AI Search is Here – And it’s Reshaping the Buyer Journey

Part 1 of our four-part series exploring how AI search is transforming visibility, SEO, and digital strategy - and what CEOs need to do now to stay competitive.

If your website traffic has taken a hit in the past year - you’re not alone. Across industries, CEOs are reporting a steady erosion in website traffic and leads. What’s changed? Not your product. Not your value proposition. What’s changed is the information that buyers can access without the need to visit websites.

Welcome to the era of AI Search.

The Evolution of Search

AI-powered engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini now handle millions of information queries each day. Currently up to 6% of search traffic flows directly through these tools. A major shift has also begun inside Google and Bing, where 20–35% of results now include AI-generated overviews. Combine those two forces, and 24%-41% of search behavior is now being reshaped by generative AI.

If your brand isn’t being cited in those AI overviews and searches—or worse, if a competitor’s brand is—you’re at a distinct disadvantage with AI Search users.

What That Means for Your Business

It’s not just about traffic anymore. It’s also about visibility in AI results.

AI doesn’t just index — it summarizes, interprets, and recommends. Your brand’s presence in AI-generated results depends on whether your content is structured, cited, and positively discussed across the web. In other words, SEO alone is not enough.

For B2B brands, especially those that rely on thought leadership and early-stage education, this is where the buying process is being impacted. AI search tools are answering many of your buyers’ questions before they ever reach your site.

The bottom line: This is not a future trend. It’s already reshaping how buyers discover, evaluate, and shortlist solutions. The companies that adapt now will have the inside track on visibility and demand generation in 2026 and beyond.

For a deeper look at how AI search is changing the landscape and how to assess your brand’s visibility in this new environment, download the free AI Search Report.

Want the full discussion? Watch the complete webinar recording to hear directly from our AI and SEO experts on how these shifts are impacting mid-market growth.

AI Search Team

Carol Eversen Area Managing Partner, CMO & CRO Chief Outsiders	Sabrina Donley CMO Chief Outsiders	Doug Bell Partner & CMO Chief Outsiders	John Prinzo Team Outsiders	Jon Aron Team Outsiders