The search landscape is on the brink of a seismic shift as AI chatbots are projected to handle 25% of all search queries by 2025, according to recent industry forecasts. This rapid acceleration, driven by tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Search Generative Experience (SGE), is forcing businesses to completely rethink their digital visibility strategies. With traditional SEO tactics becoming potentially less effective, companies are now scrambling to adapt to what some experts are calling ‘Answer Engine Optimization’ (AEO) – optimizing content specifically for AI-powered conversational search.
This transition represents both a challenge and opportunity for businesses of all sizes. While established SEO practices won’t disappear overnight, the growing prominence of AI-generated answers means websites may see significant traffic reductions as users get immediate responses without clicking through to source sites. Industry experts suggest that preparing for this shift requires creating more comprehensive, authoritative content that AI systems will recognize as valuable sources. Companies that fail to adapt risk becoming invisible in this new search paradigm where being the source behind AI answers becomes as crucial as ranking on Google’s first page.
Startups are already capitalizing on this emerging market, with companies like Jasper and MarketMuse developing tools specifically designed to help businesses optimize for AI search. These platforms analyze content for AI readability and suggest improvements to increase the likelihood of being cited by chatbots. The stakes are particularly high for publishers and e-commerce sites that have traditionally relied on search traffic. As one SEO consultant noted, ‘The window to prepare is closing quickly. By this time next year, companies that haven’t adapted their content strategy for AI search may find themselves wondering where all their traffic went.’
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/seo-aeo-ai-chatbots-search-startups-chatgpt-openai-google-2025-5