William Blair’s Matthew Zimmer: ‘Engaged-deal backlog is the biggest it’s ever been’

William Blair's announcement that the engaged-deal backlog is the biggest it's ever been, with 30,000 PE portfolio companies awaiting market checks, highlights a significant shift in the private equity landscape. This surge in deal backlog, up from 22,000 or 24,000 four years ago, indicates a substantial increase in private equity holdings, now stretching out to seven years. For website owners, this means that the potential for mergers and acquisitions in the industry is higher than ever, which could lead to changes in ownership and potentially impact their online presence. As private equity firms look to optimize their portfolios, website owners may see increased scrutiny on their online operations, including AI bot traffic and content policies. This could result in a greater need for website owners to monitor and manage their AI bot traffic, ensuring that their websites are not being overly targeted by bots, and that their content is compliant with the new ownership's policies. To prepare for this potential shift, website owners should take actionable steps such as reviewing their llms.txt files to ensure they are up-to-date and accurately reflecting their desired bot traffic, monitoring their website's traffic patterns for any unusual bot activity, and implementing content policies that are compliant with potential new ownership's standards. By taking these steps, website owners can better position themselves for potential changes in ownership and maintain a strong online presence.