Fintech and Web3 marketing used to be simple. You wrote content, you pushed it on socials, you bought a bit of traffic, and you waited for the click. Now a big chunk of the journey happens inside AI tools, and the click is often the last step, not the first.
If you are still reporting “traffic up” like it is a win by itself, you are basically celebrating that people walked past your shop window. Nice for the ego, useless for the till.
Quick Answers – Jump to Section
- Why the click matters less now
- What Web3 founders should measure instead of traffic
- How to get brand mentions and AI citations
- Fix 1: Update email so it reacts in real time
- Fix 2: Structure ads for AI placements
- Fix 3: Write pages AI can quote without guessing
- Two mini case studies from digital asset exchanges
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why the click matters less now
A lot of searches end without a click, because the answer is already on the screen. SparkToro’s 2024 study says that in the US, only 360 clicks go to the open web per 1,000 Google searches. That is not a small change, that is a new reality.
Google also pushed AI Overviews to the mainstream in the US, which makes “answer-first” behaviour even more common. If your plan depends on people clicking ten blue links, you are playing a game that fewer people are even joining.
What Web3 founders should measure instead of traffic
Traffic is not evil, it is just incomplete. In an AI-first journey, the buyer can form an opinion about your exchange before they ever land on your site, because AI tools summarise, compare, and recommend.
So the scoreboard changes. You still track sign-ups and revenue, obviously, but you also track brand mentions in AI answers, AI citations, branded search growth, and direct traffic that comes from people typing your name because they already decided you are credible.
How to get brand mentions and AI citations
AI tools quote what they can understand quickly. That usually means clear pages, specific claims, and content that answers real questions without waffle. It also means your brand needs to show up in places AI models have seen and can repeat.
If you want a deeper view of how zero-click works in Web3, remember that staying visible without the click is the baseline for why mentions matter more than pageviews.
Fix 1: Update email so it reacts in real time
A lot of Web3 email flows were built once and then left to rot. They still treat every lead the same, even though one person is a founder doing vendor research and another is a compliance lead trying to avoid a headline.
The fix is to make email react to behaviour. If someone reads your custody page, they get the custody story next. If someone checks fees, they get a simple fee example and a risk note. If you want a practical starting point, this guide on email workflows can help you without overcomplicating it.
Fix 2: Structure ads for AI placements
Ads are changing too. It is not just “search ads” and “social ads” anymore. AI tools are becoming discovery layers, and platforms are testing new placements that look more like recommendations than banners.
That means your ads need clean landing pages, clear claims, and tight category language, because AI systems are trying to match intent, not just keywords. If you want a simple example of how AI-first ad systems behave, this Performance Max breakdown is useful and shows how automation rewards clarity.
Fix 3: Write pages AI can quote without guessing
If your pages are vague, AI will fill in the gaps. That is when you get weird summaries, wrong comparisons, and “helpful” answers that quietly send buyers to a competitor.
The fix is boring, and boring is good. Write pages that answer one job clearly, use plain language, and include specifics that can be quoted. If you want a direct guide on writing for AI citations, here’s how to write content ChatGPT and Gemini quote.
Two mini case studies from digital asset exchanges
Here is what this looks like in the real world. We took two Web3 clients and rewrote the marketing plan around mentions, citations, and conversion, not just traffic. For the sake of privacy, we are describing them as digital asset exchanges, but the work is the same.
Client A started with decent rankings and weak conversion, because the pages were written for search bots, not humans. After we rebuilt the content around buyer questions and added clear proof points, they saw more qualified demo requests and more brand mentions in AI answers. Client B had the opposite problem: strong product, messy messaging, and no consistent distribution, so we tightened the story, fixed the pages AI tools quote, and built a simple system to keep mentions compounding.
Final Thoughts
The old playbook was “get traffic, then convert it.” The new playbook is “get understood, get mentioned, then convert the people who already decided.” If you are a Web3 founder, that is good news, because it rewards clarity and consistency, not just budget.
If you want the full system we use to build this kind of engine, read the Growth Engine Blueprint and steal the parts you like. It is designed to help you turn AI mentions into predictable pipeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an AI citation?
It is when an AI tool quotes your brand or your page as a source in its answer. In practice, it is a signal that the model thinks your content is clear enough to repeat.
How do I measure brand mentions in AI answers>?
Start by tracking the phrases people use to describe your category, then run the same prompts weekly and log whether your brand shows up. Pair that with branded search growth and direct traffic.
Does SEO still matter if fewer people click?
Yes, but the goal changes. You still want pages indexed and understood, but you also want them written in a way AI tools can summarise correctly.
What should a Web3 exchange publish first?
Start with pages that answer the big buyer fears: fees, custody, security, compliance, and support. Then publish comparison and “how it works” content that is easy to quote.
What should my CTA be in an AI-first journey?
Offer something that helps the buyer make a decision faster. A blueprint, a scan, or a checklist works well because it turns curiosity into a next step.
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