Are Informational Searches Still Worth Targeting in the Age of AI?

AI is changing how users find answers. Discover why informational content still matters and how smart strategies drive growth and visibility beyond clicks.

Not too long ago, snagging a top spot on Google for an informational query—“what is X?” or “how to do Y”—was like planting a big, bright sign on the digital highway. People saw it, clicked it, and made their way down your funnel like clockwork. Ahhh, the good old days.

But in 2026? Things feel a little different, uncomfortably so. With AI-powered summaries dominating search results and users getting answers without clicking through, it’s easy to wonder whether informational search intent is still worth targeting. After all, if people never land on your page, why spend time crafting that deep dive on “how it works” or “why it matters?”

Before you toss your informational content strategy out the window, we’ll unpack what’s going on, why informational search queries still matter, and how they serve a purpose far bigger than just traffic.

What Are Informational Search Queries?

Glad you asked. When someone is conducting an informational search, they’re curious. They want to understand a concept, solve a problem, or learn a process—generally before they even realize they might need a product or service. 

Queries like “how does solar energy work,” “what is an informational search,” or “best way to improve sleep quality” fall into this category. These informational queries are rarely transactional, and the user may not be conversion-ready; however, they are the gateway to deeper interest, trust, and awareness. This is especially true since more than half of all Google searches are informational in nature, meaning there’s far more opportunity in this space to spread awareness for your brand and its offerings.

“But We Can’t Attribute It”: Welcome to Marketing, Circa Always

One of the most common objections to informational content in the age of AI goes something like this: “If we can’t directly attribute clicks or conversions, how do we know it’s working?” It’s a fair question. It’s also not a new one. In fact, most of marketing history has lived comfortably without perfect attribution, and somehow, brands still grew, markets still expanded, and businesses still thrived.

Think about it this way: No one ever asked for a click-through rate on a highway billboard. Commercials didn’t come with UTM parameters. Print ads didn’t track scroll depth. Radio spots never reported assisted conversions. Yet companies kept investing in them because visibility, repetition, and brand recall matter, even when you can’t draw a straight line from exposure to purchase.

The AI Shift: More Answers, Fewer Clicks, and Prioritizing Visibility

AI-powered search experiences (think Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT-style results, Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, etc.) are increasingly providing full answers right on the page. That’s convenient for users. It’s a whole lot less convenient for publishers and brands that relied on organic traffic as proof that their content worked.

Instead of sending users off to ten blue links, AI now synthesizes information from multiple sources and presents a concise, conversational response upfront. That means users often get what they need before ever clicking a link, which has contributed to declining click-through rates across many informational queries. 

In short, zero-click experiences are no longer edge cases. They’re becoming the norm, especially for straightforward “what is” and “how does” searches.

Visibility Is the Precursor to Conversion

Attribution has always been approximate, not a guarantee. Even in peak digital marketing years, not every touchpoint was trackable. Users switched devices. Cleared cookies. Clicked nothing. Talked to friends. Came back later. Branded search spiked because of exposure that analytics tools couldn’t see.

AI-driven discovery just makes these gaps more obvious. When a user sees your insights reflected in an AI overview, or absorbs your brand’s framing of a topic without clicking, that interaction still builds familiarity and influences downstream behavior, even if analytics can’t pin it to a neat row in a report.

Being the source now matters more than being the destination.

So yes, the traffic you used to see from informational content might be lower today, but that doesn’t mean the value behind those searches has disappeared. Far from it.

Why Informational Intent Still Matters — Even Without the Click

1. Informational Content Fuels Topical Authority

Today’s search landscape rewards depth over single answers. AI models look for signals that a site truly understands a topic. That means content clusters, interconnected insights, and multiple high-quality pieces that show breadth and depth.

When you build out a group of resources around a subject, you’re establishing expertise. That’s exactly the kind of credibility both search algorithms and AI systems want to draw from. Once a model recognizes that authority, it’s far more likely to pull your content into summaries, chat responses, and knowledge panels.

2. Visibility Is More Important Than Ever 

If your brand influences the answer, that’s visibility. Even when users never click through to or visit your page, AI models may base their response on your content, effectively giving you credit in the user’s mind as the source of truth. This is the new form of brand awareness for informational content.

You can earn influence without a visit. That influence matters when someone comes back later, deeper in their purchasing journey.

3. Informational Content Can Guide Future Engagement

Informational content is the first touchpoint. It’s where trust gets built, brand familiarity is earned, and needs are defined. Users who start with a “what is” often evolve into “who offers the best,” and by then, your brand may already have a leg up simply because you were part of the conversation early. 

4. Informational Search Content Feeds AI Discovery

There’s a myth that AI negates the need to create content. As if its answers magically appear from the ether, fully formed and suspiciously confident. In reality, AI discovery is built on something far less mystical: existing content. 

AI Overviews and similar experiences analyze and summarize information that already exists across the web. Specifically, high-quality content that clearly explains topics, answers questions, and demonstrates subject-matter expertise. In other words, the same signals that have long mattered in search still matter now.

And while you may not receive a click for your efforts, seeing your brand’s name beside an answer can do wonders for brand awareness, brand authority, brand trust, and a one-up against your competitors. 

5. If You’re Not Showing Up, Your Competitors Are

When someone searches an informational query, AI pulls from what’s available. If your content isn’t present, current, or authoritative enough to be included, someone else’s will be. That has real consequences. 

Once competitors start occupying those spaces consistently, it becomes harder to reclaim. So the real risk isn’t lower traffic from informational queries; it’s ceding authority and mindshare to competitors who stay visible while you disappear.

So, instead of asking “why should I create informational content?” a better question is: Do you want your brand in the pool that AI pulls answers from, or do you want competitors’ content representing the space?

Exactly.

How to Optimize for Informational Search in 2026

If you want to know how to optimize your content for informational queries and AI-powered search engines, start with:

• Clear structure: Informational pages should answer questions directly, use descriptive headers, and break ideas into self-contained sections. If each section can stand on its own, you’re doing it right.
• Technically accessible content: AI discovery depends on crawlability. Clean HTML, logical heading hierarchy, and schema markup for FAQs (on FAQ pages) or how-to content help machines understand what your page is actually saying.
• Content clusters around key topics: Depth builds credibility with both users and algorithms.
• Fresh, relevant content: Refresh outdated content regularly. Fresh perspectives and updated data keep your content relevant to evolving queries.
• Track impressions and AI visibility metrics, rather than just clicks. These provide a more comprehensive view of your influence.

Informational Search Needs a Smarter Approach, and GPO Can Help

Are informational search queries still worth targeting in the age of AI? Absolutely. They are the cornerstone of awareness, the fuel for topical authority, and a primary driver of brand influence. AI has just reframed informational intent. What was once measured in clicks is now measured in reach, recognition, and representation.

If you’re unsure which informational topics still matter, let GPO take that off your plate. From blog writing and content refreshes to building full-scale SEO and AI-driven content strategies, our team can help you capture visibility across every stage of the funnel. Connect with us today to develop content that builds authority, earns AI recommendations, and drives traffic that moves.