Website traffic is down. Revenue is up.
How does that make sense?
In this episode, Ryan Kovach and Perryn Olson unpack a major shift happening in digital marketing: why less traffic can actually mean better results.
With AI summaries reducing clicks and search behavior evolving, many companies are panicking over declining website visits. But as they explain, traffic alone is a vanity metric. What actually matters is attracting the right audience, your Ideal Client Profile (ICP), and eliminating the wrong one.
They break down the real-world example of HubSpot’s reported traffic drop while revenue increased, and why that same principle applies directly to contractors, engineers, and AEC firms. From toxic backlinks and spam scores to outdated content and misaligned keywords, they explain how websites quietly attract the wrong prospects and waste your time.
The conversation covers:
Why AI overviews are reducing clicks but not necessarily reducing revenue
How high traffic can hide low-quality leads
Why auditing old blog content can increase profitability
The danger of generic positioning for contractors
How negative keywords in Google Ads save money and improve lead quality
Why toxic backlinks and spam scores damage credibility
How domain history can tank performance after a rebrand
Why long-tail keywords convert better than broad searches
How to use AI tools to test your digital perception
The difference between vanity metrics and profit-driving metrics
They also challenge a common fear: “Our traffic dropped.” Sometimes that drop means you finally eliminated the 16,000 wrong visitors and kept the 4,000 right ones.
From industrial contractors filtering out residential leads to firms accidentally ranking for “drug testing” instead of building labs, this episode reframes SEO as a precision tool, not a volume game.
If you are a contractor, executive, or marketer in the AEC space, this episode will help you shift from chasing traffic to driving revenue.
Key Takeaways:
Traffic volume is not the same as business growth
AI search is filtering low-intent clicks
Quality leads outperform high-traffic websites
Negative keywords prevent wasted ad spend
Toxic backlinks and malware can distort performance
Your website must clearly reflect your ICP
Less traffic with higher conversion is the win
Connect with AltCMO and Learn More
Follow AltCMO for more construction-focused marketing insights:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altcmo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altcmo/
Blog: https://altcmo.net/blog/
Connect with Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-r-kovach/
Connect with Perryn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perryn/
