Winning AI Search: How To Optimize For Discovery In A Generative World

Forbes

2 days ago

Dani Nadel, President and COO, Feedvisor.
Gone are the days of traditional SEO, when ranking on page one guaranteed success.
Search is undergoing its most radical transformation since Google became a verb. That once-simple search box is now a generative system: anticipating needs, synthesizing answers and reshaping how consumers discover, evaluate and buy.
Today's AI search agents, think ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), go beyond serving links. They interpret intent, scan sources and deliver personalized, conversational answers that often replace the need to browse or click.
How Search Is Fragmenting Across Platforms
Google still drives nearly 90% of global search traffic, but signs of fragmentation are emerging:
• Younger Audiences Shift: Gen Z and millennials are turning to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube—visual, conversational spaces where search feels more organic and less link-driven. Google usage among Gen Z declined 25% compared to Gen X, signaling a generational pivot.
• AI Accelerates The Zero-Click Era: AI overviews now appear in over 13% of Google queries, pushing users toward instant answers. In 2024, up to 60% of Google searches ended without a single click; over 75% on mobile. This is no accident. Tools like Gemini 2.5, powering 'AI Mode,' are keeping users on-platform with synthesized, multimodal responses.
• AI-Native Platforms Gain Ground: By early 2025, 40% of U.S. internet users had tried tools like Perplexity or Google's SGE. ChatGPT commands an 80% share and over 500 million users. Gen Z leads, with 82% saying they use AI search tools at least occasionally.
• Search Becomes Mid-Funnel: Only 13% of shoppers begin with Google when they know what they want. Most use it to compare, validate or explore options, not to discover.
The Rise Of Agentic Commerce
By 2026, Gartner predicts that search engine volume will drop by 25%, losing market share to AI chatbots and agents, tools that answer questions and take action. Early efforts like Google's Project Mariner preview this world: Bots that browse, compare and purchase on behalf of users.
This shift fundamentally changes visibility dynamics. Instead of crawling and ranking pages, AI curates and selects what it deems the best answer. The implications are clear:
• Fewer Clicks: Instant answers reduce site traffic. Visibility must happen upstream.
• Higher Trust Threshold: Structured, credible and current content is prioritized.
• Intent Over Keywords: AI rewards clear, purposeful language aligned with user goals, not keyword stuffing.
• Performance Signals Count: Metrics like dwell time, conversions and reviews influence how AI weighs content.
Ranking isn't the goal anymore; being chosen is. My company's internal testing shows that selection hinges on clarity, structure and completeness, traits that help AI systems quickly understand and trust your content. These systems favor content designed for rapid comprehension: Well-organized pages with clear headings, concise bullets and repeatable phrasing that mirrors real user queries like 'What does this do?'
That trust deepens when your brand appears consistently across marketplaces and third-party sources. The more visible you are, the more credible you become.
To earn visibility, you need to earn AI trust. These systems are the new gatekeepers to discovery. While you can't game them, you can design for them.
How AI is Rewriting Marketplace Discovery
This disruption isn't limited to search engines. AI is reshaping discovery and shopping across Amazon, Walmart and TikTok, often before shoppers reach a search bar.
AI agents now surface marketplace listings directly in response to queries. Whether a consumer starts on ChatGPT, Google SGE or TikTok, they see curated product options, bypassing traditional in-platform search. And with tools like Google's AI Mode, agents can monitor availability, track prices, send alerts and guide users toward purchase decisions.
Marketplaces are not just destinations; they are sources fueling AI-driven shopping journeys.
Amazon vs. Walmart: Two Paths To AI Discovery
Amazon, one of the many marketplaces my company supports, and Walmart both recognize AI product discovery as the future, but their approaches differ:
• Amazon: Seems to be mostly operating a closed AI ecosystem, controlling discovery within its platform. From Rufus to product-ranking algorithms, Amazon's AI prioritizes first-party signals like pricing, availability and ratings, and auto-summarizes key product detail page details such as specs and usage scenarios. Success will require strong optimization across product pages, competitive pricing and campaign performance.
• Walmart: Appears to be betting on the open web. Walmart is making its catalog AI-readable and bot-accessible, preparing for agents like OpenAI's Operator to shop across platforms. Its strategy centers on cross-platform visibility through structured data, review syndication and influencer content that ensures listings are indexed and recommended by AI.
Both reward clarity, credibility and consistency, but draw from different signals: Amazon prioritizes internal data, while Walmart scans across the web.
How To Optimize for AI-Driven Marketplaces
AI ranks what it understands, what performs and what it trusts. Whether you're trying to rank for ChatGPT, Google SGE, Amazon or Walmart, the principles of AI-native content apply:
• Prioritize relevance and clarity. Use benefit-led, conversational language. Prioritize titles, bullets and descriptions that highlight key features and differentiators to influence both AI and buyer decisions.
• Answer AI-driven prompts. Frame content around real questions like "What problem does this solve?" or "How does it compare?" Mirror how users phrase queries.
• Design for AI comprehension. Use structured formatting, semantic tags, concise sentences and complete fields like specs, features and use cases to support parsing and analysis.
• Elevate visual content: Apply metadata, alt text, lifestyle imagery, charts and short, benefit-driven video above the fold to boost engagement signals. Well-structured visuals aid shopper decision-making and help AI extract information.
• Strengthen engagement signals. Post-purchase prompts and sampling to drive reviews. Keep Q&A active.
• Distribute influence off-platform. Support mobile, voice and off-site journeys that drive traffic to PDPs.
What Winning in AI Discovery Requires
AI is now the first impression. Whether through a chatbot, generative engine or voice assistant, your brand is being evaluated by algorithms before shoppers even begin to browse.
Winning requires evolving from traditional SEO to an AI-native discovery strategy, one designed for people and the AI agents guiding their choices. Amazon and Walmart are charting different paths, but both demand smarter content and sharper signals.
What you surface, and how clearly you communicate it, will determine what gets seen, what gets clicked and what ultimately gets bought.
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?