On the one-year anniversary of Google AI Overviews (AIOs) on May 14, 2024, BrightEdge, the global leader in AI-driven organic search and marketing automation, released new research revealing that AI-powered search engines are not diminishing Google’s dominance. Instead, AI is driving a surge in total search activity, expanding Google’s presence and fundamentally transforming how brands must approach SEO and digital marketing in the AI era.
Insights from BrightEdge’s Report
1. AI Search Engines and Google Market Share
- ChatGPT’s search impressions grew 21% last month; Perplexity and Gemini remain smaller but growing.
- Google maintains over 90% market share despite rising AI competition.
- AIOs appear in over 11% of Google queries, a 22% increase since their launch last year.
2. Changes in Query and Content Trends
- Complex, longer queries increased 49% within AIOs, while ranking-style and comparison queries dropped by 60% and 14%, respectively.
- Impressions on content have jumped over 49% since AIOs began, but click-through rates have fallen nearly 30%, signaling a shift from clicks to impressions.
3. Industry Impact and Adoption
- Healthcare, Education, B2B Tech, and Insurance show the strongest AIO presence.
- Travel and Entertainment sectors are growing, while Ecommerce growth remains slower.
The New SEO Landscape: From Clicks to AI Visibility
Jim Yu, Founder and CEO of BrightEdge, notes the unexpected growth: “Search is not disappearing, it’s expanding. Google is being reimagined.” In the AI era, visibility now means presence within AI-driven interfaces, not just ranking or clicks. Brands must understand how AI interprets and presents their content, shifting marketing strategies toward influencing AI agents that drive buyer decisions.
Implications for Brands and Future Strategies
- Traditional SEO KPIs like click-throughs are less relevant; focus shifts to AI-driven impressions, brand mentions, and sentiment.
- Different AI platforms vary in how they cite sources and mention brands, complicating optimization efforts.
- BrightEdge’s AI Catalyst tool helps marketers unify visibility and sentiment insights across AI search platforms, empowering agile responses to the evolving landscape.
BrightEdge’s research underscores a critical turning point: AI-powered search is expanding the digital marketing ecosystem rather than disrupting it. Brands must adapt their SEO and content strategies to thrive within AI-driven search environments, focusing on visibility, influence, and presence across multiple AI platforms to future-proof their growth.
