TL;DR: A recent McKinsey report has laid bare a brutal reality: traditional search traffic is collapsing. By 2028, an estimated $750 billion in consumer spending will flow through AI search. If you are still relying solely on keywords and ads, you are fighting on a battlefield that is already emptying out. This article deconstructs the paradigm shift from SEO to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)/ GAIO/ LLM SEO and provides four immediate strategic mandates to ensure your brand gets "cited" by the AI, rather than erased from the map.
I am James, CEO of Mercury Technology Solutions.
I’ve been analyzing a new report from McKinsey that has sent ripples through the industry. If I were to summarize it in one sentence, it would be this:
You are still buying keywords, but your customers are already asking AI.
Let’s look at the numbers to ground this reality: Approximately half of all consumers are already using AI search (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) as their primary entry point for product discovery, price comparison, and brand selection. By 2028, $750 billion in spending will be directed by these algorithms.
For brands that do nothing, traffic from "traditional search" is projected to drop by 20% to 50%.
Simply put: Google is still there, but the place where decisions are actually made is moving house.
The New Battlefield: Not just the Homepage, but the "AI Answer"
The customer journey used to be linear: Google a keyword, Click your Official Website, Check reviews on Reddit/forums.
The new workflow is conversational:
- User: "What is the most recommended laptop brand for video editing in 2025?"
- AI: Synthesizes a comparison of price, specs, and user sentiment.
- User: "Compare the battery life of the top two."
- Action: The user clicks one citation link to verify and buy.
This means the entire "long-form research process"—the phase that used to drive traffic to your blog and landing pages—now happens entirely inside the AI. Your official website has been demoted from the "Flagship Store" to a mere "Verification Office," visited only at the very end for a final stamp of approval.
From SEO to GEO: You Must Be "Cited" to Compete
We are crossing the threshold from the era of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)/ GAIO.
- Old SEO: Ranking your website on Page 1 of Google.
- New GEO: Convincing the AI model to cite you, speak positively about you, and include you in the recommendation set.
The most brutal realization? In many industries, brand websites make up only 5% to 10% of the sources AI uses to generate answers. The other 90% comes from media outlets, third-party blogs, forum discussions, and KOL reviews.
This validates what we at Mercury call the "Trust Layer". No matter how perfect your official website is, if you lack external validation in the broader ecosystem, the AI simply won't see you.
The Invisible Giants: Why Market Leaders are Vanishing
McKinsey’s research highlights a shocking phenomenon: in major categories like credit cards, hotels, and electronics, many market-leading brands are effectively invisible in AI answers.
Translation: "Just because you sell well offline doesn't mean the AI thinks you matter."
AI algorithms prioritize sources that are frequently updated, validated by real user experiences, and cross-referenced by multiple sites. If you have relied on static brand ads and a polished corporate website while ignoring the content ecosystem, the AI views you as a "bystander brand"—irrelevant to the conversation.
Four GEO/ GAIO Mandates for Executives (Start Now)
We cannot afford to wait. Based on these insights and our own GAIO frameworks, here are four strategic mandates for every leader:
Run a Health Check (Your "AI Share of Voice")
Stop obsessing over Google Analytics for a moment. Go test the reality. Use ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to ask 30-50 decision-making questions relevant to your industry.
- Which questions trigger a mention of your brand?
- What adjectives does the AI use to describe you?
- How often do your competitors appear?
- This is your true market share in the AI era.
Reallocate Your Content Budget (From "Owned" to "Ecosystem")
Stop dumping 100% of your budget into your official site and ads. Distribute resources to media partnerships, vertical niche sites, Google Reviews, KOL reviews, and forum discussions.
The goal isn't just to "say you are good"; it is to build a "Citable Ecosystem" so the entire web is generating the evidence that feeds the AI.
Write for Machines (Architect "Answer Assets")
Your content must be machine-readable. Use clear headings, Q&A structures, and provide hard data, specific use cases, and step-by-step guides.
This is what we call building "Answer Assets." Make it easy for the AI to parse, understand, and quote your expertise.
Appoint a "Head of AI Search"
GEO is not a project; it’s a capability. Future marketing teams need a role that bridges SEO, Content, PR, and Customer Service. This person is responsible for tracking the brand's visibility, ranking order, and sentiment score within AI engines.
Conclusion: The Official Website is No Longer the Front Door
The "Official Website" is no longer the front door for your customers. (But it is your Answer Asset) The "AI Search Result" is the new entry point.
The last decade was the era of SEO + Social Media.
The next decade is the era of GEO + AI Agents.
You can choose to move slowly, but you cannot choose to opt out. Because on the day AI begins to "place orders on behalf of humans," brands that aren't cited by the AI will effectively vanish from the commercial map.
Mercury Technology Solutions. Accelerate Digitality.
