AI-driven search is redirecting discovery away from traditional website-first journeys by providing synthesized overviews that pre-empt clicks. A large share of users rely on tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity for discovery, and AI companies are pursuing aggressive moves that signal broader disruption. AI operates as an active digital participant that uses UX, consumes content, and evaluates trustworthiness across a brand's entire footprint. Platforms synthesize, summarize, and cite trusted sources rather than simply ranking pages. Building trust through consistent brand strategy and repeated interactions across channels becomes essential to preserve visibility as traditional SEO fundamentals shift.
But the rise of AI is fundamentally reshaping the rules of traditional search, with AI-generated overviews now intercepting traffic before users even reach your website. With 71.5% of people regularly using tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity for discovery, it's clear 'search' isn't what it used to be. And with AI start-up Perplexity going as far as making a bold, if unlikely to happen, $34.5bn bid for Google's Chrome browser, it's evident that we're only at the beginning of how AI will change our digital world.
To combat this issue, business leaders must first recognize that AI is not only a new search engine or feature of legacy ones, but an active participant in the digital ecosystem. It "uses" your UX, "consumes" your content, and ruthlessly critiques your trustworthiness. And it must be thought of as a competitor whose standards redefine visibility and success online. These platforms don't just trawl websites and rank results: they synthesize, summarize, and cite sources they trust across a brand's entire digital footprint.
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