The shift to AI answers is the biggest change in how buyers discover brands since search itself. A few numbers that frame why AI visibility matters in 2026:
Roughly a third of US searchers now use generative AI search, and Google AI Overviews appear on a majority of searches — meaning many buying questions are answered without a single blue link clicked.
AI-visibility / GEO tooling raised $300M+ in the past year as brands scramble to be cited by AI. The brands that show up in AI answers capture demand at the exact moment of decision.