The AI Search Revolution and the Arts

AI has fundamentally changed the way people find information, both with traditional search engines and through interacting directly with large language models like ChatGPT. Google now shows AI summaries at the top of the search results page, beating out ads and high-ranking sites for every query. People are also increasingly turning directly to LLMs to answer basic questions and learn new things. We’ve seen alarmist articles touting “the end of the web as we know it” and providing “Tips to Game AI” to win back traffic.

But what does the rise of AI search mean for organizations that sell tickets? Is this the end of traditional arts websites as we know them? (Spoiler: no.) 

How Does AI Search Impact Ticketing?

Let's be clear: AI will change how people discover content online. Cultural organizations should pay attention to these shifts. But they should approach them thoughtfully, not frantically.

A recent study from One-Further reports that in early 2025, cultural organizations had seen an average 10% drop in their organic search traffic due to the impact of Google’s AI Overview, which is being reported as a sky-is-falling situation. This is not all bad news: if your website is cited in Google's AI Overview, the users who do click through to your site are more engaged and are more likely to make a purchase. At the end of the day, vanity metrics like impressions don’t matter as much as clicks and ticket purchases.

Arts audiences don't primarily discover shows through Google searches or AI chatbots. They discover them through relationships, word-of-mouth, local media, targeted advertising, and email lists. Likewise, museum patrons and tourists.

In our experience, 80-90% of the average regional theatre’s organic search terms are driven by the name of the organization. These are people who already know the theatre exists. They're not asking ChatGPT "what musicals are playing within 30 miles of Philadelphia?" They're checking when their local theatre's production of Hamilton opens. (Check out OpenAI’s recent study for more info about what questions people are actually asking ChatGPT.)

Practical Steps That Actually Help

Here's what arts leaders actually need to think about:

Make your content genuinely useful: Answer the questions your audiences actually ask. What’s the show going to be like? When does it start? Who is the exhibit for? What are your hours? Where do I park? Format and signpost this information clearly—not buried in PDFs.

Structure your information logically: Use clear headings. Put important information first. Create FAQ sections that address real patron concerns. Include accessibility information prominently. These aren't AI tricks—they're good communication practices.

Keep your technical house in order: Fast loading times, mobile responsiveness, working forms. Add schema markup for events if you can—it's basically just labeling your content so machines understand "this is a date" and "this is a price." But a slow, broken website with perfect schema is still a slow, broken website.

Write like humans talk: Include the conversational phrases people actually use. "Kid-friendly museums,” "date night theater,” "parking near X." This isn't gaming the system—it's speaking your audience's language.

Maintain accurate, current information: Keep your Google Business listing updated. Ensure your show dates and operation hours are correct. Archive old productions properly. Basic housekeeping that helps everyone—human or machine—find what they need.

Focus on real results, not vanity metrics: Ultimately, your goal is to sell tickets and engage with your community. Stay focused on this goal and avoid getting sucked into page views, AI citations, or other metrics that don’t tell the full story of the way people use your site. 

These optimization tips should sound familiar: they're the same things Google's been telling us for the past decade to improve SEO. Providing valuable, well-organized content is still what matters, even if how it gets delivered is changing.

The Real Digital Challenge

The genuine digital challenge facing cultural organizations isn't AI. It's the same challenge they've faced for years: effectively communicating the value of live performance and community connection in an increasingly mediated world. It's building sustainable audience relationships in fragmented attention economies. It's making the economic case for cultural investment in communities facing budget constraints.

These are hard problems that require thoughtful, sustained effort. They can't be solved by panic-implementing technical fixes or chasing every new platform that promises relevance.

The irony is that as digital experiences become more automated and AI-mediated, the human connection that arts and culture provides becomes more valuable, not less. The organizations that will thrive aren't those with the most AI engagement but those creating work that matters to their patrons and visitors.