If AI provides the answer directly, won't traffic to my website die?

Not necessarily. While traffic for very simple searches might decrease, for complex queries, users use the AI's answer as a starting point and then click the cited links to delve deeper. The clicks you receive may be fewer, but they will be significantly higher in quality and intent.

How can I tell if my site is appearing in AI answers (AI Overviews)?

While Google Search Console doesn't have a specific filter for it, the best way to monitor this is by using third-party rank tracking tools (like SE Ranking or Ahrefs) that now include features to detect when one of your pages is cited in a generative answer. It's a crucial new metric to watch.

What is the most important action I should take right now to prepare for the future of AI search?

The most important action is to double down on your investment in quality and authority. Conduct an SEO audit to ensure your technical base is perfect and focus your content marketing strategy on becoming the most trustworthy and expert source in your niche. In the age of AI, authority isn't an option; it's the only strategy that will keep you relevant.

Search Engines with AI - SEOTopSecret

Q: Does this mean I should stop doing SEO for Google and start optimising for Perplexity or ChatGPT?

No, absolutely not. The correct strategy is the opposite. By optimising for the high-quality standards that Google's AI Overviews demand (authority, structured content, technical excellence), you are automatically optimising for all other AI search engines. Quality is a universal principle that all these new engines reward.

Q: Do I need to create different content or use special 'tricks' to appear in AI answers?

No. Google has been very clear that there is no secret 'AI SEO'. In fact, 'tricks' are counterproductive. The winning strategy is to execute the fundamentals of good SEO at a level of excellence: create the best content, demonstrate your authority through E-E-A-T, and maintain a flawless technical foundation.

For twenty years, the digital universe has revolved around a single sun: Google's search bar and its sacred list of ten blue links. The entire SEO, the entire content strategy, the entire online visibility industry was built on this immutable premise.

That premise has been shattered.

We are in the midst of an earthquake, a tectonic reorganization of how humanity accesses information. The era of “search and click” is being replaced by the era of “ask and receive an answer”. Artificial Intelligence isn't a new feature; it's a new paradigm. And it has given birth to a new generation of search engines that don't want to send you to a web page, they want to To be the website.

For many, this sounds like the SEO apocalypse. If AI provides the answer, who needs our site? But at SEOTopSecret, we don't see a threat. We see the greatest opportunity in the last ten years. We see a “great filter” that will ultimately separate the strategists from the tacticians, the value creators from the click collectors.

This is not an article to scare you. It's a map for the new world. We've taken an in-depth look at the 10 most important players in the new AI search battleground, from the giants that adapt to the disruptors that set the pace. We'll show you who they are, what makes them unique and, most importantly, we'll give you the Universal Playbook to optimize your digital presence and not only survive, but thrive in this new era.

What Makes a Search Engine “AI”? From Links to Answers

The fundamental change is behavioral. The user no longer thinks about “keywords”, he thinks about “problems”.

Traditional Search: CDMX hotels -> The user receives a list of 10 links and begins his own research work, opening tabs and comparing.
AI search: What is the best hotel in La Condesa for a weekend trip with a budget of $5,000 MXN, that is pet friendly and has good Wi-Fi? -> The user receives a summarized paragraph with 2-3 recommendations, a map and direct links to reserve, with cited sources.

To win in this new environment, your goal is no longer just to be a “blue link”. Your goal is to be The authoritative source that the AI cites to construct its answer.

The characteristics that define these new engines are:

Semantic Understanding: They understand context and intent, not just words.
Generative Responses: They create summaries, comparisons and direct answers.
Conversational Interaction: They allow follow-up questions and dialogue.
Fresh Data: They integrate information in real time.
Privacy and Personalization: They adapt the results to the user.

The 10 Most Popular AI Search Engines

1. Google SGE (Search Generative Experience)/AI Overviews

What is it? It's the direct integration of AI-generated responses on top of Google's traditional SERP. It's the player with the most reach and the one that will have the most immediate impact on your traffic.
Your Superpower: Ubiquity. You're in the place where billions of users are already looking. Its ability to combine traditional search with AI answers makes it incredibly powerful.
How to Optimize: Google has been clear: “normal SEO” works. This means a radical obsession with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust). Google's AI needs to blindly trust your data. Deep content, clear author profiles, quality backlinks and an impeccable technical base are non-negotiable.

