Once upon a time, climbing the ranks on Google was the holy grail of SEO. Nail your content, earn strategic backlinks, and you were on your way to visibility, clicks, conversions!
But fast-forward to 2025, and things are getting…weird.
Welcome to the era of AI-powered search. Where ChatGPT, Google’s SGE, Bing’s Copilot, and tools like Perplexity are answering users’ questions without even sending the user to your site.
Where the same query about “the best marketing software” gets you completely different brand recommendations depending on the AI you ask. (Seriously, up to 62% different according to a recent study.)
For brands? That’s a big deal.
It means you could be showing up in Google’s AI answers, but be totally invisible on ChatGPT. Or vice versa.
It also means that your usual SEO wins might not carry over into the AI landscape. The playbook is evolving, and if you’re still running last year’s SEO strategy, you could be missing out on traffic where it matters most.
That’s why we’re breaking down what’s going on and how to play (and win) in the age of AI search.
Spoiler: You’ll need more than just a great meta description.
Traditional SEO gave us relatively consistent outcomes. But AI search engines are using different models, data sources, and brand signals to generate their answers. Some pull from structured web data. Others lean heavily on brand mentions or recent product reviews. And the kicker? You don’t always get attribution... or even a link.
This new landscape changes everything:
In other words: You need to treat each AI assistant like its own search engine, because that’s exactly what they are.
Let’s clear something up: AI tools don’t “search” the same way humans, or even Google, do. Each platform runs on its own logic, pulling from unique sources and weighing your brand in different ways.
Here’s how it breaks down (at the time of writing, we know these things are evolving):
If you’ve been pouring all your SEO efforts into ranking #1 on Google alone, you’re likely missing out on visibility in these AI environments.
Tracking your brand in traditional search is hard enough. Add AI-driven search layers on top, and it can feel like playing whack-a-mole blindfolded. But that doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) measure it.
Unlike classic SERPs, many AI tools don’t generate clicks. Instead, they generate answers. That means you can’t just rely on Google Search Console or GA4 to tell you the full story.
You might appear in an AI recommendation, but have zero referral traffic to support it. Brutal.
So how do you figure out where you stand?
Here’s how to start mapping your brand’s visibility across AI-driven platforms:
Pop open ChatGPT, Bard, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot.
Ask:
Log the responses. Track how often you show up, in what context, and with what tone.
Pro tip: Test different prompts. AI output changes depending on the question structure.
Tools like:
Monitor how your organic traffic shifts not just by platform, but by type of visit:
And then match traffic patterns with changes in visibility across platforms.
If your Google rankings stay flat, but direct traffic bumps right after you show up in a Perplexity result? Now we’re connecting dots.
What You’re Really Looking For:
Mapping this over time gives you visibility intelligence, and that’s your edge in a messy AI landscape.
The SEO playbook is evolving, and fast. If your strategy only revolves around 10 blue links and a dream, it’s time to rethink things. AI-driven discovery is changing how people find brands, compare options, and make decisions. And if you want to win in that space, you’ve gotta pivot accordingly.
Here’s how to start optimizing for AI, not just algorithms.
Start focusing on:
One of the most interesting findings in the Search Engine Land article?
AI disagrees up to 62% more when asked for “the best X” vs. when asked to compare multiple products or brands.
That’s your opening.
If you want to increase the odds of your brand showing up across multiple AI platforms, build content around:
Comparison = context. And AI eats that up.
AI systems rely on structured data and metadata to understand who you are and what you offer.
Make sure:
AI doesn't just scan headlines. It rephrases, summarizes, and synthesizes.
That means your content should:
Basically, make your content easy for AI to quote.
This isn’t a one-and-done update. AI models evolve constantly. What worked last quarter may not stick this time.
Set up a system to:
If you see your name drop off a list, treat it like a disappearing SERP ranking, and dig into why.
AI outputs are only as good as the inputs. So, reverse-engineer it.
Ask yourself:
Then write with that intent in mind.
These days, AI is reshaping how people choose. The platforms guiding these choices are less like directories and more like digital concierges, recommending what they think is best (ironic, right???).
This is your opportunity to pivot early. While most marketers are still obsessing over traditional rankings and outdated CTR data, you can start optimizing for AI discovery.
So, here’s the play:
This isn’t the death of SEO—it’s the evolution of it. And we’re here for it.
At Be Found Online, we help brands take control of their visibility, whether it’s on Google, Reddit, or in the AI-driven future of search.