Contents
- The Growing Role of AI in Search
- ChatGPT Search – The Evolution from SearchGPT
- AI Overviews & AI Mode – Google’s Answer to AI-Powered Search
- ChatGPT Search vs. Gemini Search Tools – How They Compare
- What This Means for Marketers
- Embracing the AI Search Revolution
- AI in Search FAQs
The Growing Role of AI in Search
As businesses and digital marketers, we’re all navigating a rapidly changing world that’s increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence (AI). Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022, AI has become a key player in areas such as customer service, content creation, and beyond. In fact, ChatGPT reached over 100 million users within two months of launch – a clear indication of how quickly AI adoption is growing in our daily lives.
The scale of this transformation has accelerated dramatically through 2025. Recent data shows that ChatGPT processes an astounding 2.5 billion prompts daily. This represents a fundamental shift in how people seek and consume information, moving away from traditional link-based searches towards conversational, AI-powered interactions.
AI isn’t just helping us write emails or brainstorm ideas – it’s fundamentally changing how we search for information online. What began as OpenAI’s SearchGPT prototype has evolved into integrated ChatGPT Search capabilities, whilst Google’s Gemini represents the search giant’s comprehensive answer to this new paradigm. These cutting-edge tools are designed to transform the search experience by using AI to offer smarter, more human-like responses to our queries.
But what does this mean for us digital marketers and businesses – how will these tools impact search engine optimisation (SEO), website rankings and paid ads (PPC)? The implications are more profound than many realise, as we’re witnessing the emergence of what industry experts call “zero-click search” – where 60% of searches now end without users clicking through to another website.
ChatGPT Search – The Evolution from SearchGPT
To understand the current landscape, it’s crucial to clarify what happened with SearchGPT. Originally launched as a prototype in mid-2024, SearchGPT was OpenAI’s experimental approach to blending ChatGPT’s conversational intelligence with real-time web search capabilities. The prototype generated enormous interest, with tens of thousands of sign-ups in its first week, demonstrating the market’s appetite for AI-driven search alternatives.
However, SearchGPT as a separate product no longer exists. Instead, OpenAI integrated these search capabilities directly into ChatGPT itself, creating what we now know as “ChatGPT Search.” This integration was completed in October 2024, and by February 2025, ChatGPT Search became available to everyone – no account required. This represents a significant shift in OpenAI’s strategy, moving from a standalone search tool to an enhanced conversational AI that can seamlessly access real-time web information when needed.
The evolution from SearchGPT prototype to integrated ChatGPT Search reflects a broader trend in AI development: rather than creating separate tools for different functions, companies are building comprehensive AI assistants that can handle multiple tasks within a single interface. This approach resonates with users who prefer streamlined experiences over managing multiple platforms.
Today’s ChatGPT Search experience feels more like having a knowledgeable research assistant than using a traditional search engine. Instead of presenting a list of websites, it provides thoughtful, contextual answers by pulling real-time information from various sources and synthesising them into coherent responses. The system can automatically trigger web searches when queries require current information, or users can manually activate search functionality when needed.
AI Overviews & AI Mode – Google’s Answer to AI-Powered Search
Google, naturally, wasn’t going to cede the search market without a fight. Their response has been comprehensive, leveraging their advanced AI model, Gemini, which launched in late 2023 as Google’s most significant AI initiative. The impact has been substantial: Google’s AI Overviews now reach 2 billion monthly users.
AI Overviews: Reshaping Traditional Search
AI Overviews represent Google’s attempt to evolve traditional search whilst maintaining their link-based ecosystem. These AI-generated summaries appear at the top of search results, providing quick answers to user queries whilst still displaying traditional website listings below. The feature has proven popular, with studies showing that AI Overviews appear in approximately 55% of searches, fundamentally changing how users interact with search results.
