markup to every product page and the main FAQ page
Allow AI bots in robots.txt	Very High	5 minutes	Add: User-agent: GPTBot / Allow: / and User-agent: PerplexityBot / Allow: /
Add Product schema	High	Medium	JSON-LD Product schema on each product page with price, availability, reviews
Create llms.txt	Medium	Low	A plain-text file at /llms.txt describing GlowLab for AI systems
Update sitemap.xml	Medium	Low	Ensure all new comparison and FAQ pages are in the sitemap
Use semantic HTML	Medium	Medium	Replace generic <div> containers with <article>, <section>, <aside>

GlowLab's FAQ Schema Example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Is GlowLab's Niacinamide Serum suitable for sensitive skin?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. GlowLab's Niacinamide Serum is fragrance-free, vegan, and formulated specifically for acne-prone sensitive skin. 87% of customers with sensitive skin reported no irritation after 28 days of daily use."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "How does GlowLab compare to CeraVe for acne?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "GlowLab uses 10% Niacinamide concentration compared to CeraVe's 4%. GlowLab is fragrance-free and vegan. CeraVe is widely available in drugstores. Both are suitable for acne-prone skin, but GlowLab targets sensitive skin specifically."
      }
    }
  ]
}

GlowLab's robots.txt Update

User-agent: GPTBot
Allow: /

User-agent: Google-Extended
Allow: /

User-agent: PerplexityBot
Allow: /

User-agent: ClaudeBot
Allow: /

Sitemap: https://glowlab.com/sitemap.xml

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Q7: "Which social media platforms actually drive AI traffic?"

The Short Answer

Reddit is the dominant social citation source for AI platforms. But the channel mix depends on which AI platform you are targeting.

AI Platform	Top Social Source	Why
Perplexity	Reddit (46.7%)	Treats Reddit threads as primary community evidence
Google AI	Reddit + YouTube	Google-Reddit licensing deal; YouTube in Google's retrieval stack
ChatGPT	Reddit + LinkedIn	Favours community discussions and professional content
Grok	X/Twitter (71/100 trust)	xAI owns X; Grok has direct access to X engagement data

The Step-by-Step Fix for GlowLab

1. Reddit (P1 priority). Identify 3-5 subreddits where GlowLab's buyers ask questions: r/SkincareAddiction (2M+ members), r/SensitiveSkinCare, r/acne. Create genuine, helpful text posts answering real questions. Share ingredient knowledge without pushing the product. Mention GlowLab naturally where relevant, not in every post.
2. YouTube (P1 priority). Create 3 videos: "Niacinamide for Acne: What the Science Says" (educational), "GlowLab vs CeraVe: Side-by-Side Test" (comparison), "My 28-Day Sensitive Skin Routine" (testimonial). YouTube content is indexed by both Google AI and Gemini.
3. Trustpilot (P1 priority). Actively request reviews from existing customers. AI platforms like ChatGPT cite Trustpilot reviews when recommending products. Aim for 50+ reviews within 60 days.
4. LinkedIn (P2). GlowLab's founder posts about clean beauty, ingredient science, and building a D2C brand. LinkedIn articles are increasingly cited by ChatGPT for professional and B2B queries.

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Q8: "How do I measure if AI traffic is actually growing?"

The Short Answer

Track three layers: AI referral traffic in GA4, your AIScore™ across platforms, and Golden Prompt rankings.

GlowLab's Monthly Dashboard

Metric	Where to Track	GlowLab Baseline	90-Day Target
AI referral visits	GA4 > Traffic Acquisition	0	500+ monthly visits
AIScore™	AkuparaAI report	Grade F (estimated)	Grade C (45-55)
Visibility rate	Golden Prompt tracking	0% (not mentioned)	30-40%
Citation count	Manual or AkuparaAI	0 citations	15+ citations
Trustpilot reviews	Trustpilot dashboard	8 reviews	50+ reviews
Reddit mentions	Reddit search / alerts	2 mentions	20+ organic mentions

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Q9: "How do I find the exact queries where I should appear but don't?"

The Short Answer

This is what AI Gap Intelligence™ does. It maps the specific queries where your brand is absent but your product is a near-perfect match for the buyer's need.

GlowLab's AI Gap Intelligence™ Analysis

Here are the five queries where GlowLab should appear but does not, and exactly what to do about each:

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Q10: "What is a realistic 90-day plan for a small D2C brand?"