2. Bing + Copilot

What is it? This is Microsoft's commitment, powered by OpenAI (GPT) models. Copilot is deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, from the Bing search engine to Windows and Edge.
Your Superpower: Creativity and conversation. It often offers more detailed and “human” answers than Google, and its conversational mode is very advanced.
How to Optimize: Bing values clear, well-structured content. Lists, step-by-step guides, and articles with an impeccable header hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) work great. In addition, Bing gives significant weight to social signals, so a strong presence on LinkedIn is an advantage.

3. ChatGPT Search (and Conversational Search Engines)

What is it? Although ChatGPT is not a traditional search engine, its ability to search the web makes it a direct competitor. It responds through large language models, allowing for very human interactions.
Your Superpower: The conversational user experience. It's ideal for explanatory content, tutorials, and complex problem solving.
How to Optimize: Your content should be such a good source of knowledge that it deserves to be cited. Reliability and data updating are key. The risk is that the user will be satisfied without visiting your website, so you must create content that invites them to go deeper.

4. Perplexity

What is it? It calls itself a “response engine”. Its main differentiator is the obsession with Citation. Each statement in your answer comes with a numbered link to the source.
Your Superpower: Transparency. Users can instantly verify where the information comes from, creating enormous trust.
How to Optimize: To appear on Perplexity, you have to be a citable source. This means publishing content with hard data, statistics, original research and clear authorship.

5. You.com

What is it? A conversational search engine that focuses on personalization and privacy. It allows users to “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to fonts, learning their preferences.
Your Superpower: Customization and multimodality. It integrates results from apps like Reddit and Stack Overflow, creating a richer and more diverse response.
How to Optimize: In addition to high-quality content, having a presence on niche platforms is key. Optimization for “rich snippets” and structured data is critical.

6. Komo

What is it? A private and fast search engine with different modes (research, explore). It places a strong emphasis on conversations in online communities.
Your Superpower: The social pulse. It's great for finding out what real people are saying about a topic on Reddit and other communities.
How to Optimize: Your brand needs to be part of the conversation. Having an authentic and valuable presence in relevant communities in your niche is the key.

7. Andi

What is it? Andi presents herself as a visual and conversational “search partner”. Present information in visual, easy-to-read cards.
Your Superpower: The user experience (UX). It's user-friendly and designed from the ground up for the mobile generation.
How to Optimize: Andi favors content that is visually rich and easy to scan. Articles with lots of high-quality images, infographics, and embedded videos have an advantage. An excellent experience on your own site (SEO vs. UX) is a positive sign.

8. Waldo Search

What is it? An AI-powered research assistant that focuses on academic articles and news to get your information.
Your Superpower: Academic healing. It is ideal for researchers and professionals looking for highly credible sources.
How to Optimize: Publishing well-referenced content, with citations to reliable studies and sources, increases your credibility and the likelihood of being included.

9. Phind

What is it? An AI-powered search engine designed specifically for developers and programmers.
Your Superpower: Technical precision. It understands the context of the code and can generate functional examples.
How to Optimize: If your business targets developers, your content must be technically flawless. Publishing on technical blogs and having repositories on GitHub are the best ways to be a source for Phind.

10. Brave Search

What is it? A separate browser with its own search engine and an integrated AI assistant (Leo AI).
Your Superpower: Privacy. It blocks ads and trackers by default, offering a faster and more private search experience.
How to Optimize: By having its own index, Brave values original and high-quality content. The fundamentals of SEO (good content, clear structure, site speed) are key.

The New Search Ecosystem with AI

AI Engine	What It Offers	Key Advantages	Challenges
Google SGE (Search Generative Experience)	Generates comprehensive answers, combines formats (text, images, maps), and understands conversational context.	Massive reach, user trust, and deep integration with the Google ecosystem.	Requires extremely clear, well-structured content; faces high competition; need to avoid overly promotional copy.
Bing + Copilot	Beyond traditional search, it incorporates conversational assistants, creativity, and visual elements.	An edge for reaching the Microsoft/Edge audience; can be less saturated than Google.	Lower market share may limit traffic; its new tools are still evolving.
ChatGPT Search / Conversational Search	Answers via large language models; allows for follow-ups, clarifications, and more human-like interactions.	Excellent user experience; ideal for explanatory content, tutorials, and FAQs.	Potential for unreliability in some answers; may rely on data that isn't always up-to-date; risk of users not visiting your site.
Perplexity	Combines summaries with reliable sources, a conversational interface, and options for deeper dives.	Great for research and curious users; offers good opportunities to capture interest before the 'answer is final'.	Requires content with clear sources and hard data to be cited.
You.com	Personalised search with a focus on privacy and less intrusive advertising; clean interface.	Appeals to users concerned with privacy and experience; ideal for specific niches.	Less potential traffic; fewer available analytics tools compared to major engines.
Komo	Different modes (explore, research), generated answers; minimalist design.	Useful for creative topics, research, and inspiration; can capture less transactional searches.	Less mature platform; reduced visibility compared to the giants.
Andi	Conversation + search; different visual styles; emphasis on user experience.	Performs well on complex questions; an opportunity to stand out with unique content formats.	Data freshness; need to create valuable content that encourages interaction.

