The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) has kickstarted a new gold rush, for visibility inside AI chatbots. In a race to stay relevant in a fast-changing digital landscape, advertising groups and tech start-ups are scrambling to help brands boost their presence in results generated by artificial intelligence chatbots. The push marks the beginning of a new era of search engine optimisation (SEO), where traditional strategies are being rewritten for a world dominated by generative AI. 

According to a report by The Financial Times, companies are launching software to monitor how frequently brands appear in AI-driven services like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Google’s Overviews. Early adopters include fintech company Ramp, job search platform Indeed, and Chivas Brothers, the Pernod Ricard-owned whisky maker, as businesses seek new ways to engage with millions of users now relying on AI tools for information gathering. 

How brands are trying to ace SEO in an AI-driven world?

The technology feeds a range of text prompts into AI chatbots to gauge their sentiment towards brands and analyses the output to create a ranking. This insight allows agencies to recommend strategies for boosting brand mentions within AI-generated responses, in what industry players are calling the next frontier for marketing visibility. 

The stakes are high. A research by consultancy firm Bain recently revealed that 80 per cent of consumers now depend on AI-written results for at least 40 per cent of their online searches. The study found that organic web traffic has dropped by up to 25 per cent, with approximately 60 per cent of searches concluding without users clicking through to a website. 

Cracking the code is no simple task. Different AI models surface brands in different ways. ChatGPT, for instance, pulls traditional web data but layers it with its own credibility checks to serve users more ‘thoughtful’ answers.

Traditional media agencies role facing increasing threat 

As Meta and Google develop self-serve ad tools allowing brands to run marketing campaigns autonomously, the traditional role of media agencies is under threat. Yet, some agencies are seizing the moment by offering AI visibility optimisation services to corporate clients eager to adapt. 

The approach requires a deep understanding of how different AI models surface information. ChatGPT, for instance, blends traditional web search results with model-based evaluation, ranking sources based on credibility and relevance. 

Quoting Adam Fry, head of search at OpenAI’sChatGPT, the report said that users are becoming increasingly precise and nuanced with their queries, giving the example of a search for “a quiet restaurant for a family of five in New York” rather than the more generic “restaurants in New York”. He explained that ChatGPT introduced an additional layer of intelligence above traditional search, allowing for more sophisticated, context-driven results. 

Search advertising hit, but Google is coping somehow

Yet, amid the buzz about AI stealing traffic, Google’s advertising engine is still roaring. Parent company Alphabet on Thursday reported that core search and ad revenues rose nearly 10 per cent to $50.7 billion in the first quarter. The results offered assurance to investors who feared that Google’s own Gemini chatbot — or competition from Elon Musk’s Grok — might cannibalise the search giant’s main business. 

Still, cracks are visible. AI-native platforms like Perplexity are already experimenting with sponsored ‘questions’ — offering brands a new but subtle way to influence users inside an AI conversation. 

As the AI revolution in search continues to unfold, brands and agencies are adapting at speed, recognising that in a world increasingly mediated by intelligent algorithms, only those who deliver genuine value will maintain their visibility. 

Indian firms also riding high the AI wave 

A recent study by IBM (in February) revealed that around 59 per cent of Indian enterprises with more than 1,000 employees have already integrated AI into their operations. According to the IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2023, early adopters are setting the pace, with 74 per cent of these companies having ramped up their AI investments over the past two years, particularly in areas such as research and development and workforce reskilling.  

However, challenges such as finding employees with the necessary skills and addressing ethical concerns continue to hinder broader AI adoption. Tackling these barriers is expected to be a key focus this year, the report had said. In the age of AI, brands are increasingly learning that web visibility can no longer be gamed.