By Deepak Mankani, Head of Search Experience, Merkle MENA
Search is undergoing a profound shift. For years, brands focused on optimizing Google’s traditional results-based model, but that model is quickly being replaced. As of mid-2025, AI-powered platforms are taking the lead, delivering full, conversational answers rather than directing users to a list of links. This transformation is happening on two fronts: search engines like Google are rolling out AI Overviews, live in MENA with Arabic support, and introducing AI Mode, which reimagines the search experience as a dynamic, multi-step conversation. At the same time, users are embracing these generative search engines for their simplicity, flexibility, and ability to deliver personalized, summarized responses, eliminating the need to scroll and click through pages of results.
The Bi-Fold Shift in Search Behavior
This shift is being fueled by two key forces: rapid advances in technology and evolving user behavior. Search engines like Google are now prioritizing AI-generated answers, minimizing the need for users to click through traditional results. At the same time, people are asking more detailed, context-rich questions, queries that traditional search engines were never designed to handle. In contrast, Answer Engines, powered by large language models, excel in this space. They can draw from multiple sources simultaneously, expanding their scope to include any available digital content about a brand or product.
The scale of this transformation is massive. Leading LLM platforms now process over 5 billion queries each month, and usage is accelerating. At this pace, generative search engines are projected to absorb up to 50% of traditional search demand within the next five years, redefining how discovery, research, and brand engagement happen online.
This shift is already reshaping how traffic flows to websites. Many brands are starting to see new referral streams from AI platforms. And this traffic is different. Users who arrive through AI chat platforms tend to spend more time on site and also view more content, suggesting that AI-referred visitors are more engaged and curious.
The Brand Narrative at Stake
For brands, the rise of AI-powered search poses a new challenge: a loss of narrative control. Unlike SEO, where optimization is centered around your website and known ranking signals, large language models draw from a wide and often unclear mix of sources. With no clear way to see or influence how this information is weighed, brands risk being misrepresented or overlooked entirely.
We are getting below questions from brands today:
- How can we measure the True AI Share of Voice?
- How do we know what’s preventing us from gaining stronger AI Share of Voice?
- How do we optimize our AI Share of Voice and sustain it?
This is the moment where SEO evolves into something bigger, GEO or Generative Engine Optimization.
Redefining Success with GEO KPIs
The KPIs of GEO go way beyond the traditional metrics of rankings and traffic. As outlined by industry insights, GEO success hinges on a new set of performance indicators that emphasize Share of Voice (SoV) and brand authority in AI ecosystems. These include:
- True AI Share of Voice: The % of brand visibility on top LLM platforms and AI overviews
- GenAI Visibility Index: The frequency and prominence of a brand being cited, recommended, or mentioned in AI-generated answers across platforms.
- Gen AI Traffic: The volume of website visits driven by users clicking links or recommendations from AI platforms
- Response Engagement: User interactions (e.g., time on site, pages per session, bounce rate) from visits referred by AI, influenced by AI-driven awareness.
- Competitor AI Share of Voice: The visibility of a brand relative to competitors for the same queries or topics.
Why Brands Should Act Now
The data is clear: users are spending more time and exploring more content via Answer Engines, and domains are already benefiting from this traffic shift. However, without proactive planning, brands risk losing their narrative to AI algorithms that prioritize whatever content is most accessible, whether accurate or not. By embracing GEO and the emerging Organic Discovery Optimization framework, brands can ensure their story is told on their terms, leveraging the power of AI to build trust and loyalty.
The future of search is here, and it’s conversational, AI-driven, and user-centric. As SEO transforms into ODO and Answer Engines redefine discoverability, brands that start optimizing for this new paradigm today will not only survive this transition but thrive, owning their narrative in a world where machines do the talking.