You don't need a different strategy for each engine. The good news is that all of these new players, in their search for the perfect answer, are converging on the same principles of quality. Optimizing for one is optimizing for all.

This is our universal playbook:

Build Radical Authority (E-E-A-T to the Maximum): AI is a reputation machine. He needs to trust you. This means content written by experts, clear author profiles, quality backlinks, and a brand with a strong reputation.
Create “Consumable by AI” Content: Make the job easy for the machine. It uses a clear heading structure (H1, H2), answers questions directly (FAQ format), uses lists and tables, and implements structured data (Schema) to give it a unique context.
Adopt Conversational SEO: People no longer search with robotic keywords. They ask. Your content should reflect this, answering the questions your audience actually asks themselves, using natural language.
Become a Primary Source: The surest way to be quoted is to create original knowledge. Publish your own studies, surveys and data analysis. Give AI something it can't find anywhere else.
Technical Excellence as a Sign of Trust: A fast site (with good Core Web Vitals), secure (HTTPS) and perfectly optimized for mobile isn't just a good SEO practice; it's a sign that you're a professional and reliable business.
Multimedia Optimization: It integrates well-optimized images, videos and graphics (alt, descriptions, load times) to improve the experience.

The Future of SEO Is to Be Inevitably Useful

The future of SEO is already permeated by AI. It's not just about adapting, it's about anticipating. It's about generating content that doesn't just appear in traditional rankings, but shines in generated responses, conversational searches and voice assistants.

At SEOTopSecret, we believe that the key will be quality, freshness, user orientation and a clear structure. If you do it right, you can not only survive change, but turn it into a competitive advantage.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does it mean that I should stop doing SEO for Google and start optimizing for Perplexity or ChatGPT?‍

No, not at all. The right strategy is exactly the opposite. Google remains the dominant player with more than 90% of the market. The good news is that, by optimizing for the high quality standards that Google AI Overviews demand (authority, structured content, technical excellence), you're automatically optimizing for all other AI search engines. Quality is a universal principle that all these new engines reward.

2. If AI gives the answer directly, won't traffic to my website die?‍

It's the industry's big question. While traffic for very simple searches (“what is the capital of France”) may decrease, Google has observed that for complex queries, users use the AI Overview as a starting point and then click on the links mentioned to learn more. The clicks you receive may be fewer, but they will be of a significantly higher quality, from more informed and more intentional users.

3. Do I need to create different content or use special “tricks” to appear in AI responses?‍

No. Google has been very clear that there is no such thing as a secret “AI SEO”. “Tricks” are, in fact, the fastest way to be ignored by AI, which seeks trust above all else. The winning strategy is to execute the fundamentals of good SEO at a level of excellence: creating the best content in your industry, demonstrating your authority through E-E-A-T and have an impeccable technical base.

4. How can I know if my site is showing up in AI Overviews?‍

Although Google Search Console does not offer a specific filter for AI Overviews traffic (it groups it into “Web”), the best way to monitor it is to use third-party ranking tracking tools (such as SE Ranking or Ahrefs) that already include the functionality to detect when one of your pages is cited in a generative response. It's a new and crucial metric that every strategist should keep an eye on.

5. What's the most important action I need to take right now to prepare for the future of AI search?‍

The most important action is double your investment in quality and authority. Make a SEO audit to ensure that your technical base is perfect, analyze your competition to find content gaps, and focus your strategy on content marketing in becoming the most reliable and expert source in your niche. In the age of AI, authority isn't an option, it's the only strategy that will keep you relevant.