The way people find businesses is changing — fast. ChatGPT now has over 800 million weekly active users. Google's search market share has dropped below 90% for the first time since 2015. And according to Gartner, traditional search volume will drop 25% by the end of 2026.
This isn't a future trend. It's happening right now.
The shift in numbers
The data paints a clear picture:
- 800 million weekly users on ChatGPT alone, with Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude growing rapidly (DemandSage, 2025)
- 50% of consumers now actively seek AI-powered search experiences (McKinsey, 2025)
- 80% of consumers who use AI rely on it for more than 40% of their searches (Bain & Company, 2025)
- AI referral traffic to websites is up 357% year-over-year (Similarweb, 2025)
This is not a niche behavior anymore. It's mainstream.
Why your Google ranking won't save you
Here's the uncomfortable truth for businesses that invested heavily in traditional SEO:
60% of Google searches now end without a click. Google's own AI Overviews answer the question right on the results page, so users never visit your website. The coverage of AI Overviews has grown from 3.9% to 27.4% of search results — a 7x increase in under a year (Semrush, 2025).
When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity to recommend a business, those platforms don't check your Google ranking. They don't care about your backlinks or domain authority. They pull from directories, review sites, structured data, and their own training data.
Your #1 Google position does not transfer to AI recommendations. They are completely separate systems with completely separate ranking factors.
The impact is already measurable: organic click-through rates have dropped 61% on queries where AI Overviews appear (Semrush, 2025). Major publishers have seen traffic from Google decline by a third (Wall Street Journal, 2025).
For established businesses: defend your findability
If you've built strong Google rankings over the years, you have something real — but it's depreciating faster than you think.
- 68% of organizations are already changing their strategy to adapt to AI-driven search (BrightEdge, 2025)
- Only 16% of companies currently track AI search performance — meaning most don't even know they have a problem (McKinsey, 2025)
- AI-influenced purchases will reach $750 billion by 2028 (McKinsey, 2025)
The risk is clear: while you focus on defending Google positions, your customers are quietly shifting to AI platforms where you may be invisible. Your competitors who adapt first will capture that traffic — and AI recommendations tend to be sticky. Once an AI platform learns to recommend a business, it keeps doing so.
What to do: 1. Audit your presence on the platforms AI actually uses — not just Google 2. Ensure your business information is consistent across all directories 3. Start tracking whether AI platforms recommend you (not just whether Google ranks you) 4. Respond to reviews and keep your listings active — AI favors recent signals
For new businesses: this is your window
Here's the flip side — and it's genuinely exciting if you're a newer business.
AI doesn't care about domain age. It doesn't care how many backlinks you have. It doesn't care that your competitor has been ranking on Google for 15 years. Traditional SEO is a game where incumbents have massive advantages. AI search is not.
What AI cares about: - Clear, consistent information about what you do and where you are - Quality reviews from real customers - Structured data that AI can easily parse - Active presence on the directories AI tools pull from
A Semrush study found that traditional ranking factors like backlinks are significantly less relevant in AI-generated results. Content quality, clarity, and structured information matter more.
This means a six-month-old business with a complete Foursquare listing, consistent directory presence, and a handful of genuine reviews can outperform a decade-old competitor that only invested in Google SEO.
The playing field has never been more level. But this window won't last forever — as more businesses catch on, the early-mover advantage will fade.
For agencies: your clients need this now
If you manage SEO or digital marketing for clients, this is both a threat and an opportunity.
- 68% of organizations say they're adapting strategy for AI search, but most don't know how (BrightEdge, 2025)
- Only 16% currently track AI search performance — your clients are likely in the 84% that don't (McKinsey, 2025)
- AI website builders are making it easier than ever for new competitors to create professional web presences, intensifying competition in every local market
The agencies that add AI visibility monitoring to their service offering now will differentiate themselves. The ones that wait will find themselves explaining to clients why their Google-focused strategy isn't delivering results anymore.
What to do about it
Whether you're an established business protecting your position or a new business seizing the opportunity, the playbook starts the same way:
- Know where you stand. You can't improve what you don't measure. Find out which AI platforms currently recommend your business — and which recommend your competitors instead.
- Get listed where AI looks. Foursquare, Google Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific directories. AI tools pull from these sources, not from Google search rankings.
- Make your information consistent. Same business name, address, phone number, and description everywhere. Inconsistency confuses AI models and reduces your chances of being recommended.
- Keep your presence active. Respond to reviews, update your listings, post regularly. AI favors businesses with recent activity.
- Start tracking AI recommendations. Traditional SEO tools don't measure this. You need purpose-built tools that check whether AI platforms actually recommend your business.
Check your AI visibility now
The first step is understanding where you stand today. Run a free AI visibility scan to see which AI platforms recommend your business, which recommend your competitors, and what you can do to improve. It takes 60 seconds — no account needed.
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*Sources: McKinsey Digital (2025), Gartner (2025), Bain & Company (2025), Semrush AI Overviews Study (2025), DemandSage (2025), Similarweb (2025), BrightEdge (2025), Wall Street Journal (2025)*