The New Era of Search: From Rankings to Real Answers [Guide]

With tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s new AI-powered search features, people now expect instant, conversational responses instead of digging through long lists of links.

That shift changes the rules of digital marketing. Winning online visibility today requires a new focus:

• Being seen in the right places, not just at the top of a list

• Delivering clear, contextual answers that match user intent

• Engaging in conversations, not just serving up static content

So how can your brand stay visible in this fast-changing landscape?

A Word of Caution

There’s no single formula that guarantees success. AI-driven results are unpredictable, evolving daily, and vary by user. Be wary of anyone promising shortcuts or “secret tricks.”

The Opportunity

The good news? The fundamentals of SEO still apply. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO) aren’t replacements for SEO—they’re natural extensions of it. The same principles of clarity, authority, and trust that worked for traditional search also help you earn visibility inside AI-generated answers.

“For a decade, we’ve helped businesses adapt to change. AI represents the biggest shift yet—but with the right strategy, it’s also the biggest opportunity.” - Daria Nikolaeva SOURCEsem

Traditional SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has always been about improving visibility in Google and other search results. The focus is on targeting the right keywords, earning strong backlinks, and fine-tuning on-page elements so your website appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization)

LLMO is the next evolution. Instead of just optimizing for search engines, it’s about structuring your content so AI tools—like chatbots, voice assistants, and generative search—can understand it. By formatting information clearly, using proper schema, and presenting well-organized answers, your content is more likely to be pulled into AI-generated responses.

It’s all about clarity, structure, and credibility.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

While LLMO focuses on your owned content, GEO goes a step further. It’s about making sure your entire digital presence—from your website to third-party mentions, reviews, and social profiles—positions your brand as a trusted source for AI-driven answers. GEO ensures your business isn’t just visible, but chosen as the answer when AI systems generate responses.

Why AI Optimization Matters

The rise of AI is changing how people search. More users now rely on conversational answers from AI tools, asking follow-up questions and often getting what they need without ever clicking through to a website. This “zero-click” behavior means your business must adapt. If your brand doesn’t appear in AI results, you risk losing visibility—and with it, leads and revenue.

Optimizing for AI isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a critical part of modern marketing. To stay competitive, your strategy needs to meet your audience where they are—inside AI-driven search experiences.

The Impact of AI & Large Language Models on Search

Though traditional search is still critical, AI-powered search and generative models are gaining ground—and they’re reshaping how users interact with content online.

AI Search Is Gaining Traction

• In early 2025, AI-driven search platforms began claiming a small but growing share of traffic.

• While organic search still dominates, the percentage of user queries handled by AI tools has roughly doubled from previous years.

• As this trend grows, one key risk for websites is click erosion—users getting their answers directly from AI tools and never clicking through to your site.

Zero-Click and Reduced CTRs

Some findings and estimates highlight how search behavior is shifting:

• Up to 60% of Google searches end without any click-through, according to recent analyses.

• A survey showed that when a Google query produces an AI-generated summary (an “AI Overview”), users are less likely to click any of the links in those results.

• According to BrightEdge data, after the rollout of AI Overviews, impressions grew ~49%, but click-through rates fell ~30% year-over-year.

• In one case study, a site saw organic impressions rise 32%, while organic clicks fell 17%, presumably because AI summaries satisfied users’ queries directly.

These shifts show a fundamental change in how visibility maps to traffic. More impressions no longer guarantee more visits.

Google’s AI Moves Matter, Too

It’s not just independent AI tools that are affecting searches. Google is embedding AI into its own ecosystem in ways that shift traffic dynamics.

• Google’s introduction of AI Mode (a conversational, AI-first layer) and AI Overviews has contributed to a reported 49% year-over-year rise in search impressions.

• Because Google updates how it tracks “clicks” and “impressions” when AI elements are involved, metrics are becoming more complex to interpret.

• Publisher data suggests that many content sites are seeing referral traffic declines—some 1% to 25% drops year-over-year—at least partly attributed to AI Overviews replacing direct visits.

What This Means for You

• Visibility ≠ visits anymore. Even if more people see your content through AI layers, fewer might click through.

• Citations matter. Getting cited inside AI summaries may become as important as ranking in organic listings.

• Measure differently. Standard metrics like clicks and CTRs will need to be adjusted or supplemented by new KPIs to accurately reflect AI-driven engagement.

• Adapt proactively. As AI search gains ground, brands that build content in ways optimized for AI systems will be better positioned to maintain relevance and reach.

ChatGPT vs. Google Search: Engagement Insights

Key Takeaways

• ChatGPT traffic is more engaged than Google search traffic, though overall volume is much smaller.

• From Jan 2024 – July 2025, Siege Media analyzed engagement across 304 client properties.

By the Numbers

• ChatGPT engagement rate: 63.42% (down 11.43% since the study began).

• Organic search engagement rate: 61.64% (up 4.71% over the same period).

• ChatGPT users were 1.73% more engaged than Google searchers on average.

