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Performance & Analytics
How AI Search Is Redefining the Future of SEO & Digital Marketing
BIG changes are already here, and even BIGGER ones are on the way for how people find content online.
Aviv Shamny
Co-Founder, CEO
Jul 30, 2025
We recently went into a data collection frenzy to better understand how AI search engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other tools are already impacting (and will continue to impact) traffic, conversions, and how we optimize online content.
Here are the latest and biggest search trends and why and how they matter for your business.
More AI Search Visitors Than Traditional Google Search by 2028
Our research suggests that by early 2028 already, which is coming up quickly, more visitors are likely to look for answers through AI search tools than from classic search results. This transition could happen even sooner if Google rolls out its new AI Mode. Essentially, this means fewer clicks on search results, but more direct engagement with AI-generated answers.
As AI continues to grow in popularity and usage, user habits are bound to change.
More and more clicks will come from AI search rather than traditional search. What this also means is that some clicks will disappear completely. Our projections estimate that total traffic (AI search plus traditional) will likely decline initially due to these lost clicks, then stabilize, and eventually grow.
What’s behind the shift in user behavior and clicks?
AI search trims the funnel: by providing much of the information people need upfront, it reduces the need to explore multiple websites and pages. It basically spoon-feeds users the answers directly, with no clicking around needed.
What’s more, AI deprioritizes links: it doesn’t always include references to brands or content, and when links do appear, they tend to be less prominent than in traditional search results.
What AI’s rise in search means for your brand:
If you're not optimizing for AI search now, your competitors could soon (possibly already) be capturing most of the traffic. Start exploring AI-specific search optimization strategies today to stay ahead of the game.
While the new AI search might seem similar to traditional SEO, the two are actually quite different. What AI searches for, how it discovers information, and how it decides what to cite is a whole new game. But before we go into those details, the first step in any search optimization plan would be to understand your brand’s visibility: Are you even present in AI search results?
Limy analyzes how visible your brand is across different stages of the user journey, identifies your current standing, and compares it with your competitors.
AI Visitors Are Worth More For Your Brand
We found that the average visitor who discovers your brand through AI search is worth 4+ times more than a typical organic visitor, based on conversion rates. This is a highly valuable audience worth investing in to attract.
Why are AI users more likely to convert?
Users coming to your brand through AI tend to be more knowledgeable and ready to convert. AI can give users all the info they need upfront, allow them to compare options, often before they even visit your site. So, when they do, they’re more likely to buy or engage.
What this means for your brand
Even small increases in AI traffic can significantly boost your revenue. To capitalize on this, you’ll want to focus on creating clear, compelling content and maintaining consistent messaging across channels. It’s key to present ‘digestible’ information in an easily quotable format, include machine-readable data, and publish helpful content such as how-to guides. Other ‘tricks’ include making sure your webpages are crawlable (unless you want your content to be gated and not found by AI; say you operate a subscription website like TripAdvisor).
To help AI understand your brand’s true value and ensure it is perceived positively, you also need to focus on managing sentiment. Because it’s not enough for your brand to be mentioned. Imagine a comparison prompt and AI thinks your brand lacks certain features or even presents it negatively. Users will prefer other brands without giving you a chance.
How to monitor brand sentiment in AI search
Limy can assist by tracking how your brand is portrayed across different AI channels and providing actionable recommendations to strengthen your brand’s online presence while addressing weaknesses.
High Search Ranking Not Important in AI Citing
What’s particularly fascinating in the data we found is that AI tools like ChatGPT tend to cite lower-ranked pages about 90% of the time! We’re talking about pages ranked 21 and beyond in traditional search results. These are pages that the average user wouldn’t bother digging into.
That said, it’s worth noting that there are a few AI tools that cite pages ranking in the top 1 to 5 in traditional search more often than those ranked 6 to 20. In other words, ranking well in traditional search can still help you get cited by AI. But this isn’t an across-the-board AI optimization strategy, as many brands are cited by AI even when they rank relatively poorly in traditional search.
Why does AI pick up content from low ranking sites?
AI search focuses on surfacing specific bits of information, based on the user’s prompts and questions. In traditional search, whole websites surface as ‘the answer’, not specific bits. For AI, the relevance and quality of individual content snippets are more important than load speed or the overall user experience on a website.
AI systems have a more sophisticated understanding of user intent than traditional search engines. They process natural language more effectively, gain context through conversation (users explain more, provide feedback, and specify what they’re looking for), and can build an understanding of each user over time, beyond basic statistics. It’s not about the average or the most common query anymore, it’s about specifics.
What this means for your brand:
If you have clever, well-structured content that answers your potential users’ questions and clears up doubts, and if that content can be easily picked up by LLMs, then AI can recognize and feature it regardless of search result rankings. Highly specific, high-quality content that addresses detailed questions stands a better chance of being featured by AI.
Not sure what kinds of questions your potential customers ask at every stage of the journey? Limy can help you surface that.
TL; DR
AI search isn’t the future; it’s already shaping the way people find information today. Start tracking your brand visibility now and optimize your content for AI search. Use tools like Limy to get started.
Next up:
More findings: Why your presence on Quora, Reddit, and other high-authority websites matters in the age of AI, and how your website can become a key source for AI responses.
Aviv Shamny
Co-Founder, CEO
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