Search behaviours are changing fast. With the rise of ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and the answers produced by Google’s new artificial intelligence (AI), AI Overviews, users are finding what they’re looking for without even having to click on a search result. For brands, this will lead to a gradual loss of organic visibility.
In this new “zero-click” paradigm, the game is no longer about being found—it’s about being cited accurately, clearly, and consistently in answers generated by AI. From now on your brand’s reputation will depend on short answers without clicks, without context… and often without your site. SEO is now becoming a strategic brand channel instead of a tool for performance.
This guide offers specific advice on how to understand this transition, adapt your content, strengthen your presence in credible sources, and raise your brand’s profile within an AI-driven ecosystem.
Online search isn't what it used to be. Before, you asked Google a question, you clicked on a link, and you landed on a site. Today, it’s a whole other story. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot answer any question, immediately. No need to click on anything. No need to search.
According to data from SimilarWeb (August 2024), the new AI assistants have recorded close to three billion combined visits. It's as if the entire population of a continent decided to use AI to get answers. Gartner predicts that by 2026, traditional search engine traffic will fall by 25% because of AI and virtual agents.
Since November 2024 in Canada, Google has displayed AI-generated answers above its results (AI Overviews). Soon, it will test a search mode with even more assistance from AI (AI Mode). In short, this trend is accelerating—fast. In concrete terms, what this means is that Google will show more and more answers generated by AI above search results, which changes the way web users access content.
Additional reading: Will Search GPT replace Google?
For brands, this is a major shift—it’s a bit like when Netflix led to all the video stores shutting down. There’s a lot of ink being spilled over this shift in the industry at the moment. The effects will be felt in digital performance, especially organic traffic, and even in the overall perception of brands.
What should you do to ensure people stay aware of your brand? Maybe a catchy jingle that stays in your head the whole day? (Shoutout to Mi-Mi-Mi-Mike at Rona!) How do you avoid falling off the radar when consumers don't even need to visit your site anymore and when traditional points of contact are slowly disappearing?
Welcome to what’s being called the “zero-click” era. Success is no longer measured just by analyzing growth in organic traffic. In the near future, what will count is being mentioned or cited in answers from artificial intelligence. Have you been cited correctly? And at the right time? Do you seem trustworthy?
This isn’t just a mere technological shift. It’s a new playing field. Now it’s about staying visible, useful, and human... even in a world that is increasingly being driven by machines.
Before, SEO was simple: You needed backlinks, good content, and a few well-placed keywords. Now, it’s not about that. AI models work differently: They learn by locating the words that often appear together. So now what matters is mentions.
When your brand is regularly cited—in a blog, in an article, on Wikipedia—it becomes more visible. It’s what makes you findable by answer engines driven by AI. What’s important is to have a presence in credible sources of information related to your industry, in the right place, and with the right words.
Before, you didn’t ask questions on Google. You searched. You clicked. You read.
Today, it’s different. People prefer putting a direct question to ChatGPT, their favourite AI assistant (Claude, Perplexity), or the AI offered by their employer (which is very often Copilot or Gemini). It's like asking for advice from a knowledgeable co-worker or friend.
It’s easy. It’s fast. And it will gradually transform the way brands are marketed online. These tools provide users with an immediate, personalized answer, without their having to go elsewhere. It’s practical for users, but what about for you? Less so. Because this means that you need a presence where the answers are (which is no longer necessarily on your site). The goal is no longer to be found, it’s to be cited.
Some people see SEO as just a performance channel. That’s wrong. It’s a channel that’s linked to the brand—or at least that’s what it’s about to become. Every time a user sees your name in an AI response, they will associate you with the answer. And if they see you a lot, they will trust you. It’s just that simple.
SEO isn’t just a matter of site optimization anymore, it’s about brand optimization.
And this is exactly where the idea of repositioning takes on its full meaning.
In this new reality dominated by instant answers, repositioning your brand doesn’t mean changing the logo or slogan. It’s a lot more subtle than that. It means learning to play by some new rules:
In short, your brand needs to be ready to be summarized, relayed, amplified—sometimes in just one or two sentences, without any context, and without losing its essential qualities. That’s the new standard. And those who already understand that will be a few steps ahead.
