Before the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 and Large Language Models (LLMs) took the world by storm, most of us typed keywords into Google and scanned through the 10 blue links to find what we’re looking for. Fast forward to today–we get direct, context-aware answers from AI within seconds.
In essence, AI performs the searches for us, filters out irrelevant sources and curates the key information to give us exactly what we need. No links, no clicks, just instant answers.
This isn’t a niche trend, the platform shift is happening right now. Capgemini's 2025 consumer trends report found that 68% of consumers have bought products recommended by AI, and 58% have already replaced traditional search engines with AI tools for product recommendations.
As of February 2025, ChatGPT has over 400 million weekly active users, processing over 1 billion queries daily. More than a billion people use Google AI Overviews every month.
Meanwhile, Gartner is predicting brands' organic search traffic will drop by 50% or more by 2028 as consumers continue to embrace AI-powered search.
It's never been more critical for brands to focus on AI visibility. Welcome to new era of search.
This new landscape challenges us to rethink the entire customer journey. Rather than trying to attract clicks or rack up organic visits, we need to show up in AI conversations where customers are looking to buy.
Traditional SEO centers on matching user-entered keywords. AI-driven search interprets the intent and context behind a user query. It doesn’t just look for keyword density. It analyzes whether your content–and your brand–offer depth, expertise and consistency.
In legacy search, a user might skim a handful of top results. AI engines provide a single, concise answer synthesized from a large number of sources. Securing “the answer” position means owning an entire micro-moment of customer attention–opening up a whole new way to target specific personas.
AI tools allow for multi-turn conversations. The user might refine their query, ask for comparisons, or request alternative viewpoints. Being part of these conversational threads requires ongoing brand alignment–your information can’t just be relevant once, it must hold up under further scrutiny.
A potential customer can go through the entire marketing funnel and make a decision to buy within the span of a single AI conversation.
It’s not just about outranking your competitors on page one. AI assistants effectively “recommend” solutions, products or services. When an AI repeatedly mentions your brand as a trusted source, that endorsement resonates differently than a link on a search results page.
Just as you’ve tracked brand mentions on social media or across the web, it’s now crucial to monitor how AI engines reference you. Where does your brand pop up? What phrasing do these systems use? Does your brand appear at all?
AI models lean heavily on factual accuracy, authority and user trust indicators. Auditing your content for clarity, corroborating data, expert quotes and citations helps reinforce your brand as a reliable answer source. The more your brand appears within relevant contexts across the web (including UGC), the more chance AI engines will recognize and mention your brand. Multi-platform optimization–or what Neil Patel calls 'search everywhere optimization'–is key for AI visibility.
"Search 'engine' optimization alone isn’t enough anymore. Brands need to optimize their organic presence across every platform. You need a new type of SEO: search everywhere optimization."
Neil Patel
Think beyond keywords. Align your messaging with the topics, nuances and user intentions that AI engines look for. Create digestible and context-rich content with structured data, anticipate follow-up questions and keep your brand voice consistent across channels to appear cohesive in AI conversations.
When people–humans or algorithms–evaluate your brand, they look for expertise. Sharing original insights, research or detailed problem-solving guides can position you as the “go-to” authority that AI engines highlight in answers. Google's E-E-A-T principle is crucial for AEO.
We built Cognizo to bring clarity to this evolving landscape. We realized firsthand how AI is transforming how we make purchase decisions. We started by asking a simple question: “How do marketers measure and improve their visibility when AI transforms product discovery?”. Our platform was born out of a need to track how brands appear (or don’t appear) in AI answers to provide actionable insights on how to improve that presence.
We aggregate data from a range of AI platforms–ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and more–to show you exactly where your brand stands on every major platform. We are constantly on the lookout for where customers are today and where they're heading.
We use these insights to highlight gaps in content relevance, citations and overall brand alignment, so you know precisely what to adjust. We're committed to offering deep analytics and keeping up with the latest optimization strategies.
We are not about silver bullets or flashy promises. We focus on building a sustainable AI presence–one that allows your customers to consistently find reliable information about your brand in AI answers to maximize your reach.
The shift toward AI search is a fundamental redefinition of how customers discover, evaluate and trust brands. As marketers, we can’t keep relying on old metrics and outdated assumptions. It’s time to listen, adapt and evolve.
If you want to learn more about how your brand is performing in AI and how to strategically improve, we are here to help.
Because in the new era of search, it’s not about being found on a results page–it’s about being part of the answers where customers seek solutions.
AI search analytics and optimization for the new customer journey
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