Top-of-Funnel Content Traffic Declining as AI Overviews Expand—But B2B Tech & Local SEO Show Promise

Search Engine Land analyzed Semrush organic traffic estimates across 30 major publishers to measure year-over-year changes in top-of-funnel (TOFU) content performance. Finance, healthcare, legal, and consumer tech domains saw traffic declines—aligning with YMYL categories where AI Overviews appear most aggressively—while B2B tech, cybersecurity, and marketing software domains improved. The outlet found TOFU and middle-of-funnel content trended similarly within each industry, suggesting industry type matters more than funnel stage; TOFU remains viable in B2B tech where research depth outpaces what AI summaries can satisfy, and in local search where LLMs lack reliable location awareness. Promising formats for 2027 include interactive tools (which AI rarely reproduces), location-specific content, and articles grounded in genuine subject-matter expertise.