Businesses aren’t waiting for AI to take over search – 85.7% are investing in AI SEO, and 61.2% plan to spend more on SEO, survey finds.

Identify traffic-stealing competitors Find untapped keyword opportunities Create content that ranks higher sel logo search icon SEO » Article Share Nearly 90% of businesses are worried about losing organic visibility as AI transforms how people find information, according to a new survey by Ann Smarty. Why we care . The shift from search results to AI-generated answers seems to be happening faster than many expected, threatening the foundation of how companies are found online and drive sales.

AI is changing the customer journey and forcing an SEO evolution. By the numbers . Most prefer to keep the “SEO” label – with “SEO for AI” (49%) and “GEO” (41%) emerging as leading terms for this new discipline. Brand over clicks .

This development reflects ongoing changes in how search engines evaluate and rank content, with implications for organic visibility strategies.

Three in four businesses (75.5%) said their top priority is brand visibility in AI-generated answers – even when there’s no link back to their site. Top concerns.

“Not being able to get my business found online” ranked as the biggest fear, followed by the total loss of organic search and loss of traffic attribution. About the survey . Smarty surveyed 300+ in-house marketers and business owners, mostly from medium and enterprise companies, with nearly half representing ecommerce brands. Yes, but.

Key points

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  • Most prefer to keep the “SEO” label – with “SEO for AI” (49%) and “GEO” (41%) emerging as leading terms for this new discipline.
  • The company headquarters is 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2475, Boston, MA USA 02199.

Why it matters: Could influence rankings, visibility, or content strategy decisions.

Source: Search Engine Land

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