Deep dives into AI search behavior, brand visibility, and the future of digital discovery
Same Question, Different Answers: The Current Reality of AI Search Consider a consumer researching the optimal no-fee travel credit card. ChatGPT initially recommends Bank of America's Travel Rewards card. Hours later, identical queries yield Chase's Freedom Unlimited card, this time sourced from training data rather than web search. Later, the same question produces a third recommendation: Bilt's Mastercard Meanwhile, Google's new AI Mode consistently promotes Discover it Miles, citing the
Search is changing, again. In the early days of the web, businesses tried to get listed in Yahoo. Then for a generation, SEO meant Google optimization. Now we’re witnessing another seismic shift as AI-powered systems (both Google’s AI Overview and chat platforms like ChatGPT) transform how information is discovered and presented online. This shift is already underway. Between December 2024 and February 2025, ChatGPT saw a 33% increase in its user base, jumping from 300 million to 400 million u