Navigating the New Era of AI Search

July 8, 2025

Brainlabs
Search is no longer just about websites and rankings—it’s about visibility across platforms, formats, and algorithms. As AI reshapes how users ask questions and how engines deliver answers, SEO must evolve from a technical function into a strategic, organization-wide capability. This report lays out what today’s SEOs—and tomorrow’s digital leaders—need to know to stay ahead in a world of AI Overviews, conversational search, and platform-fragmented influence.

TL;DR Overview

AI is redefining the rules of search—and with it, the role of SEO. Google’s AI Overviews, AI Mode, and tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are shifting user behavior, collapsing the traditional search funnel, and surfacing answers directly from multi-modal content. This report unpacks what it takes to remain visible when clicks aren’t guaranteed, brand trust is earned across platforms, and structured, authentic content wins. It offers a practical roadmap for aligning SEO with audience behavior, integrating across teams, optimizing for AI-driven discovery, and using real intelligence—not just artificial—to lead in this new era of search.

Lead authors

Derek Hobson

Senior Director, SEO

Travis Tallent

Managing Director, Site Experience (SEO & CRO)

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Dan Jerome

Job Title
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