The online landscape for search engines such as Google and Bing is undergoing a seismic shift, fueled by the rapid advances of AI-powered conversational tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. These changes are not just reshaping user behavior, but also redefining the strategies businesses must employ to maintain visibility and reach consumers. Two years after ChatGPT’s launch, we explore key insights, what they mean for businesses, and how to stay competitive in this evolving space.
The Changing “Search” Ecosystem
> Conversational AI Platforms vs. Traditional Search Engines
Conversational AI platforms are transforming the way users search, offering iterative and nuanced ways to find information. By 2026, search engine traffic is expected to decline by 25% as more users turn to AI chatbots and virtual assistants, according to Gartner. This trend is already reshaping search habits.
Our research reveals a notable decline in traffic to traditional search engines like Google, while AI search platforms, such as ChatGPT from OpenAI, have seen substantial growth. This supports the hypothesis that users are migrating from traditional search to conversational AI platforms.
Source: Singulier research, Semrush.
While Google remains the dominant source of web traffic globally, it has experienced a decline in recent years:
- Google.com traffic dropped 3% in 2024 versus 2023 and was down 5% for the previous year
- Bing.com decreased 3% increase last year, but was hammered in 2023 with traffic down 13% versus 2022
In contrast, traffic to OpenAI.com and ChatGPT.com has shown consistent year-over-year growth, reflecting the growing appeal of AI-powered platforms.
Notably, the timing of Google’s decline coincides with ChatGPT’s rise, signalling a significant behavioural shift.
Source: SEMRUSH
>> Conversational AI Within Traditional Search Engines
To stay competitive with external conversational AI platforms, traditional search engines have integrated AI-driven features into their search pages. This allows users to experience a seamless blend of conventional search functions and AI-enhanced intelligence.
- Google’s Integration of Gemini: Google has integrated Gemini, its advanced AI model, into its ‘AI overviews’, which now increasingly appear at the top of search results.
- Impact on Organic Traffic: Early tests indicate that the presence of these AI-driven overviews could reduce organic traffic to websites by 18-64%, particularly for informational queries.
This marks a shift in user behavior. Instead of navigating through traditional search result links, users now find answers directly within the AI section, bypassing external websites altogether.
By incorporating these advancements, Google not only caters to users’ growing preference for immediate, curated information but also ushers in a new era in search, where AI plays a central role in enhancing the user experience.
These AI overviews are designed to improve traditional search by providing more contextual, concise, and actionable answers. However, 99.5% of the leading AI overview sources still originate from top-ranking search engine result pages (SERPs). This means ranking highly in Google’s organic search results remains as important as ever.
Paid Search Impact: The rise of users staying on the results page raises concerns about the potential future impact on Google’s ad revenue, which continues to rise year-over-year, and potentially CPC inflation for brands as less clicks become avaiable. In October 2024, Google announced the introduction of ads within AI overviews, marking its first step toward monetising these AI-driven integrations.
>>> Search Functionality Within Conversational AI Platforms
While Google continues to dominate user volumes, OpenAI is steadily enhancing search functionality within ChatGPT to offer a compelling alternative.
ChatGPT Search Feature: Launched in October 2024, the new ChatGPT search feature allows users to search the web and receive real-time results as opposed to its previous limited historical scope. Currently, this feature is available to ChatGPT Plus, Team, Edu, Enterprise, and SearchGPT waitlist users. It will be rolled out to free users in the coming months.
Plugin Integrations: ChatGPT also supports plugins that let users search for restaurants, plan holidays, and even shop directly within the platform, making it an increasingly powerful alternative to traditional search engines.
It remains to be seen how the adoption of these new features will evolve and whether ChatGPT can challenge Google Search in terms of user engagement and search functionality.
Implications for Businesses: Reaching Consumers in the AI Era
With these changes, businesses must rethink their approach to digital visibility, consumer engagement, and performance measurement. The traditional focus on search engine optimisation (SEO) and driving traffic to websites is no longer sufficient in this AI-driven era.
> Beyond SEO: Search “Everywhere” Optimisation – Generative and AI Engine Optimisation
Traditional search engine optimisation (SEO) is no longer sufficient. With the rapid rise of conversational AI platforms and the integration of AI-generated results into search engines, businesses need to extend their strategies to ensure visibility across multiple AI-driven platforms.