However, this shift comes with significant implications for content creators and marketers. Research from Ahrefs reveals that AI Overviews reduce click-through rates by 34.5% for top-ranking pages, whilst other studies indicate that publishers experience a 47.5% drop in click-through rates on desktop when AI Overviews are present. This represents what many industry observers call “the great decoupling” – where search impressions increase but actual website visits decline.
AI Mode: Google’s Conversational Search Revolution
AI Mode represents Google’s most ambitious step towards conversational search. Available as a tab alongside traditional search options like Images and Maps, AI Mode transforms Google Search into something more akin to ChatGPT – users can ask complex, multi-part questions and engage in follow-up conversations with AI-generated responses.
The July 2025 updates to AI Mode have been particularly significant, introducing several game-changing features that blur the lines between search engine and AI assistant.
Canvas Planning Tool
Perhaps the most innovative addition is Canvas, a dynamic planning workspace that persists across multiple search sessions. When users ask AI Mode to help create study plans, travel itineraries, or project timelines, Canvas appears as a side panel that updates in real-time. Users can refine their plans through follow-up questions, with the AI continuously improving and expanding the Canvas content. This feature transforms search from a series of discrete queries into an ongoing collaborative planning process.
Search Live with Video
Building on Google’s Lens technology, Search Live now supports live video input, bringing advanced capabilities from Project Astra directly into search. Users can point their camera at objects, documents, or environments whilst asking questions, receiving real-time AI assistance that can see and respond to visual context. This represents a fundamental shift towards multimodal search experiences where visual and textual information combine seamlessly.
PDF and File Upload Support
AI Mode now accepts PDF uploads and other document types, allowing users to ask detailed questions about their files. Students can upload lecture slides for clarification, professionals can analyse reports, and researchers can extract insights from complex documents. The system cross-references uploaded content with web information to provide comprehensive, contextual responses.
UK Rollout and Global Expansion
July 2025 marked AI Mode’s expansion beyond the US and India, with the UK becoming the third market to receive full access. For many UK users, AI Mode now appears as the default search option, indicating Google’s confidence in the technology and their strategic push towards AI-first search experiences.
Chrome Integration
The new “Ask Google about this page” feature in Chrome’s address bar allows users to instantly query any webpage content through AI Mode. Combined with Lens integration, users can select specific parts of web pages, PDFs, or any browser content and ask detailed questions, creating a seamless bridge between browsing and AI-powered analysis.
The Challenges & Google’s Response
Google’s AI initiatives haven’t been without controversy. Early AI Overviews faced significant backlash for inaccurate responses, including the infamous “glue in pizza” suggestions that became viral symbols of AI unreliability. These incidents highlighted the challenges of deploying AI at scale whilst maintaining the accuracy standards users expect from Google.
In response, Google has invested heavily in improving accuracy and transparency. They’ve implemented more robust fact-checking systems, improved source attribution, and developed novel approaches to enhance the factuality of AI-generated responses. The company now uses confidence thresholds – when AI systems aren’t sufficiently certain about answers, users see traditional search results instead of AI summaries.
ChatGPT Search vs. Gemini Search Tools – How They Compare
The current AI search landscape presents marketers with two distinct paradigms, each with unique characteristics and implications for digital strategy.
ChatGPT Search: The Conversational Approach
ChatGPT Search represents a clean break from traditional search engines. Rather than presenting lists of websites, it provides direct, contextual answers through natural conversation. Users engage with the system as they would a knowledgeable colleague, asking complex questions and receiving synthesised responses that draw from multiple sources without requiring manual link navigation.
This approach appeals to users seeking efficiency and depth. Research indicates that ChatGPT users are asking questions two to three times longer than traditional search queries, suggesting a fundamental shift in search behaviour towards more exploratory, nuanced inquiries. The platform’s strength lies in handling complex, multi-step queries that would traditionally require several separate searches.
Significantly, ChatGPT Search currently operates without advertising, creating an environment focused purely on information delivery. However, OpenAI has announced plans to introduce ads for free-tier users in 2026, which will likely transform the platform’s dynamics and present new opportunities for marketers.