GlowLab's 90-Day Citation Acceleration Plan™

Week	Action	Expected Impact
1	Update robots.txt to allow GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot. Create llms.txt.	AI can now crawl and index GlowLab's site
1-2	Add FAQPage schema to all 5 product pages. Add Product schema with price, reviews, availability.	AI can extract structured facts about products
2-3	Publish 3 comparison pages: GlowLab vs CeraVe, vs The Ordinary, vs Paula's Choice.	Closes Gap 1 (alternative_search queries)
3-4	Publish pricing page with cost-per-day framing. Publish ingredient deep-dive page.	Closes Gaps 2 and 4 (value + strength queries)
4-6	Begin Reddit engagement: 2-3 helpful posts per week in r/SkincareAddiction, r/SensitiveSkinCare.	Builds social citation base for Perplexity and ChatGPT
4-6	Email existing customers requesting Trustpilot reviews. Target: 50 reviews in 6 weeks.	Creates review citations AI can reference
6-8	Publish customer case study with survey data. Get expert/dermatologist review published.	Closes Gap 3 (evaluation queries)
8-10	Create 2 YouTube videos: ingredient science explainer + product comparison.	Builds YouTube citation for Gemini and Google AI
10-12	Re-run Golden Prompts. Measure AIScore™. Calculate visibility rate improvement.	Baseline vs 90-day comparison
Result	Projected: Grade F to Grade C. Visibility 0% to 30-40%.	500+ new monthly AI-referred visits

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Q11: "What does this cost and what is the ROI?"

The Short Answer

For a brand like GlowLab with one person handling content part-time:

Item	Cost	Notes
Technical fixes (schema, robots.txt, llms.txt)	$0 (DIY) or $500-$1,000 (developer)	One-time cost
Comparison + FAQ content (5 pages)	$0 (DIY) or $2,000-$4,000 (freelancer)	One-time cost
Reddit + Trustpilot engagement	$0 (time investment: 3-5 hrs/week)	Ongoing
YouTube videos (2-3 videos)	$0 (DIY) or $500-$1,500	One-time per video
AI Visibility tracking	$500-$2,000/month	Or manual tracking with Golden Prompts
Total (DIY route)	$0-$2,000 + 8-10 hrs/week	Most D2C founders can do this themselves

The ROI Math

If GlowLab achieves 500 new AI-referred visits per month, and those visits convert at even half the ChatGPT average (call it 8% instead of 15.9%):

• 500 visits x 8% conversion = 40 new orders per month
• 40 orders x $45 average order value = $1,800 incremental monthly revenue
• $1,800 x 12 months = $21,600 annual incremental revenue

For a $2,000-$5,000 upfront investment and 8-10 hours per week, that is a strong return. And it compounds: as GlowLab's citation base grows, AI recommendations become more frequent and more prominent.

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Q12: "What is the single most important thing I should do this week?"

The Short Answer

Update your robots.txt to allow AI bots. It takes five minutes. It costs nothing. And without it, nothing else in this guide works. If AI crawlers cannot access your site, no amount of content optimisation will make you visible.

The Five-Minute Fix

1. Open your robots.txt file (usually at yoursite.com/robots.txt)
2. Add the four lines allowing GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot, and ClaudeBot
3. Make sure your sitemap URL is referenced at the bottom
4. Save and deploy

Then ask ChatGPT a question about your product category. Write down whether your brand appears. That is your Day 1 baseline. Everything else builds from there.

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Summary: The 12-Question Checklist

#	Question	Key Action
1	Why is traffic not growing?	Check GA4 for AI referral sources. Split effort 50/50 SEO + GEO.
2	What is GEO vs SEO?	SEO = Google links. GEO = AI recommendations. You need both.
3	Which AI platforms?	ChatGPT first (15.9% CVR), Gemini second (388% growth).
4	What content to create?	Comparison pages, FAQ pages, case studies. 2,900+ words.
5	How to write for AI?	Self-contained paragraphs. Specific claims. Named entities.
6	What technical fixes?	FAQ schema, robots.txt for AI bots, Product schema.
7	Which social platforms?	Reddit (46.7% of Perplexity), YouTube, Trustpilot.
8	How to measure?	GA4 AI sources + AIScore™ + Golden Prompt tracking.
9	How to find gaps?	AI Gap Intelligence™: map absent queries by persona and intent.
10	What is the 90-day plan?	Week 1: technical. Week 2-4: content. Week 4-8: social. Week 10-12: measure.
11	What does it cost?	$0-$5,000 upfront + 8-10 hrs/week. ROI in 3-6 months.
12	What should I do this week?	Update robots.txt. Ask ChatGPT about your category. Record baseline.

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