Introduction: The Dawn of a New Search Era

In 2023, Gartner predicted[^1] that by 2028, brands’ organic search traffic will decrease by 50% or more due to generative AI-powered search. But everything is happening faster, and some popular websites already see up to 75% reduction in clicks!

“Googling Is for Old People” noted the Wall Street Journal[^2] in 2024, claiming that the younger generation relies more on ChatGPT than on Google. A year later, as of September 2025, ChatGPT website doubled its popularity receiving almost six billion monthly visitors (equal to the monthly visits of Bing and Amazon combined![^3]) and continues to grow. While Google is still getting more than ten times more visitors and it has also joined the AI revolution and provides AI-generated summaries for searches in more than 200 countries and territories[^4].

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a fundamental transformation of how information is sought, processed, and delivered, and AI integrated with web search represents a natural evolution.

In this guide, I share insights from extensive, continuous analysis and monitoring of how various AI tools behave, exploring the future of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). We will dive into what AI-driven search truly means, how it works, its current impact, and most importantly, how you can adapt your strategies to thrive.

Please note that this book focuses more on AI-native platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) than on AI-enhanced traditional search (Google, Bing).

This guide is specifically tailored for digital marketers, content strategists and SEO specialists who need actionable strategies to adapt swiftly to the rapidly expanding territory of AI search. This book also distinguishes itself by focusing not just on the “what” but also on the “why” and “how”, connecting the underlying AI mechanics directly to actionable SEO strategies and practical implementation checklists.