Is your business ready to be AI searched?

‍As AI changes how we search and consume information, marketers must adapt now or risk being left behind, explains Vlad Zhovtenko, drawing on the experience of his company surfacing in AI-generated search

As a startup founder, I juggle multiple roles. One of them is occasional copywriting and research. It used to take up a lot of time, searching through articles, reports, and data. But AI has completely changed the game. Now, instead of web search, I ask questions, get answers, validate them, and refine the final output. At some point, I realized that in 2025, the only things I use Google for is directions and fact-checking. It felt like using paper maps in the era of GPS. 

This small shift in how I search for information reflects a much larger trend. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI-driven Overviews are changing how we find and consume information. These tools don’t just deliver answers; they curate insights, anticipate needs, and remove friction from the process. For businesses, this is more than a curiosity. It’s a wake-up call. The strategies that thrived under Google’s dominance are already starting to feel outdated.

The shift in search behaviour we’re witnessing

At RedTrack, we do a lot of analytics with our internal marketing team. Surprising, right? For a company that works with AI-powered analytics and automation, you might think this is expected. But bear with me here. Our platform is now being recommended by AI tools as an alternative to Google Analytics. This wasn’t part of any deliberate marketing effort on our part. We simply focus on creating high-quality content in our area of expertise. Nothing more.

Since July of last year, we’ve seen exponential growth in visits from AI chatbots to our homepage. We are also seeing a notable increase in customers giving “AI chatbot” as an answer to how they found out about us. Traffic from these services is now as important to us as SEO for Google searches. Just as with SEO, we need to strategize how best to leverage this new channel.  

From keywords to knowledge

Let’s face it: for years, marketers have churned out content that is designed to satisfy algorithms rather than engage readers. These posts were short, packed with keywords, and often hollow. And for a time, they worked.

But AI is changing the rules. It evaluates depth, substance, and relevance. Content that doesn’t deliver real value gets filtered out. It’s like having an editor who sees through all the fluff and says, “This doesn’t cut it.”

Here’s the key difference with AI-driven search: it doesn’t care about the SEO hacks we’ve leaned on for years. Keyword stuffing? Irrelevant. Short, generic posts? Ignored. AI favors content that’s insightful, detailed, and created for human readers.

Why? Because AI learns from the content it consumes. Unlike traditional search engines that index based on keywords, tools like ChatGPT analyze ideas, connect dots, and build a deeper understanding of topics. Shallow content simply doesn’t make the cut.

A glimpse into the future

Paradoxically, the most “artificial” intelligence is driving us back to something deeply human: the need for expertise, depth, and genuine communication.

In a way, we’re returning to fundamentals. Content that resonates, informs, and genuinely adds value is what stands out. For marketers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. Building trust and authority requires time, effort, and expertise - things we’ve often sidelined for efficiency’s sake.

Yet, one in five dollars (22.1%) spent on advertising outside of China in 2024 were paid to Google for its search services. However, AI-driven search tools are here to stay, and their influence will only grow. Consider this: within a year, 8% of U.S. respondents have already made ChatGPT their primary search engine, according to Evercore. 

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, over the past year, the contribution of Generative AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT, Co-pilot, and Perplexity.ai has grown exponentially. From modest beginnings in January 2024, we’ve seen a 525% surge in revenue generated by these platforms by August.

Search isn’t disappearing, it’s evolving. And as it evolves, marketers must evolve too.

What this means for performance-driven marketers

For performance-driven marketers in e-commerce and SMEs, this shift has profound implications. It’s not just about where people search. It’s about how they trust and engage with the information they find. 

AI generated search is still largely a black box, but from my own experience I would make the following recommendations for now:

1. Create content worth reading (and learning from)
   Stop writing for algorithms; write for people. Long-form, expert-level content isn’t just good for AI - it’s good for your audience. Focus on depth, clarity, and actionable insights that answer real questions.
2. Don’t rush to hire an SEO wizard
   SEO is by no means a dying art, but there is a new player in the game – AI chat bots that are scanning the internet for data. This requires at the very least a new understanding and a new flexibility, if not an entirely new expertise. SEO isn’t dead, but I think we are seeing a diminishing ROI here. 
3. Leverage AI without losing your voice
   Use AI to augment your efforts whether it’s brainstorming ideas, structuring content, or refining messaging. But remember: authenticity is what makes your brand unique.

Is your business ready to be AI searched?

AI search isn’t a passing trend. It’s a glimpse into the future of how we connect, share, and learn. The question isn’t whether it will change the game – it already has. The real question is whether we’re ready to meet the moment.

So, next time you sit down to create, ask yourself: Is this for yesterday’s algorithms or tomorrow’s AI? And more importantly, does it matter to the humans who will read it?

Because in the end, great content isn’t defined by keywords or algorithms. It’s defined by the value it delivers to both people and the machines learning from them.

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About the author 

Vlad Zhovtenko is the CEO and co-founder of RedTrack, the AI-driven analytics and automation platform for media buyers. He has been an active player in the digital advertising space since 2000, and has held multiple marketing and managing director roles in the industry. He co-founded AdxGeeks in 2015, which provided programmatic media-buying solutions through a white-label DSP SaaS program, then co-founded RedTrack in 2019 to make digital marketing analytics & automation more accessible to SMEs and to help media buyers to make smarter decisions and easily scale campaigns for revenue growth.