AI, Search, and Nonprofit Websites: What You Need to Know Now

With insights from Jessica Poulin and Andrea Connelly of our SEO partner Column & Row

If you’ve noticed a dip in your organization’s organic search traffic lately and wondered why that is, you’re not alone. Many nonprofits have noticed subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) changes in how people find and interact with their websites.

Searching on the web has changed. Search results look different, how people use websites is shifting, and AI is forcing its way into every marketing and communications conversation.

To take a closer look at what this means for nonprofits, we sat down with our trusted SEO partners at Column & Row to talk through what’s actually changing, what nonprofits should (and shouldn’t) worry about, and where to focus their attention right now.

What do nonprofits need to know about how AI is changing search?

Search engines are increasingly summarizing information directly in search results. While traditional organic listings still appear, features like Google’s AI Overviews (which show up above search results) mean that people can often find the information they need without clicking on one of the websites included in the search results.

While search isn’t going away yet, how people use it is changing. With AI tools and features like Google’s AI Overviews and Large Language Models (LLMs) now embedded in the search process, many people expect to get answers directly from AI rather than clicking through multiple websites in search results. With AI handling much of the early exploration and information gathering, people tend to visit websites later in their decision-making process, often resulting in lower overall traffic to those sites, but visits that are tied to more specific actions.

If organic search traffic drops, should nonprofits be concerned?

A drop in your website traffic alone isn’t necessarily a disaster. In fact, traffic can be seen as a vanity metric if it isn’t connected to meaningful online outcomes — a point our partners emphasize. High visitor numbers may look encouraging on the surface, but if they’re not leading to meaningful actions, they don’t tell the full story of a site’s effectiveness.

For example, most of our clients would rather have 500 highly engaged people visit their nonprofit’s site and make a donation than watch 10,000 unmotivated visitors peruse it.

This is partly why website traffic declines, though unsettling, don’t automatically signal trouble. If you notice declines, it may be worth stepping back to ask a few useful questions about your site activity overall:

• Is your website clearly supporting the actions that matter most to your mission?
• Are visitors still making donations, registering for programs, or signing up to your newsletter?
• Are people engaging with events or activities through your site?
• Are visitors reaching out with questions via your contact form or chatbot?

What practical steps can nonprofits take right now?

To help respond to the changing reality of web searches, Column & Row recommends focusing on a few fundamentals that can help both human visitors and intelligent systems, such as LLMs, understand your content. Here are a few examples of what this might include:

• Clearly display publish dates and “last updated” dates on relevant content
• Add short and helpful summaries at the top of longer articles
• Ensure key information (hours, locations, eligibility, deadlines) is well structured on the page and easy to scan
• Make important details easy for search tools to understand, especially things like events, locations, FAQs, and services
• Review foundational pages like Home, About, Programs, FAQs, and Contact so that visitors know that your site’s content is relevant and reliable

The key is to focus on improving clarity rather than making major changes right away.

What content updates make the biggest difference?

Authorship and thoughtful content can make a meaningful difference as AI-generated content becomes more common. Naming real people with relevant expertise helps reinforce credibility and trust. As more online content is automated, human-created work stands out more clearly, a point Column & Row emphasizes when discussing the importance of authorship.

Clear headings, concise formatting, semantic structure, and intentional presentation can also support better understanding and engagement.

How can nonprofits create authentic, human-centered content?

AI can summarize facts, but it can’t replicate lived experience. This is where your organization’s knowledge and unique perspective come in.

Experimenting with first-person storytelling and sharing experiences, lessons learned, and impact through a human lens can help nonprofits show up more authentically online. Nonprofits are uniquely positioned here, already holding powerful stories of people, place, and purpose, and the social good they are working toward every day.

Leaning into those stories as part of your content strategy, sharing them online, and pairing them with facts and figures about your impact can help audiences better understand your work and feel more connected to you.

If nonprofits focus on one thing, what should it be?

Measure what’s happening — without overcomplicating it.

Andrea and Jessica both stress that while AI systems remain something of a “black box,” many nonprofits already have access to useful tools like GA4 and Google Search Console. These tools can help teams see which pages people are visiting, what actions they’re taking, and how they’re finding the site through search. It’s also helpful to remember that traffic numbers aren’t always perfect. Recent spikes in spam traffic can sometimes appear as direct visits in GA4, which may skew overall totals.

Understanding where you are now makes it easier to notice meaningful changes over time. Nonprofits who don’t have these kinds of tools, should consider installing them. And if you need support examining or assessing your analytics, you can always ask us or an SEO expert.

Stay focused on what matters most

Search and AI will continue to evolve, often in unpredictable ways. By staying focused on purpose as well as the people you’re trying to reach, and by grounding your website in clear information, meaningful stories, and mission-driven actions, nonprofits can feel confident in their ability to navigate through these changes.

We partner with nonprofits to support ongoing website strategy, maintenance, and planning. If you’re curious what these changes mean for your site specifically, let’s start a conversation.

Photo by Kestner Brae De Vera on Unsplash