From 'Google It' to 'Ask ChatGPT': Is Your Business Ready for AI Search?
Remember when 'just Google it' was the answer to everything? That era is ending. People aren't just searching any more - they're having conversations. And this shift from typing keywords to asking questions isn't just changing how we find information - it's transforming how customers discover and choose products.
While Google still rules search, new players are coming for their dominance. ChatGPT has grabbed 4.3% of search activity by October 2024. That might seem small, but consider:
Perplexity AI (conversational search engine) gained 15M users in just 10 months
ChatGPT Search is live for all users
Early adopters of conversation search cut their Google usage by 50-80%
Why does this matter? Because the path from "customer wants something" to "customer finds your business" is completely changing. The middleman is no longer a list of blue links - it's an AI deciding what to recommend.
Think about how people find products
Old Way:
Google search→ Click multiple links→ Compare websites→ Make decision→ buy
New Way:
Ask AI chatbot→ Get instant comparison + reviews → discuss specifics → Make decision → Buy
What This Means For Your Business
AI is becoming the new gatekeeper for how customers discover and choose products. Research shows that AI recommendations influence up to 35% of Amazon purchases and 80% of Netflix views.
But unlike the early days of SEO where everyone had a playbook to follow, we're in uncharted territory. No one has fully cracked the code on how to thrive in this AI-first discovery landscape. Companies that understand and adapt to this shift early will have a significant head start in shaping their AI presence. Therefore understanding how AI systems view your business is crucial.
Your 15-Minute Action Plan
Open ChatGPT or Perplexity and try these 3 searches about your business
What are the best [your product category] companies? Where do you stand?
Tell me about [your company name]?
Ask what opportunities your product/service has to be better.
Analyze the results. What is your competitive position? What's the narrative about your product? This is what your customers are seeing when they ask AI about your category.
The question isn't "How do I rank first on Google?" but "When someone asks an AI about my product category, what will it say about me?"
Those are my Thoughts From the DataFront
Max
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