Google’s Multi-Faceted AI Ecosystem
Google’s approach is more complex, offering multiple AI-powered touchpoints within their existing ecosystem:
AI Overviews enhance traditional search by providing AI-generated summaries above conventional website listings. This hybrid approach maintains Google’s link-based revenue model whilst offering users quick answers. The feature appears in over half of all searches, making it impossible for marketers to ignore.
AI Mode creates a more ChatGPT-like experience within Google’s ecosystem, allowing conversational interactions whilst maintaining access to Google’s comprehensive search index. The July 2025 updates have transformed AI Mode into a sophisticated planning and research tool that bridges traditional search with AI assistance.
Gemini Chat functions as Google’s standalone AI assistant, similar to ChatGPT, handling everything from content generation to complex analysis. This creates multiple pathways for users to access Google’s AI capabilities depending on their specific needs.
What This Means for Marketers
The transformation of search through AI represents the most significant shift in digital marketing since the emergence of mobile search. The statistics paint a clear picture of changing user behaviour that marketers cannot ignore: Bain & Company research shows that 80% of consumers now rely on AI-written results for at least 40% of their searches, whilst 60% of searches terminate without users clicking through to another website.
This shift is reducing organic web traffic across many sectors, fundamentally challenging traditional digital marketing strategies that depend on driving traffic to owned websites. The implications extend beyond simple traffic metrics – AI search is changing how brands connect with customers, how purchase decisions are influenced, and how trust and authority are established in digital spaces.
SEO: The Future of Organic Search
The SEO landscape is undergoing its most dramatic transformation since Google’s algorithm became the dominant force in web search. Current data shows that AI Overviews appear in approximately 55% of searches, and this percentage continues climbing as Google expands the feature’s coverage. Meanwhile, the rise of zero-click searches means that even when websites appear in AI summaries, users increasingly find their answers without visiting the source sites.
This creates a paradox for content creators: visibility in AI results is becoming essential for brand awareness, yet it may not translate to website traffic or traditional conversion metrics. Studies indicate that users who encounter AI summaries click on traditional search results in only 8% of visits, compared to 15% when no AI summary is present.
However, the situation isn’t uniformly negative. Google reports that in their biggest markets like the US and India, AI Overviews are driving a 10% increase in Search usage for queries that show these features. Additionally, when users do click through from AI-powered results, these visits tend to be higher quality – users spend more time on sites and show greater engagement with the content they find.
Successful SEO in the AI era requires a fundamental shift in approach. Rather than optimising solely for rankings and clicks, marketers must focus on semantic authority – becoming the definitive source for specific topics that AI systems recognise and reference. This means creating comprehensive, authoritative content that answers questions thoroughly and provides unique insights that AI systems find valuable enough to cite.
Content structure becomes critical in this environment. AI systems excel at parsing well-organised information, so clear headings, logical flow, and structured data markup are more important than ever. However, the content must go beyond basic optimisation to provide genuine expertise and original perspectives that distinguish it from the vast amount of similar content online.
Authority building through strategic link acquisition remains relevant, but the focus shifts towards sources that AI systems recognise as credible. This often means prioritising relationships with established publications, industry authorities, and platforms that AI models have been trained to trust.
Web Development & SEO for AI-Powered Search
Technical excellence has become a prerequisite for AI search visibility, not merely an advantage. AI systems evaluate website quality through multiple technical factors that directly impact how content is processed, understood, and ranked within AI responses.
Site speed and performance carry amplified importance in AI search contexts. Studies suggest that AI-powered search engines prioritise fast-loading websites more heavily than traditional search algorithms, partly because AI systems can process and analyse well-optimised sites more efficiently. This creates a compounding effect where technical excellence improves both user experience and AI accessibility.
Mobile optimisation transcends traditional responsive design requirements. With AI search increasingly happening on mobile devices – particularly through voice queries and visual search – websites must deliver flawless mobile experiences that AI systems can easily navigate and understand. This includes optimised image loading, touch-friendly interfaces, and content that remains readable and actionable across all screen sizes.