Other Channel Engagement Rates (2024–2025)

• Paid shopping: 72.50%

• Cross-network: 67.75%

• Affiliates: 66.31%

• ChatGPT: 63.42%

• Blog pages: 63.41%

Why It Matters

• AI referrals = higher quality, lower quantity. AI users engage deeply but represent a much smaller slice of traffic compared to search engines.

• Optimizing for AI-driven visibility means focusing on being the “definitive answer” for user queries, especially as engagement from these visitors is highly valuable.

AI Overview Trends

How AI Overviews Work

• Google’s AI Overviews (AIOs) appear mostly for informational searches—queries where users want knowledge, not transactions.

• This shifts marketing opportunities toward top-of-funnel content like guides, FAQs, glossaries, explainer videos, and research-based articles.

Data & Impact

• When an AIO is shown, click-through rates (CTRs) on the #1 result fall by ~34.5%.

• Across all results, search clicks dropped ~30% year-over-year.

• However, impressions increased by ~49%, a phenomenon researchers call “The Great Decoupling”—visibility goes up, but actual traffic goes down.

• Even without clicks, appearing in an AIO matters for brand awareness. If your business isn’t cited, chances are your competitors will be.

Ranking & Visibility

• Ranking high still helps, but it’s not enough on its own.

• According to Grow & Convert research, websites that rank in Google’s top 10 organic results are cited in AI tools about 72% of the time.

Why It Matters

• AIOs don’t just change how results look—they change how users behave.

• Success in this environment means building clear, authoritative, structured content that’s designed to be cited by AI, not just clicked on by humans.

Shifting Strategies for AI Overviews

The Opportunity in Long-Tail Queries

AI Overviews (AIOs) aren’t limited to the top-ranking results. In fact, new data shows lower-ranking pages are increasingly being cited, especially for complex searches:

• Long-tail queries (8+ words) in AIOs have grown 49% since May 2024.

• Citations from pages ranked 21–30 have surged 400%, proving that page-one dominance isn’t always required.

• Technical and industry-specific terms in queries rose 48% year-over-year, highlighting the importance of detailed, niche content.

Example: A resource page for “best stainless steel fastener suppliers for marine construction” could now appear in an AI Overview—even if it originally ranked on page three of Google results.

CTR Behavior Is Changing

Click-through rates (CTR) are behaving differently in the AI era:

• Top positions (1–5) are seeing CTR declines.

• Mid-tier results (6–10) are seeing modest increases.

• This suggests some users are bypassing both AI Overviews and the very top organic links, possibly due to trust issues with AI-generated results.

The New Priorities

In this shifting landscape, three principles remain critical for success:

1. Visibility over rankings – Being cited matters more than being #1.

2. Context over content – AI tools reward clarity and relevance, not keyword stuffing.

3. Conversations over blue links – Position your content as an answer to real user questions.

How to Earn Visibility in AI Overviews and LLM Results

Getting your business cited in AI Overviews (AIOs) and large language model (LLM) results isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It builds on proven SEO principles but adapts them for how AI reads, interprets, and serves information.

Here’s a three-part framework to guide your strategy:

1. Help AI Understand Your Authority

• Build Entity Authority: Create topic hubs that connect your main service pages with supporting blogs, FAQs, and guides. Use clear anchor text, schema markup, and keep pages fresh with updates.

• Write Clear, Valuable Content: Use short answers, bullet points, tables, and infographics that AI systems can easily pull into summaries. Add your own insights so your content stands out.

2. Extend Your Answers to the Audience

• Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC): Incorporate authentic reviews, Q&A, and even insights from platforms like Reddit or Quora. AI often favors this type of real-world content.

• Use Q&A Formatting: Add FAQ sections, headings phrased as questions, and structured answers to match how people search.

• Stay Consistent: Publish regularly and update evergreen content every few months to remain relevant.

3. Strengthen the Technical Foundation

• Use Structured Data: Add schema (FAQ, HowTo, Product, Organization, Author, etc.) so AI can interpret and link your content correctly.

• Entity Linking: Define your business, team, or products once with unique identifiers (@id in JSON-LD) and reference them site-wide.

• Merchant Feeds: For eCommerce, supply complete product data (titles, descriptions, ratings, etc.) to Google/Microsoft Merchant Center.

• Speed Up Indexing: Use IndexNow to push updates directly to search engines.

• LLMs.txt File: Similar to robots.txt, create AI-friendly files that guide how large language models crawl your site.

• Minimize JavaScript Dependence: Ensure key text and structured data are server-rendered so AI can “see” it without relying on scripts.

Bottom Line

SEO fundamentals still drive success—but AI changes the playing field. To remain visible, your site must be structured, authoritative, and technically clean so AI tools can interpret and cite your content. Those who adapt will maintain brand visibility long-term, even as user behavior shifts toward AI-first search.

References

• Siege Media Research: GA4 Engagement Rates Across Channels (2024–2025) – Full Report

• Ahrefs: Do AI Overviews Reduce Clicks?

• Grow & Convert: Rankings and AI Overviews

• Search Engine Journal: Google AI Overviews Cut Click-Through Rates