Why Your Brand Should Care About AI Search

AI search results and LLM platforms are changing everything, but why should you care? Traditional SEO has gotten your brand this far, so naturally, it will continue to produce results, right? Well, yes and no.

With all the hype surrounding AI, it can be hard to decipher what is clickbait and what is actually real. The truth is that SEO still plays a role, but it is a diminishing one. More people than ever are turning to Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other LLMs for product suggestions and information.

As the number of people using AI for search rapidly increases, the dominance of search engines like Google decreases. Failing to recognize this shift can leave you wondering where all your web traffic and sales have gone. Our previous blog post provides a more in-depth explanation of what is happening with this shift, how AI search results differ from SEO and other helpful information. It is worth reading to understand the broader context of what is happening. For this article, we will zero in on why you should care. We will discuss the following:

• How AI is transforming the way people search for information.
• What the rise of zero-click search results means for your brand.
• Why web traffic is declining in multiple industries.
• Who is using AI for search, and if their numbers are increasing.
• AI Search Fundamentally Changes Consumer Behavior

How GEO Changes Everything

There has been a lot of buzz lately about whether GEO (optimizing for AI-powered search) differs significantly from SEO. While that is a worthwhile discussion, it somewhat misses the point because the results of both are completely different. Traditional search engines provide a list of links for searchers to click on to get information. In AI-powered search results, all the information is right there, and there is no need to follow a hyperlink to find out more.

That might sound like a small difference, but it fundamentally changes consumer behavior. Previously, anyone might have discovered your brand and its products as they clicked on links to learn more, especially if your SEO was strong. Now, all the information needed is provided in an AI-powered summary. There is no need to click on anything or follow any links. Basically, if your brand doesn’t show up in an AI search result on an LLM platform, it is essentially invisible. While stealth is highly sought after for jet fighters, it isn’t something you want for your brand.

AI Search is Here, Whether You Like It or Not

Sure, you can say your SEO game is strong, so LLM platforms don’t really matter. Or you can delude yourself into thinking AI search is something to worry about in a more distant future. However, both of those are misguided as AI is making an impact now. A big reason for this is that even if someone doesn’t use an LLM platform like ChatGPT, they are still getting an AI search result.

This shift is because AI search results are now “baked in” to Google with AI Overviews. Google now displays an AI Overview in a prominent location in the majority of its searches, with more traditional links pushed further down the page. Those AI summaries occupy 42% of the upper screen on desktops and 48% on mobile devices. The number of searches that provide an AI Overview is up 115% from March 2025 and is only expected to grow faster. One can bury their head in the sand, but AI search results are here now.

Nobody is Clicking on Anything

According to a 2025 study, over 60% of global Google searches now result in zero clicks. With 99,000 searches performed on Google every second, that is a staggering number. As AI Overviews become even more integrated, the number of zero-click searches is sure to climb. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and other LLMs will also accelerate this trend even further.

In the not-too-distant past, some examined LLM usage statistics for AI search and noted that most people still use Google. While that is true, it is increasingly irrelevant as AI-powered search results are rapidly expanding in Google as well. We are no longer at the dawn of the Zero-Click Era, but we are now entirely in it. Relying on traditional SEO methods and digital strategies will increasingly see fewer returns.

AI Adoption Rates are Rapidly Increasing

Google still reigns supreme in search, but preferences are shifting rapidly. A Gartner survey found that 79% of consumers expect to use AI-enhanced search within the following year. The in-depth survey was conducted in 2023, and adoption rates have continued to increase since then. A more recent 2025 survey found that 83% of respondents preferred AI-powered search tools, as they found them more efficient than traditional search engines.

So, what does the shift in preference from traditional search to AI mean for your brand? It means the time to update and diversify your marketing efforts is now, before relying on outdated digital strategies hurts sales.

Web Traffic is Down (A Lot in Some Cases)

With the rise of AI search, AI Overviews and no-click results, it shouldn’t be a surprise that search referral traffic is down. However, the speed and breadth of these declines might come as a shock. Digital Content Next (DCN) has 40 member companies, including The New York Times, Condé Nast and Vox. Over eight weeks in May and June 2025, DCN checked the web traffic of 19 of its member companies. The result was a decline in Google search referral traffic almost every week, with some brands experiencing a loss of up to 25% in overall traffic. Non-news brands saw a median 14% decline in web traffic.

It is essential to remember that this was merely an eight-week snapshot, so the drop in traffic during that brief period is steep. The quick look also shows that the declines in web traffic many are experiencing right now aren’t just a blip but a steady reality. As AI-powered search results gain increased prominence and more people turn to LLMs, this trend will continue.

AI Isn’t Just for Gen Z

Another temptation is to dismiss AI search as just a “Gen Z thing” that only young people use. Yes, using ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and other LLMs to search for product information is most prominent among Gen Z. However, its use isn’t just limited to younger generations, as people of all ages use AI for search. A survey earlier this year found that:

• 82% of Gen Z (18-26) use AI search tools occasionally but favor social media for product discovery.
• Millennials (27-42) use a balance of traditional search and AI, with a 50% AI search adoption rate.
• 65% of Gen X (43-58) use AI occasionally but prefer traditional search engines.
• 45% of Baby Boomers (59-76) use AI tools but largely remain loyal to traditional search.

As the results show, a significant number of people of all ages are now using AI to find new products. Ignoring that fact could cost you sales.

Flying Blind with AI

Marketing teams are masters of the sales funnel. With the proper SEO and digital marketing efforts, they can draw people into and down the sales funnel. It is a tried-and-true process that has been refined over decades of trial and error. However, the advent of AI-powered search platforms changes this as AI muddies the model. SEO becomes a less powerful tool and AI search is less understood.

The less your marketing team understands how AI search platforms work, the more it is flying blind. That blindness can ultimately cost sales as LLMs become the preferred search platforms. If your marketing team can’t tell you why your brand isn’t appearing in AI searches, it is time to assist them and reach out to an AI agency that can.

So, What Can You Do?

The good news is that it is not all gloom and doom, but rather the opposite. Like the early days of the rise of SEO, AI-powered search results are a shift in how people find information. And, just like those companies that capitalized on that first shift, there is a massive opportunity for brands that do the same thing now. Brands that understand the transition to AI will be the ones who dominate, gain market share and increase sales.

The first step in this process is understanding how and if your brand appears in AI searches. Our AI Visibility Engine does precisely that by performing a deep dive into your brand’s AI visibility. Using our in-house developed techniques and technology, we analyze how your brand appears across the most popular LLMs, like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and others. We then present our findings to you and explain why or why not your brand is appearing in AI-powered search results.

More Than an Audit

An audit is a great first move, but our AI Visibility Engine takes it a step further. It provides a complete and actionable strategy for improving your brand’s AI visibility. That strategy is developed by our brand and marketing experts, who have decades of experience. It can be executed by our in-house team of specialists or your own internal marketing team. Check out our blog post for more on what our AI Visibility Engine can do for your brand and contact us to get started.