The relationship between site architecture and AI comprehension is particularly crucial. AI systems need to understand content hierarchy, relationships between different pages, and the overall structure of information on a website. Clear URL structures, logical navigation, and comprehensive internal linking help AI systems build accurate models of website content, improving the chances of accurate representation in AI responses.
Structured data implementation has evolved from an SEO best practice to an AI search necessity. Schema markup provides AI systems with explicit information about content meaning, context, and relationships. As AI platforms become more sophisticated, they increasingly rely on structured data to understand nuanced content attributes like authorship, publication dates, content types, and topical relationships.
Security considerations extend beyond user trust to AI credibility. AI systems appear to weight security signals heavily when determining source reliability, making HTTPS implementation, regular security updates, and robust technical maintenance essential for AI search visibility.
PPC: A New Era for Ads
The advertising landscape within AI search presents both challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Traditional PPC strategies, built around keyword bidding and link-based clicks, are evolving to accommodate AI-mediated user experiences where the journey from query to action becomes more complex and context-dependent.
Google’s integration of advertisements within AI Overviews represents the most significant development in search advertising since the introduction of AdWords. Early implementations show ads appearing contextually within AI summaries, supporting the information being provided rather than competing with it for attention. This creates opportunities for more relevant, helpful advertising that enhances rather than interrupts the user experience.
The emergence of AI Mode advertising presents entirely new paradigms for paid search. Within AI Mode’s conversational interface, traditional banner advertisements would feel intrusive and ineffective. Instead, early indicators suggest a move towards contextual sponsorships, where brands can associate with specific types of queries or information categories, appearing as recommended resources within AI responses.
Competition for advertising positions is intensifying as AI search reduces the overall number of clicks generated from search results. With organic click-through rates declining by 30% year-over-year according to BrightEdge data, the remaining clicks become more valuable and competitive. This trend is driving up advertising costs whilst simultaneously requiring more sophisticated targeting and relevance to justify increased investments.
However, the quality of AI-driven advertising interactions appears higher than traditional search ads. Users engaging with AI-recommended products or services show greater purchase intent and higher conversion rates, suggesting that AI systems’ ability to understand context and user needs creates more qualified leads for advertisers willing to adapt their approaches.
Looking ahead, ChatGPT’s planned introduction of advertising for free-tier users in 2026 will create additional opportunities and competitive dynamics. The platform’s conversational nature suggests advertising formats that integrate naturally with dialogue, potentially creating more engaging and effective promotional experiences.
Embracing the AI Search Revolution
The transformation of search through AI technologies represents more than a technological upgrade – it signifies a fundamental shift in how humans access, process, and act upon information. The statistics underscore the magnitude of this change: the AI market is projected to grow from $244 billion in 2025 to over $800 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 35.9% that reflects unprecedented adoption and investment levels.
This growth trajectory affects every aspect of digital marketing. AI adoption is expected to reach 378 million users globally by 2025, suggesting that AI-mediated search experiences will become the norm rather than an alternative for a significant portion of internet users. For marketers, this means that strategies optimised for AI search aren’t future-proofing measures – they’re current necessities for maintaining competitive positioning.
The human impact of this transformation extends beyond mere technology adoption. Users are developing new expectations and behaviours around information access. They increasingly expect immediate, comprehensive answers rather than links to explore. They value contextual understanding over keyword matching. They prefer conversational interactions over form-based queries. These behavioural shifts reflect cognitive changes in how people approach problem-solving and decision-making in digital environments.
Early adopters of AI search optimisation strategies are already seeing advantages in brand visibility, customer engagement, and market positioning. Companies that have adapted their content strategies to AI search report better performance metrics not just in AI platforms, but across traditional search engines as well. This suggests that AI optimisation creates benefits that extend throughout digital marketing channels.
