With the rise of Generative AI, the future of search has been a buzzword over the past year. ChatGPT, the fastest-growing platform in history, has become the go-to place for users to ask questions and get quick answers to their hyper-specific search queries. According to a study conducted by UBS, ChatGPT has set a record for the fastest-growing user base for a consumer application, reaching 100 million users in just 2 months after its initial launch in November of 2022. As of May 2023, ChatGPT website reached 2 billion monthly visits.
Following the meteoric rise of ChatGPT, we’re beginning to see the emergence of what we call “answer engines” — large language models, AI systems or voice search technologies that provide a singular response to users’ questions without requiring them to click on a blue link. Consumers are no longer scrolling through search engine results pages to look for the right articles or websites that might answer their original search query; they can simply ask ChatGPT or Bard and get a response within a few seconds.
Despite search being the principal traffic driver for brands online (claiming around 50% of traffic for most companies), the landscape is changing. Traditional search is morphing into LLM powered answer engines. The likes of ChatGPT and Bard are now the preferred alternatives for many, including myself, offering a zero-click, personalized response rather than impersonal multiple choices. (we covered this here before).
This rapid evolution in search has left many marketing strategies lagging. Brands are yet to pivot their strategies to answer engine optimization.
Enter the era of AEO!
