Generative engines have moved from experiment to mainstream discovery channel. Google said in May 2025 that “millions of people are using AI Mode in Labs,” asking “longer, harder questions” and discovering “new websites and businesses.” OpenAI also made ChatGPT search broadly available and stated that websites and publishers can choose…

Search is no longer just a list of links competing for position. It is rapidly becoming an answer layer where AI systems summarize, compare, recommend, and cite sources before a user ever decides whether to click. For brands that still measure success mainly through rankings and raw organic traffic, that…