The competitive landscape is also shifting rapidly. Beyond Google and OpenAI, major platforms like Meta and Microsoft Copilot are investing heavily in AI search capabilities, creating an ecosystem where AI- mediated information access becomes ubiquitous across platforms. This diversification means that successful AI search strategies must be platform-agnostic, focusing on content quality and authority that performs well across multiple AI systems.
Industry predictions suggest that by 2030, traditional search engines as we know them today may represent a minority of how people access online information. Voice assistants, visual search, conversational AI, and integrated AI experiences are expected to handle the majority of information queries. This timeline gives current marketers a narrow window to adapt their strategies and build the expertise necessary to thrive in an AI-dominated search landscape.
At Atelier, we understand the importance of evolving with these changes. Whether you need help optimising your current digital marketing efforts, or preparing for the next wave of AI-driven search, we’re here to guide you.
Get in touch for help with future-proofing your website and digital marketing in an AI-driven future.
AI in Search FAQs
What happened to SearchGPT?
SearchGPT was originally a prototype launched by OpenAI in mid-2024. However, it’s no longer a separate product. OpenAI integrated SearchGPT’s capabilities directly into ChatGPT, creating “ChatGPT Search.” This integrated search functionality is now available to everyone, including users without OpenAI accounts, as of February 2025.
How do ChatGPT Search and Google’s AI tools differ from traditional search engines?
ChatGPT Search delivers direct, conversational answers instead of listing links, creating a more dialogue-based experience. Google’s AI Overviews provide summaries at the top of traditional search results, whilst AI Mode offers a conversational search experience within Google’s ecosystem. Both approaches reduce the need to click through multiple websites to find information.
How will AI search impact SEO?
AI search prioritises high-quality, well-structured content and authoritative sources. Websites that are fast, mobile-friendly, and use structured data will perform better. However, the rise in zero-click searches (currently 60% of queries) means that traditional traffic metrics may decline even when content visibility increases. SEO strategy must adapt to focus on authority building and semantic optimisation.
Why is web development important for AI search?
AI search engines favour websites that load quickly, are optimised for mobile devices, and have secure, well-structured designs. Technical excellence helps AI systems process and understand content more effectively, improving the chances of being referenced in AI responses. Poor technical performance can exclude content from AI consideration entirely.
How will AI affect PPC advertising?
AI search is creating new advertising formats, such as contextual sponsorships within AI responses and ads integrated into AI Overviews. Traditional click-based advertising faces challenges as zero-click searches increase, but early evidence suggests that AI-mediated advertising interactions show higher conversion rates due to better context matching.
How can I future-proof my SEO strategy?
Focus on creating comprehensive, authoritative content that answers questions thoroughly. Improve website technical performance, implement structured data markup, and build authority through strategic partnerships and high-quality backlinks. Stay informed about AI search developments and adapt strategies as platforms evolve.
Will AI fundamentally change how users search?
Yes, significantly. Users increasingly expect immediate, comprehensive answers rather than links to explore. Search queries are becoming longer and more conversational. The preference for dialogue-based interaction over keyword-based searches represents a fundamental shift in user behaviour and expectations.
Does mobile optimisation matter more with AI search?
Absolutely. AI-powered search engines heavily prioritise mobile-friendly websites, particularly as AI search adoption grows on mobile devices through voice queries and visual search. Mobile optimisation is now essential for AI search visibility.
What is structured data, and why is it crucial for AI search?
Structured data is code that helps AI systems and search engines understand content meaning, context, and relationships. Schema markup provides explicit information about content attributes like authorship, publication dates, and topical connections. As AI systems become more sophisticated, structured data becomes essential for accurate content representation in AI responses.
How will AI affect the overall search experience?
AI search provides faster, more contextual answers and reduces the need to navigate through multiple search results. Users can engage in follow-up conversations and receive personalised responses based on their specific needs. This creates more efficient information discovery but changes how brands connect with potential customers during the search process.