LinkedIn, the professional networking platform owned by Microsoft, is undergoing a significant overhaul of its search engine optimization strategy following a dramatic decline in B2B traffic. The platform has reported that non-brand, awareness-driven B2B traffic has declined by up to 60%, primarily due to the rise of AI-powered search experiences that have reduced clickthrough behavior despite stable search rankings.
This development represents one of the most significant challenges for the professional networking giant, which has long relied on organic search traffic as a key driver of user engagement and B2B advertising revenue. The transformation in how people search for information, particularly business-related content, has forced LinkedIn to rethink its entire approach to search visibility.
The core issue stems from the emergence of AI-powered search experiences that provide direct answers to user queries without requiring users to click through to external websites. Even though LinkedIn maintains stable rankings for its content, the overall clickthrough rates have suffered as AI search tools summarize information directly in search results.
LinkedIn is responding with a comprehensive overhaul of its SEO strategy. This includes optimizing for conversational queries, developing more structured data, and creating content that addresses specific pain points for B2B professionals.
The implications extend beyond LinkedIn to the broader B2B marketing ecosystem. Companies that rely on LinkedIn for lead generation may need to adapt their content strategies to maintain visibility in an evolving search landscape.
Industry experts suggest that platforms like LinkedIn must evolve to provide value that AI search cannot easily replicate, such as community engagement, networking opportunities, and personalized professional development resources.