AI search is changing how people search and how brands stay visible. Users are now turning to conversational tools like Google’s AI Overviews to get direct answers instantly. Recent data shows that about 80% of search users rely on AI-generated summaries at least 40% of the time. 

Users aren’t just typing queries into Google and clicking blue links anymore. For example, with AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google now displays an AI-generated answer at the top of the search results page. Links still appear below these summaries, but they’re less visible, and users may not bother clicking at all.

Other AI chatbots are also replacing click-throughs with direct, conversational answers. Perplexity and SearchGPT, for instance, now include real-time web results and clickable links within chats. Perplexity already handles 30 million queries daily.

This shift is already affecting web traffic for many publishers and brands, especially those that have long relied on traditional SEO and high-ranking link placements to drive visibility and engagement. Reports say news publishers are losing traffic as generative AI tools dominate discovery. Brands are also losing clicks when AI Overviews appear in Google’s search results.

Traditional SEO strategies are no longer enough

This new reality is putting pressure on businesses to evolve. They can no longer rely on traditional SEO models focused on keyword queries and blue-link rankings. Instead, businesses need an AI-centric approach that prioritizes user intent, conversational search patterns, and how AI tools interpret site content.

Startups like Profound are helping brands make sense of AI search

As companies scramble to adapt, a new crop of startups is stepping in. Forbes recently profiled Profound, a startup helping brands understand how they show up in AI search.

According to Forbes, Profound uses synthetic prompts like “cheap football cleats” or “best phone for a teenager” to test how AI tools respond and which brands they mention. It connects to a brand’s website to monitor which pages AI bots crawl and flags any negative associations in AI-generated summaries. It even tracks sentiment to help brands assess whether they’re being framed positively.

For instance, Profound might detect that a brand’s product pages aren’t appearing in common AI summaries or that certain terms are triggering negative sentiment. Based on this data, it suggests improvements such as adjusting keywords, modifying page structure, or adding metadata to make content easier for bots to understand.

An SEO specialist at a major job search platform told Forbes that before working with Profound, “we were completely in the dark.” The company had no idea how its content appeared in AI search results. Now, they can identify which prompts mention their brand and how AI responses frame their data and blogs.

The startup appears to be gaining traction. Recently, the company announced that it now supports Google AI mode. Profound’s recent funding round also suggests investor confidence. The company raised $20 million from Kleiner Perkins, Nvidia, and Khosla Ventures, pushing its valuation past $100 million.

Athena and Bluefish AI are also jumping into the AI SEO space

Profound isn’t alone in this space. Athena, founded by former DeepMind researcher Andrew Yan, has developed its own AI engine. It tracks how brands show up across different AI-generated responses. Forbes reports that the tool helps brands measure how often they’re mentioned, what sources influence AI responses, and which referral paths increase their visibility.

Bluefish AI, based in New York, is doing something similar. The company works with brands in travel, retail, and pharma, helping them track how they appear across Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Bluefish AI identifies the sources feeding AI engines, and Reddit frequently tops the list.

According to Forbes, Bluefish has already raised $5 million to expand its tools. This signals strong demand from marketers who want to stay visible in an AI-first search space. 

As AI-generated answers replace search links, businesses need to think beyond the search results page. They must understand how AI interprets and summarizes their content, and how their content performs in AI-generated prompts.

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