While SEO remains important, businesses should also adopt new strategies to enhance visibility within conversational AI outputs, voice searches, and virtual assistant recommendations. This requires the implementation of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) or AI Engine Optimisation (AIEO), and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), focusing on the AI-driven future of search.
Key Optimisation Principles:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Focuses on ranking websites prominently on traditional search engine results pages (SERPs). This now extends to “Search Everywhere Optimisation”—a broader approach that includes AI-driven search outputs.
- Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) / AI Engine Optimisation (AIEO): Aims to optimise a brand’s presence in AI-generated responses across platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s AI features.
- Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO): Tailors content to provide direct, precise answers to user queries, catering to the growing trend of answer-centric search results found in virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and other AI interfaces.
>> Beyond Website Traffic: A New Role for Search and AI Engines
Measuring traffic (clicks) to websites and attributing sales post-click is inaccurate. More users are staying within search and generative AI platforms, engaging with content directly on those platforms rather than clicking through to external websites. The challenges with cookie tracking further complicate traditional methods of measurement.
While search engines and generative AI will undoubtedly remain central to product discovery, businesses must adapt their measurement strategies to achieve a clearer understanding of how search channels contribute to overall business performance. Relying solely on post-click attribution is no longer sufficient; marketing teams must incorporate customer engagement surveys and employ advanced techniques such as marketing mix modelling (MMM) to ensure more accurate optimisation and a deeper understanding of customer behaviour.
Key Principles for Accurate Measurement:
- Post-Click Attribution: Assigning credit to different touchpoints found on the path to conversion after a click.
- Customer Engagement Surveys: Asking customers for their perceptions of the brand and how they heard about it.
- Marketing Mix Modelling: A top-level statistical model that measures the impact of marketing investment on business sales, accounting for external factors such as seasonality, pricing, and economy.
Actionable Strategies for Businesses
To remain competitive, businesses must adapt their digital strategies to the AI-driven environment:
✔️ Leverage Traditional SEO: Optimise your website for both traditional search results and AI-driven overviews, ensuring visibility across platforms.
✔️ Ensure AI-Friendly Content: Tailor content and technical structure for generative AI platforms and direct-answer engines by using natural language and structured data.
✔️ Diversify Digital Measurement: Invest in tools like customer surveys and marketing mix modelling to better track the contribution of channels to business performance.
Implement LLMS.txt to Control AI Access
One of the newest developments in AI-driven SEO is the LLMS.txt file, offering businesses a powerful tool to control how their content is accessed and indexed by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others. Placed at the root of your website, it sets rules for AI interaction with your content and enables key features like:
- Access Control: Allow or block AI access to specific parts of your site, providing granular control.
- Optimised Versions: Provide content in Markdown format for easier interpretation by AIs, enhancing visibility in AI-driven search results.
- Monetisation Opportunities: Charge AI platforms for using your data, creating a new revenue stream.
Optimising your SEO with the LLMS.txt file makes your website AI-ready—empowering you to control indexing, boost readability, and unlock new revenue, all while safeguarding exclusive content.
Our Predictions for Future Developments
- Evolving Search Habits
As conversational AI interfaces become more prevalent, users are shifting towards deeper, more exploratory search sessions. This change reflects growing comfort with AI’s ability to handle nuanced queries and provide tailored answers.
- The Rapid Evolution of Generative AI
Generative AI is advancing at an unprecedented pace, moving beyond static responses to operator AI, which assists users in navigating tasks, and agentic AI, which autonomously executes actions. As AI becomes more proactive and task-driven, businesses must adapt their strategies to engage users across these evolving AI-driven ecosystems.
The integration of AI into search engines is not merely a technological evolution but a fundamental shift in how consumers find and engage with information. For businesses and investors alike, staying ahead in this changing landscape requires agility, innovation, and a deep understanding of emerging optimisation strategies.
Contact our experts to learn more about how we can help your business adapt and thrive in the era of AI search.
Speak to our experts
ROB FENTON
Expert Partner, Marketing
rob.fenton@singulier.co
CHRISTINA AHMED
Senior Digital Media Expert
christina.ahmed@singulier.co
PASCALINE DUBOSC
Engagement Manager
pascaline.dubosc@singulier.co
MAXIME LAPRAYE
Senior Digital Media Expert
maxime.lapraye@singulier.co