AI agents are now searching for brands at a scale equivalent to one-third of organic search volume, according to a report released Wednesday by digital marketing company BrightEdge

But “truly agentic” AI is already going further than these numbers suggest

The report didn’t even account for the recent launch of ChatGPT Agent, which can browse the internet in a virtual desktop environment, capable of not just researching, but also booking flights or ordering pizza on your behalf

This marks a significant shift

Where Google Search was once the primary gateway to the internet, more people are turning to large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude

BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu explains:

“We’ll be able to match and research products and services at a level of detail that simply wasn’t practical before. The flip side is that what you see will depend on what the AI finds and prioritizes, impacting transparency, diversity of results, and accuracy.”

The change is profound: instead of wading through reviews and comment threads yourself, AI can instantly surface highly specific recommendations based on your exact needs

The Rise of AI Optimization

In the past, brands focused on optimizing for Google Search, competing for keyword rankings and backlinks

Now, the target has shifted toward AI optimization: ensuring your products are surfaced and recommended by generative AI platforms

This emerging field is called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

While SEO is about keywords and backlinks, GEO focuses on content structure, making it easier for AI to pull clean, concise, and accurate snippets that can be synthesized into recommendations

HubSpot notes that high-quality content, well-crafted landing pages, detailed service descriptions, and informative resources, is essential for visibility in generative search engines

But remember, “high-quality” is defined from the AI’s perspective, not yours

It’s natural to think your brochures and marketing materials are compelling, after all, they represent your company and livelihood

But just as Google did before, LLMs can see through generic “buy from us because we’re great” messaging

AI rewards clarity, relevance, and genuine value over hype

Conclusion

AI agents are rapidly becoming the new gatekeepers of brand discovery

The battleground is shifting from human search habits to AI recommendation algorithms

For brands, the challenge is no longer just ranking in Google, it’s earning a place in an AI’s curated shortlist

That means rethinking content, focusing on structure and clarity, and creating resources that AI can easily understand, trust, and recommend.

The question isn’t whether AI will replace Google as the starting point, it’s how quickly brands will adapt to this new reality

Thanks to CNet, article here, Hubspot article here and Brightedge research