Let’s set the scene: your nonprofit's annual report page used to get 5,000 visitors per month from people searching "climate change statistics." Now it has dropped to 1,200. Google's AI is answering those questions directly, without sending anyone to your carefully researched content.
These changes to website traffic and search are happening right now to nonprofits everywhere. We're seeing this pattern across organizations, from small local charities to major international NGOs.
The good news is that there are concrete steps your team can take to adapt to keep your website traffic up. This guide covers what's happening to nonprofit search traffic, how to make your content AI-readable through structured data, the types of search terms that still drive visitors to your site, and how to measure success.
What exactly is happening to nonprofit website traffic?
Google's AI Overviews now appear above traditional search results, answering questions without requiring clicks. When someone searches "how to help homeless veterans," Google's AI pulls information from your website but displays it directly in search results. The person gets their answer, but you lose a potential volunteer, donor, or advocate.
This creates zero-click conversions where users get answers without visiting your site. AI Overviews could reduce organic traffic by 18-64% for websites with informational content. That's exactly the type of educational content nonprofits create.
What’s reassuring is that donation conversions seem to be holding steady as traffic being lost comes primarily from informational queries that don't typically convert to donations immediately anyway.
The timing couldn't be worse. Many organizations are already stretching limited budgets while depending heavily on organic search for awareness and donor acquisition. Unlike businesses that can quickly pivot marketing spend, nonprofits often lack the resources for rapid digital strategy changes.
What’s reassuring is that donation conversions seem to be holding steady, as traffic being lost comes primarily from informational queries that don't typically convert to donations immediately anyway. The real challenge lies in losing that crucial top-of-funnel awareness that eventually leads to engagement.
Also read: Seven ways to build an equitable website
How do you make your nonprofit's content AI-readable?
Think of structured data as creating a "nutrition label" for your content that AI can easily read.
This structured data, also called "schema markup”, is a short snippet of code that labels key information on your web pages, like your mission, donation options, or upcoming events. It helps search engines and AI tools interpret and surface your content more accurately, and can be added manually, through a CMS plugin, or with tools like Google’s Markup Helper.
This is code you add behind the scenes that doesn't change how your site looks to visitors, but dramatically improves how AI understands your content.
Think of structured data as creating a "nutrition label" for your content that AI can easily read.
This approach includes Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and it's different from traditional SEO. Instead of optimizing for human searchers clicking through to your site, you're optimizing for AI systems that need to understand and reference your content in their responses.
Google's algorithms now prioritize content with clear, structured information. When AI systems can quickly identify your organization's mission, contact information, and donation opportunities, they're more likely to reference your content in responses.
Essential schema types for nonprofits
Organization schema helps search engines display your contact information, mission, and credibility indicators. This markup tells AI systems exactly what your organization does and how people can support your work.
DonateAction schema makes your fundraising pages more visible to AI systems:
- Add to donation landing pages and fundraising campaign pages
- Include donation amount options and currency
- Specify recipient organization details
- Link to your secure donation processing page
Event schema helps your fundraising events and program activities appear in AI-generated event listings:
- Mark up fundraising galas, volunteer training sessions, and awareness events
- Include date, time, location, and registration details
- Add performer or speaker information when relevant
- Specify ticket prices and availability
FAQPage schema structures your common questions about your cause:
- Use for "How can I help?" sections on your website
- Include donation process explanations
- Cover volunteer opportunity questions
- Address common misconceptions about your cause
Implementation approaches
Google's Structured Data Markup Helper provides a free, user-friendly way to add this markup to your pages. The tool walks you through tagging different elements on your pages without requiring extensive coding knowledge.
WordPress users can leverage several nonprofit-focused plugins that automatically generate appropriate schema markup. These plugins handle the technical implementation while you focus on content creation.
Organization schema helps search engines display your contact information, mission, and credibility indicators. This markup tells AI systems exactly what your organization does and how people can support your work.
For complex websites or organizations with extensive technical needs, bringing in developer support makes sense. A developer can implement complex schema markup across your entire site so it integrates properly with your existing systems.
Testing your structured data
Google's Rich Results Test tool shows you exactly how your markup appears to search engines. Paste your URL into the tool and it reveals which schema elements Google can detect and any errors that need fixing.
Common mistakes include marking up content that doesn't actually exist on your page or using incorrect schema types. The testing tool catches these issues before they affect your search visibility.
Which search terms should nonprofits focus on now?
AI Overviews appear most often for broad, informational queries. Specific, actionable queries still drive clicks to your website. Understanding this shift helps you create content that keeps reaching your audience despite AI changes.
Query types that still work vs. those that don't
Queries that still drive clicks:
- "How to donate to [specific cause]" - requires transaction completion
- "Volunteer opportunities in [location]" - needs real-time, local information
- "[Organization name] contact information" - branded searches
- "Register for [specific event]" - requires interactive registration
Queries now answered by AI (fewer clicks):
- "What is climate change?" - general educational content
- "Homelessness statistics 2024" - factual information AI can summarize
- "How to help endangered species" - broad advice AI can compile
- "Nonprofit fundraising best practices" - general guidance
Content strategy shifts
Focus on "how to take action" rather than "what is this issue." Instead of writing "What is food insecurity," create content like "How to volunteer at your local food bank this weekend." The difference matters because AI can easily summarize abstract concepts, but it can't help someone actually show up to volunteer.
