AI has fundamentally changed how people search for and find information. Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT sparked a wave of generative tools in November 2022, search behaviour has been shifting from classic query‑and‑click to conversational queries where answers are summarised by large language models.
Google’s AI Overviews – generative summaries that appear at the top of search results – are already showing up in nearly half of searches, and their presence has grown dramatically since Google’s March 2025 core update. Longer, more complex queries are also far more likely to trigger AI summaries; searches with eight or more words are about seven times more likely to get an AI‑generated answer.
For brands, this is no minor tweak to the algorithm but a fundamental change to how visibility is earned. Traditional SEO tactics centred on keywords and backlinks provide only a superficial understanding of user intent. Modern search algorithms analyse intent, semantic relationships and credibility, and generative models draw on trusted sources to build their answers.
As a creative and digital agency that has been implementing AI since 2020, Now We Collide believes the AI search era offers huge opportunities for brands prepared to adapt. Below, we outline how AI search is changing, why it matters and what smart brands should do to dominate this new landscape.
AI‑generated answers come first. AI search isn’t only about bots like ChatGPT, it’s now part of mainstream search experiences. Google’s AI Overviews (formerly SGE) and Microsoft’s Copilot summarise information from multiple sources in a few sentences, often answering the query directly.
This leads to less traffic for traditional search results, the rise of zero‑click searches, and a surge in referral traffic from AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot. Brands that become trusted sources for AI will capture a growing stream of visitors.
Authority and reputation take precedence over pure optimisation. AI is more likely to cite a brand that is already being talked about across the web. Signals of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (E‑E‑A‑T) are critical. Brands that rely on generic content mills risk being ignored or even penalised.
Intent, semantics and context are key. Keywords still matter, but AI search analyses semantic relationships between topics to infer deeper intent. Informational queries make up the vast majority of AI Overview triggers, and longer questions that indicate complex intent are far more likely to produce AI summaries. Ranking will increasingly hinge on whether your content explicitly and comprehensively answers genuine questions.
Some marketers have interpreted generative search as the death of SEO. At Now We Collide we see the opposite. AI isn’t killing SEO, it’s transforming it. Search engines remain invaluable for discovery, verification and context, but the way they judge and display content is evolving. Brands that adapt early will secure advantages that latecomers cannot easily claw back.
The business case is compelling:
- First‑mover advantage: Brands that train AI models on their own data and integrate Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) can produce accurate, proprietary answers that resonate with their audience.
- Scalable content without sacrificing quality: RAG enables organisations to generate large volumes of detailed, brand‑consistent content, eliminating the old trade‑off between quantity and quality.
- Proactive market intelligence: AI tools can spot emerging topics and long‑tail keyword opportunities by analysing user behaviour and semantic patterns.
- Efficiency and focus: AI‑powered research and drafting free your team from repetitive tasks. This allows human creators to concentrate on strategy, creativity and storytelling.
AI search is still evolving. The features we see today will inevitably change, and other engines and platforms will enter the fray. The direction is clear: search engines are moving from indexing words to understanding meaning, intent and authority.
Brands that rely on outdated tricks or churn out generic AI‑generated copy will find themselves invisible. Conversely, organisations that invest in meaningful expertise, strategic content, authentic brand storytelling and responsible AI integration will not just survive but lead in this new era.