Foundations
AI Search
Search where an AI reads sources and writes one answer instead of listing links.
AI search is any search experience where a model retrieves sources and composes a written answer, rather than returning a ranked list of links for you to click. It covers Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, Perplexity, ChatGPT search, Gemini and Copilot. The shift matters because the answer, not the link, is now the product — and most AI answers cite only three to eight sources.
For a business, AI search changes the unit of visibility. In classic search you compete for a ranking slot that a user may or may not click. In AI search you compete to be one of the few sources the model reads and names, often before the buyer has typed any brand name at all. Being left out of the answer is a silent loss that never shows up as a drop in rankings.
AI search still runs on a web crawl and an index underneath, so technical fundamentals carry over. What is new is that the engine summarises and attributes, so the winning move is to be the clearest, most verifiable source on a specific buyer question.
Related terms
Generative Engine Optimization
Optimizing to be cited inside AI-generated answers, not ranked in blue links.
AI Overviews
Google's AI-generated answer box at the top of search results.
Zero-Click Search
A search that ends on the results page, with no click to any website.
LLM SERP
The set of sources an AI answer cites — the generative stand-in for a results page.
Conversational Search
Searching through a natural-language, multi-turn dialogue that carries context.
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