Delegated Traffic Is Here: Why AI Agents Are Rewriting the SEO Playbook
A profound shift is happening in how people discover, evaluate, and choose products online, and it’s bigger than any search algorithm update we’ve seen in the past decade. This shift is being driven by AI agents , which are rapidly becoming the primary decision-makers in the buyer journey. Their rise has given birth to a new concept called delegated traffic , and it’s transforming the very foundation of SEO. Delegated traffic refers to a buying pattern where users allow AI assistants to handle tasks traditionally done by humans—research, comparison, validation, filtering, and shortlisting. Instead of typing queries, clicking through websites, or reading articles, users simply tell their AI agent what they want: “Find me the best CRM for a small team,” “Book a hotel under ₹5,000 with good reviews,” or “Shortlist three schools near me with the best ratings.” The AI takes over from there, scanning the web, analysing data, cross-checking reviews, and presenting only the most rele...