Press Review

What the press says about AI search

31 sources. 5 languages. One conclusion: LLMs are the new search engines.

Our research team curated the most impactful studies, reports, and articles published between 2025 and 2026 on the AI search revolution.

31 Sources

5 Languages

5 Themes

2025–2026

Theme 1

LLM User Adoption

SE Ranking2025

AI Traffic in 2025: Comparing ChatGPT, Perplexity & Other Top Platforms

ChatGPT dominates with 71% of AI traffic in the US. In France, ChatGPT captures 84% of AI clicks. LLMs now capture 13% of global digital queries — a revolution unfolding in 18 months.

ChatGPT = 71% of US AI traffic | 800M weekly users | 2.5B daily prompts

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Views4You2025

2025 AI Tools Usage Statistics: ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Perplexity, DeepSeek & Gemini

40% of Americans use at least one AI chatbot per month, with 20% classified as heavy users (10+ times/month). AI adoption doubled in just 6 months, jumping from 14% in February to 29.2% in August 2025.

40% of Americans use an AI chatbot monthly — adoption ×2 in 6 months

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Siteline AIMid-2025

AI Chatbot Usage Statistics mid-2025: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity & DeepSeek Compared

ChatGPT holds 59.5% US market share. Copilot at 14%, Gemini at 13.4%, Perplexity at 6.2%, Claude at 3.2%. Five players now each hold over 3% market share — fragmentation is accelerating.

ChatGPT = 59.5% US market share | 5 players each above 3%

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Business of Apps2026

Perplexity Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026)

Perplexity AI reaches 22 million active users, 780 million monthly queries, and a $9B valuation. Present in 238 countries with an 85% retention rate — the highest in the AI search category.

780M monthly queries | 85% retention rate | $9B valuation

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Theme 2

Impact on Google & Traditional SEO

SuperpromptNovember 2025

Zero-Click Crisis Worsens: 58% of Google Searches End Without Clicks

58% of Google searches now end with zero clicks as of November 2025. AI Overviews expanded from 6.49% coverage in January 2025 to 25% in July 2025 — a 4x increase in less than a year.

58% of Google searches = zero clicks (Nov 2025)

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Dataslayer2025–2026

AI Overviews Killed CTR 61%: 9 Strategies to Show Up

AI Overviews crashed organic CTR by 61% — from 1.76% to 0.61%. Paid CTR fell 68%. Position 2 lost up to 39% of its clicks. But brands cited INSIDE AI Overviews gain +35% organic clicks and +91% paid clicks.

Organic CTR -61% | Brands cited in AI Overviews: +35% organic clicks

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The Digital Bloom2025

2025 Organic Traffic Crisis: Zero-Click & AI Impact Report

73% of B2B sites experienced significant traffic losses in 2025, with an average year-over-year decline of 34%. HubSpot alone lost 70-80% of its organic traffic in twelve months — from 13.5M to under 7M visits/month.

73% of B2B sites lost an average 34% of organic traffic in 2025

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Semrush2025

Semrush AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google's Search Shift

Ads now appear in 25% of all AI Overview responses, up from just 5.17% at the start of 2025 — a 5x increase in 12 months. Google extended ads to AI Overviews on desktop in May 2025, accelerating the shift toward GEO.

Ads in 25% of AI Overviews (vs 5.17% early 2025) — ×5 in 12 months

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Theme 3

How Brands Are Adapting

McKinsey & CompanyOctober 2025

New front door to the internet: Winning in the age of AI search

Half of consumers now intentionally use AI search for purchasing decisions. McKinsey estimates $750B in US revenue will flow through AI-powered search by 2028. Brands unprepared for the shift face traffic declines of 20–50%.

$750B in US revenue via AI search by 2028 | Risk of -20 to -50% traffic

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Harvard Business ReviewMarch 6, 2026

LLMs Are Overtaking Search. Here's How to Adjust Your Online Presence.

A fundamental transformation is underway: AI is reshaping search in two distinct ways — reducing friction for users while dramatically increasing friction for brands trying to maintain visibility. Brands must completely rethink their content structure and amplification strategy.

