#ai-search

#ai-search

AI search builds on the same signals that support traditional SEO, but adds additional layers, especially in satisfying intent. Many LLMs rely on data grounded in the Bing index or other search indexes, and they evaluate not only how content is indexed but how clearly each page satisfies the intent behind a query. When several pages repeat the same information, those intent signals become harder for AI systems to interpret, reducing the likelihood that the correct version will be selected or summarized.

It's increasingly important for publishers to understand when, how and why their content is being used as a source inside AI tools and platforms (often without attribution or traffic). The search landscape has changed exponentially this year, as more people turn to AI tools and platforms like ChatGPT to get information. And though referral traffic from AI platforms is still minuscule, many publishers are starting to track where they are cited in AI-generated responses to users' queries.

Unlike earlier search engines that primarily matched strings of text, AI search engines interpret the meaning behind the query, allowing for more accurate and relevant results. Examples of AI search engines include Google's recent AI integrations , Microsoft Bing's AI enhancements, and specialized platforms employing AI to tailor search results based on user behavior and preferences. These engines dynamically learn and improve their algorithms to respond more intelligently over time, a capability traditional search lacks.

There is a persistent myth of objectivity around AI, perhaps because people assume that once the systems are deployed, they can function without any human intervention. In reality, developers constantly tweak and refine algorithms with subjective decisions about which results are more relevant or appropriate. Moreover, the immense corpus of data that machine learning models train on can also be polluted.

It's never been easier to ditch Google search. Just ask Mohamed Mura, a 37-year-old professional based in London, who began pulling back from the search engine during the pandemic. Instead of typing into Google, he turned to TikTok for questions like "how to change a watch band." With the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, Mura's Google usage dropped further. He said the AI chatbot felt like a "second brain or agent" he could bounce ideas off of.

Adobe Inc. is nearing a deal to buy the marketing software company Semrush Holdings Inc. for $1.9 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported, a takeover that would mark its first since the failed $20 billion acquisition of Figma Inc. in 2022. Adobe is set to pay $12 a share for Semrush, which had a market value of a little over $1 billion as of Tuesday, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Semrush shares surged 71% in premarket trading to $11.55.

Apparently, the new it product for agencies is to offer tools and services that help brands understand how they appear in "zero-click" AI-driven search. These tools are hard to resist. What brand doesn't want to know what LLMs are saying about it? For example, many brands who signed up for one such tool, called Lorelight, were looking to improve how they rank and are described by AI search engines. "They basically wanted a secret hack that would suddenly allow them to rank in ChatGPT,"

It's been accepted wisdom that traditional publishers play a pivotal role in the digital media landscape, with standout editorial content serving as a rich source of premium inventory for advertisers. But that view is increasingly being challenged by the growing impact of AI search, whether it's Perplexity, ChatGPT, or Google AI Overviews. Only last month, Google expanded AI mode to more than 40 new countries and 35 new languages.

Are you still using Snapchat? It's the social media app that keeps on kicking, to the tune of more than 900 million monthly active users. Today, Perplexity.AI and Snap announced that the AI company will power AI search on Snapchat. This $400 million partnership means the AI startup will integrate its conversational AI answer engine in the Snapchat app, starting in early 2026.

Few technologies have reshaped consumer behavior as quickly as ChatGPT. Launched in November 2022, the conversational AI tool gained 100 million users within two months. It now engages more than 190 million people daily, processing more than 2 billion queries. OpenAI has released more than 20 updates to expand its capabilities, transforming ChatGPT into a dynamic platform that generates articles, code, images, videos and more.

AI search startup Perplexity has signed a multi-year licensing deal with Getty Images, which gives it permission to display images from Getty across its AI-powered search and discovery tools. The deal marks a notable shift for the company, which has been hit by allegations of content scraping and plagiarism, and signals an effort to establish more formal content partnerships. Perplexity and Getty have been working together for more than a year, a source familiar with the deal told TechCrunch.

Perplexity excels primarily in its AI-powered search capabilities but also includes many of the same functions found in standard AI chatbots. With access to multiple models, it can effectively manage tasks like creative writing, file processing, and image generation. However, its underwhelming deep research tool and the unclear details about which model powers its media generation features can be disappointing.

Its answer engine simply uses a different company's large language model to parse through a massive number of Google search results to see if it can answer a user's question based on those results. But Perplexity can only run its 'answer engine' by wrongfully accessing and scraping Reddit content appearing in Google's own search results from Google's own search engine.

For decades now, Google has been the unquestioned champion of search-our digital oracle, the first and last stop for every question, from "What's the best pizza place near me?" to "How many protons are in a carbon atom?" But here's the key difference now: while Google has started to incorporate AI with features like AI Overviews and the new AI Mode, a traditional keyword search is great for finding facts, but not so great at understanding context.

Pitch decks are slide shows that give investors and customers key details about a company's founders, its product, and its financial performance. "I just write a memo and I tell them you can do a Q&A and ask whatever you want," Srinivas said, referring to potential investors. "And anything else that is not internal data, you can ask Perplexity. Like, it already knows everything."

The way people find cannabis brands has changed forever. Search and social are no longer the only entry points for discovery. Large language models-like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude-now shape how audiences access information and decide where to shop, smoke, and spend. For cannabis brands and dispensaries, this shift marks both a challenge and an opportunity. Ranking higher and driving more sales now means thinking beyond basic SEO.