Read: The importance of investing in SEO during tough economic times
Large language models (LLMs) are trained using tons of content found online. They don’t read like we do. They count. Whatever gets repeated often enough, in a clear and coherent way, will end up becoming an automatic response.
Sites like Reddit, Wikipedia or the New York Times are gold mines for these models. If your brand is often mentioned on these sites, you increase your chances of appearing in responses.
Consider updating your Wikipedia page, if you have one. Pay particular attention to the quality of the content you publish about your brand, both on your site and in public places. Give AI information that is clear, useful, and easy to ingest.
But note that these models won’t regurgitate your content as-is. They’ll summarize and compress it. They’ll reinterpret it based on the context of the question being asked.
This will put your brand’s personality to the test. Tone, clarity, consistency... If your message is too vague, too generic, or too technical, it’s likely to get lost in the summarization. And there’s the rub, at least for most of our clients, because messaging is often too generic.
To remain recognizable, even in a sentence generated by AI, the storytelling has to be strong, your messages must be clear and consistent, and your identity needs to be anchored in everything you publish.
The database is static, like a snapshot taken at a specific moment. If you weren’t there, you’re invisible. Here’s a tip: If there are mistakes about your brand, indicate them directly. Some platforms allow you to submit comments.
These have the ability to perform a live search on the web, like a search engine that can answer you using natural language.
Tip: Improve your traditional SEO content, because these models often rely on Bing or Google to supply answers.
To appear in the results of an AI web search, your brand needs to fulfill a few requirements. A good brand mention is:
In the end, you need to aim to have your brand clearly mentioned (with information that is correct, positive, and properly framed) in contexts that are credible and visible.
AIs read Wired, Time, Le Monde, Wikipedia... but not necessarily your site. The more your brand is referenced in media or on sites that AIs “respect,” the more likely it is to appear in an answer. This isn’t free visibility, it’s brand placement with very high added value.
Answer specific questions from your audience. A good answer is short, clear, useful... and human. It’s not enough to just produce large quantities of informative content. The goal is to become a reference used by AIs to formulate a response.
Work on your FAQ, product pages, and “About” pages: They need to address people—and, increasingly, machines.
Invest in what AIs love most: perennial content.
If you don’t have any (or very little) content—such as a blog, media, or highly visible pages—you can still have a presence in AI-generated answers, at least as long as you get strategic.
Are you often mentioned in AI responses? And above all, are these mentions precise, clear, positive? Two tool-based approaches are emerging to automate this tracking:
Compare your share of voice. Are you cited just as much, more, or less than they are? This will give you an idea of your ranking.
Track visits coming from ChatGPT and the new AI-driven answer engines. If you are registering any, your strategy is headed in the right direction. If not, it’s time to change it.
Analyze your backlinks. Ask yourself whether these links are from credible sites consulted by AI. If so, develop those strategic relationships—through your communications or digital public relations team—to maintain a presence in the right sources.
Lastly, focus on what’s essential: Do visits resulting from AI generate qualified prospects? actual sales? If so, double-down on what you’re doing. If not, change your strategy.
Here’s a practical tip: For the question “Where did you hear about us?” on your surveys, add an option such as “ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, or Google AI Mode.” This will enable you to better track the actual impact of AI channels.
Optimizing your brand for LLMs isn’t just a simple matter of updating your SEO strategy. It’s like going from FM radio to Spotify: The goal of being heard is the same, but the rules are completely different.
What matters today? Clicks don’t matter anymore, it’s mentions or citations. It’s like when a journalist quotes you in an article without having interviewed you.
What is your distinguishing factor? It’s not about your Google ranking anymore, but rather the trust your brand has been accorded by AI... and by those asking it questions.
Your brand is now your SEO. It’s like having a digital reputation that precedes every question.
This new reality of the AI era is both highly promising and a little terrifying. You need to adapt fast, but without losing your bearings. AI is evolving quickly. Very quickly. And staying on the sidelines isn’t an option anymore. Now is the time for taking action, testing, adjusting. Without panicking. But also without stalling.
Where should you start? Type the questions your potential customers would ask into ChatGPT. Then Gemini. Then Copilot. Read the responses. Analyze them. Do they represent who you are? Are they flattering? Useful?
The good news is you don’t have to tackle this alone. We can work on it together.
To build your reputation in the new AI era, adviso can help you raise your brand’s profile, even without clicks. Request a consultation today.