63% of marketers now prioritize GEO in their 2024–2025 strategy

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IDC2025

Marketing's new imperative: The shift from SEO to LLM optimization

IDC predicts companies will spend up to 5x more on LLM optimization than traditional SEO by 2029. 67% of global organizations had already adopted LLMs in 2025. New KPIs are emerging: AI citations, brand mentions in LLMs, share of voice, and sentiment.

LLM optimization spending will exceed SEO by 5x before 2029 — IDC

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Brightspot2025

From clicks to citations: How brands should adapt to the new reality of search

Brands can increase their AI citations by over 150% through structured GEO strategies. 44% of AI-search users say it's their primary information source — above traditional search at 31%. Brand citations in AI responses are becoming a core performance metric.

+150% brand citations possible via GEO strategies

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Theme 4

Sector Data (Travel, E-commerce, Fintech, B2B)

PhocusWire2025

AI's new gatekeepers: How Booking.com and Expedia are hijacking the future of travel

Booking.com integrated its data with OpenAI's LLMs for intent-driven travel experiences. Expedia's virtual agents now resolve over 50% of customer queries. The central question: if AI assistants become the primary gateway, who controls access to the traveler?

Expedia AI agents resolve >50% of customer queries

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Flow AgencyMay 2025

LLM Optimization and AI Visibility for B2B SaaS

AI search visitors convert at 4.4x the rate of traditional organic search (14.2% vs 2.8% for Google). 89% of B2B buyers use AI tools in their purchase decisions, and 50% now start their journey in AI chatbots rather than Google.

AI visitors convert 4.4x more than organic Google traffic | 89% of B2B buyers use AI

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Previsible2025

2025 State of AI Discovery Report: What 1.96 Million LLM Sessions Tell Us

Based on 1.96 million real LLM sessions — the first study of its kind. 50% of B2B buyers start their journey in AI chatbots. LLMs cite only 2–7 domains per response (vs 10 links on Google), making visibility in those slots enormously valuable.

50% of B2B buyers start in AI chatbots | LLMs cite only 2–7 domains per response

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HeroHunt AIEnd 2025

AI Adoption in Recruiting: 2025 Year in Review

87% of companies now use AI-powered recruiting tools, primarily for sourcing (58%). AI-driven recruiting reduced cost-per-hire by up to 30%. ChatGPT and Perplexity are being used directly by candidates and recruiters alike for brand discovery.

87% of companies use AI in recruiting | -30% cost per hire

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Theme 5

The Emerging LLM Advertising Market

OpenAIFebruary 9, 2026

Our approach to advertising and expanding access to ChatGPT

OpenAI officially launched advertising in ChatGPT on February 9, 2026. Format: sponsored cards below ChatGPT responses, visible only to free and Go ($8/month) users in the US. By May 2026, a self-serve Ads Manager opened in beta with partners Pacvue, Kargo, and StackAdapt.

$100M in ad revenue in 6 weeks | OpenAI targets $25B in ad revenue by 2028

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Digital Applied2026

AI Search Advertising: ChatGPT vs Google vs Perplexity

The overall AI advertising market is estimated at $15–25 billion in 2026, growing at 35–50% annually. In the US alone, the market is projected to grow from $1B (2025) to $25.9B (2029). Google serves ads in 25% of AI Overviews; ChatGPT launched sponsored cards in February 2026.

AI ad market: $15–25B in 2026 | $1B → $25.9B in US by 2029 | 35–50% annual growth

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ALM Corp2026

OpenAI's Bold Advertising Strategy: How ChatGPT Plans to Monetize 800 Million Weekly Users

OpenAI targets $25B in advertising revenue by 2028. The analysis covers the non-intrusive format (sponsored cards below responses), subscription-tier segmentation, and ad-tech partnerships with Pacvue, Kargo, and StackAdapt. Google Search ad revenue in 2024: $175B — the gap to close is massive but the direction is clear.

OpenAI targets $25B in ad revenue by 2028 | ChatGPT = 800M weekly users

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TTMS2025

When Will AI Search Beat Google? 2025–2030 Forecast

Gartner projects at least 50% of search queries will migrate to AI by 2028. By 2027, massive LLM adoption will double PR and earned media budgets. The LLM advertising market could represent 10–20% of total digital advertising by 2030.

Gartner: 50% of searches migrate to AI by 2028 | PR budgets ×2 by 2027

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