Usually yes, because the quality is high. AI referral traffic is smaller in raw numbers than Google traffic, but the people arriving have had their question answered and pre-qualified by the AI, so they show up further along in their decision. Judge it by intent and influence, not by click count alone.
Why the volume looks small
AI answer engines reply directly, so many people get what they need without clicking through. That is a zero-click search, and it means the raw referral numbers from AI tools look modest next to classic search.
But raw clicks are the wrong yardstick here. The value is not only in who clicks. It is in being the brand the AI names and recommends when a buyer asks.
Why the traffic is higher intent
When someone does click through from an AI answer, they have already read a summary, compared options, and seen your brand recommended in context. They are not a cold visitor browsing ten links. They arrive informed and closer to a decision.
The data backs this up. Semrush studied the impact of AI search on site traffic and found the average AI search visitor is 4.4 times as valuable as the average traditional organic visitor, based on conversion rate (Semrush, AI search traffic study). So a smaller number of AI-referred visitors can convert better than a larger number of cold search clicks.
The bigger payoff is influence
Even when there is no click at all, being in the answer shapes the decision. A buyer who sees the AI recommend you, then comes to you later directly, was influenced by that recommendation even though no referral link recorded it.
This is why measuring AI value by clicks alone undersells it. The real return is being the default answer in your category, which compounds as more buyers ask AI before they choose.
Where to go next
For why this is happening, read what is zero-click search. For how to measure your presence, see how to read your AI share of voice.