Create interactive content like donation calculators, volunteer matching tools, or impact assessments. These require user engagement that AI can't replicate. When someone needs to input their zip code to find volunteer opportunities or calculate their potential tax deduction for a donation, they have to visit your site.
AI Overviews appear most often for broad, informational queries. Specific, actionable queries still drive clicks to your website. Understanding this shift helps you create content that keeps reaching your audience despite AI changes.
Build content around specific, local needs rather than general topics. For instance, "Animal rehoming shelter in Miami" performs better than "animal rehoming shelter information" because people searching for local help need current details that can change daily. Your Miami shelter content might include specific locations, supply drop-off times, and volunteer coordinator phone numbers.
Think about the questions people ask after they've learned the basics. AI handles "What is climate change?" well. But it struggles with "How do I start a climate action group at my workplace?" or "What supplies should I bring to the beach cleanup this Saturday?" These actionable queries still send people to your website.
Protecting your brand visibility
With organic clicks declining, Google Ad Grants become even more critical. Nonprofits get up to $10,000/month in free advertising to maintain visibility for branded searches and high-intent keywords.
Focus paid campaigns on branded terms and high-intent phrases like "donate to [your cause]" or "volunteer with [your organization]." These queries have clear commercial intent that AI responses can't fulfill.
Google Search Console now shows which queries trigger AI Overviews for your content. Monitor this data to understand how AI affects your specific keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly.
How should nonprofits measure success when clicks disappear?
Traditional metrics like total organic traffic become less meaningful when AI answers questions without sending visitors to your site. New measurement approaches focus on engagement quality and brand visibility.
Set realistic expectations for both timeline and results. Schema markup might take 3-6 months to show measurable impact, and Google continues tweaking how AI Overviews work.
New metrics that matter
Track brand mentions in AI responses rather than just click volume. When AI references your organization's expertise or data, that builds authority even without direct traffic.
Monitor conversion rates rather than total visitors. Higher-quality traffic that converts at better rates can be more valuable than previous traffic volumes with lower engagement.
Email sign-ups and newsletter subscriptions become leading indicators of engagement. These metrics show whether your content resonates with the people who do visit your site.
Tools for tracking AI impact
Setting up Google Search Console tracking:
- Performance report filtered for "AI Overview" impressions
- Query data showing which terms trigger AI responses
- Click-through rate changes for high-volume keywords
- Brand name search performance trends
Third-party tools for AI tracking:
- SEMrush: AI Overview keyword tracking (premium feature)
- Ahrefs: SERP feature monitoring for AI responses
- BrightEdge: AI impact measurement dashboard
- Custom Google Alerts for brand mentions in AI responses
Set up Google Alerts for your organization name and key terms to monitor when AI systems reference your content. This helps you understand your brand's AI visibility beyond traditional click metrics.
Reporting to your board or leadership
Explain the shift from quantity to quality metrics. Board members need to understand that fewer, more engaged visitors can drive better outcomes than high-volume, low-intent traffic.
Create dashboards that show multiple traffic sources rather than focusing solely on organic search. Include email traffic, social media referrals, direct visits, and paid advertising performance. When board members see that email newsletter clicks are up 40% while organic search drops 25%, they understand you're successfully diversifying your digital reach.
Set realistic expectations for both timeline and results. Schema markup might take 3-6 months to show measurable impact, and Google continues tweaking how AI Overviews work. Let leadership know that early wins might include better brand mention tracking rather than immediate traffic recovery.
Frame the challenge as an opportunity to strengthen owned media channels. While you can't control Google's algorithms, you can build email lists, social media followers, and direct relationships that don't depend on search engines. Building these owned channels often creates more reliable long-term engagement than chasing organic search rankings.
Also read: Cybersecurity strategies for nonprofit websites
Ready to take action?
Google's AI changes require immediate action, but you don't need to overhaul everything at once. Start with these foundational steps that will protect your nonprofit's search visibility as AI continues evolving.
Immediate next steps:
- Audit your current content's AI Overview presence by searching for your organization's key terms and noting when AI responses appear and whether they reference your content
- Implement basic organization schema markup on your homepage and about page to help AI systems understand your organization's basic information and mission
- Begin tracking new metrics in Google Search Console by setting up custom reports that monitor impression data and AI Overview performance alongside traditional click metrics
- Train team members on structured data basics so your team can make informed decisions about content optimization and technical improvements
- Establish ongoing optimization processes rather than treating this as a one-time project, since AI search continues evolving and successful nonprofit website ranking requires consistent attention to these changes
Many nonprofits haven't realized what's happening to their search traffic yet. If you’re reading this you likely have a head start. Time to use it.
Rosie Gladden
She/her
VP, Marketing, ImageX
Rosie heads up the marketing team at ImageX, the #1 ranked agency globally for Drupal development. She leads all marketing and brand initiatives for the agency to ensure continued growth for the organization.
Originally from the UK, Rosie brings over 15 years of experience in Global B2B marketing across various industries, having gained experience on both agency and client-side.
