In 2025, the world of search is undergoing its most significant transformation in two decades. Traditional Google search, once the unrivalled gateway to discovery, is now being challenged by AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT with browsing, Perplexity AI, and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE). These tools use advanced language models to give users direct answers, in-depth explanations and tailored recommendations, without necessarily leading them to traditional websites.
For businesses aiming to stay ahead of the curve, it’s essential to have a digital strategy that evolves alongside these changes or to partner with an SEO agency, who support brands in maintaining visibility through effective SEO strategies and content optimisation.
What is AI Search?
AI search refers to platforms that use artificial intelligence and large language models such as OpenAI’s GPT-4, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s LLaMA, to understand user intent and generate meaningful responses. These systems can read the internet at scale, process natural language, and provide nuanced answers in real time.
Unlike Google’s classic list of links, AI search engines offer conversational answers, multi-source summaries and the ability to hold follow-up conversations with users for deeper exploration of a topic. Platforms like ChatGPT’s Browsing tool, Perplexity.ai, Microsoft’s Bing Copilot and Google’s experimental SGE are already changing the way people access and interact with information online.
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How AI Search is Changing User Behaviour
This shift is leading to notable changes in how people search. Users are asking longer, more specific questions and expect instant, context-aware answers. They are skimming instead of scrolling and often receive comprehensive information directly within the AI interface. As a result, they may never click through to a website. Discovery is moving further up the funnel, and businesses need to make sure they’re present in the content that AI is drawing from.
The Rise of AIO: AI Optimisation
The implications are far-reaching. Traditional SEO is quickly evolving into AI optimisation, or AIO. It’s no longer just about keyword rankings and backlinks, it’s about ensuring your content is eligible to be cited, referenced, or summarised by AI systems.
To do this, businesses must focus on publishing clear, structured, expert-driven content. Pages should directly answer user questions in natural language, with schema markup, consistent branding, and topical authority. If your content is high-quality, regularly updated, and answers search intent well, AI platforms are far more likely to trust and surface it.
Tips to Optimise for AI Search
- Answer questions clearly
AI platforms prioritise content that delivers helpful, concise answers. Think FAQ-style content, how-to guides, comparisons, and expert explainers. Focus on the “People Also Ask” format, AI often pulls directly from that kind of structure. - Establish topical authority
Consistency is key. Instead of trying to rank for hundreds of one-off keywords, aim to build deep authority in your niche. Publish long-form content that covers a topic from multiple angles, and interlink related posts to create strong internal topic clusters. - Use structured data
Schema markup helps AI understand the content on your page. Use schema types like FAQPage, HowTo, Product, and ItemList where relevant. This doesn’t just help with traditional search, it also gives AI models more clarity when parsing your site. - Get cited in trusted sources
AI tools often prioritise reputable sources. Try to earn backlinks from high-quality domains and media publications. Getting mentioned in online news, blog round-ups, or industry reports improves your credibility in the eyes of AI. - Use natural, conversational language
Since AI search often mimics conversation, your content should be written in plain, accessible language. Write like a human speaking to another human, this increases your chances of being referenced or used as a snippet. - Keep your content fresh
AI search engines value up-to-date content. Make regular updates to key pages, especially in fast-moving industries like tech, health, finance, or digital tools. This not only improves your visibility but also protects against becoming outdated in AI index models.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Wait, Adapt Now
AI search is no longer a future trend, it’s already here. Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are gaining millions of users, and Google’s SGE is slowly rolling out across global markets. In this new world, being visible means being useful, accurate, and credible across multiple platforms, not just search engines.
The businesses that adapt early, invest in structured and authoritative content, and understand the shift in how users engage with search will be the ones that continue to grow. The nature of search may be changing, but the fundamentals of trust, relevance, and expertise are more important than ever.