McKinsey warns that as generative engines replace traditional search, brands must master GEO or risk disappearing from digital discovery
Oct 17, 2025
AI-powered search is already transforming how consumers discover, evaluate, and buy products. With half of all online shoppers using tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to make decisions, brands risk losing up to half their traffic from traditional search if they don’t adapt to this new reality.
Key takeaways
- The rise of AI search: Around 50% of Google searches already include AI summaries — a number expected to reach 75% by 2028. Tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming consumers’ go-to advisors for product discovery.
- Mass adoption across generations: McKinsey data shows that even older generations, including baby boomers, are using AI-powered search to guide purchase decisions.
- Decline of traditional search traffic: Brands could lose 20–50% of traffic from classic search engines as AI tools capture early-stage consumer research and decision-making.
- From SEO to GEO: Generative engine optimization (GEO) is emerging as the new playbook for visibility, requiring brands to optimize not just their websites but the broader ecosystem of content AI models reference — from affiliates to forums.
- Visibility is no longer guaranteed: Even market leaders may be invisible in AI-generated answers because only 5–10% of cited sources come from brand-owned content. Presence across user-generated and publisher sites now determines exposure.
- Four steps to win in AI search: Conduct a GEO performance diagnostic, rebalance content strategy toward diverse source types, structure and optimize content for AI comprehension, and build GEO as a core, cross-functional capability within marketing.
- The bottom line: The consumer journey now starts — and often ends — within AI-powered discovery engines. For brands that adapt, GEO represents not just survival, but the next competitive edge in digital visibility.
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