65 AI in SEO Statistics for 2025

Like it or not, AI is here to stay.

It’s not a fad…not a fleeting trend…it’s the new normal. And it’s changing SEO as we know it – fast.

In this guide, we’ve collected and analysed the latest AI in SEO statistics for 2025, covering adoption, search behaviour, visibility, business impact, and market growth. Each stat comes with context and practical takeaways, so you can see exactly how AI is reshaping SEO and what it means for your brand.

The rules are being rewritten, and these statistics give you the intel you need to stay ahead of the curve and keep outranking your competitors.

Ready to earn your spot in LLMs with data-led insights on SEO’s next big thing? Here are the AI statistics you need to win big with organic search.

The top 10 AI in SEO statistics you need to know…

1. Nearly half (49%) of people still click traditional blue links after consuming an AI-generated answer.

2. Position #1 Google results see a 34.5% lower CTR when AI Overviews are present.

3. ChatGPT mobile app downloads increased by nearly 20 million between February and March 2025.

4. Traditional search still drives the most revenue, with 62% of SEOs saying AI search accounts for 0-5% of site earnings.

5. Branded web mentions have the greatest correlation with appearance in AI Overviews.

6. 25% of ecommerce businesses use AI to help write product descriptions.

7. 93% of marketers take the time to edit AI-generated content before publishing.

8. AI Overviews cite an average of 7.7 sources, while AI Mode cites 9.

9. On average, URLs cited in AI search results are 25.7% “fresher” than those on traditional SERPs.

10. 62% of consumers trust AI to guide brand decisions.

Search Behaviour In The Age Of AI.

Search isn’t what it used to be. From zero-click results to AI Overviews, user journeys are shorter, more conversational, and less reliant on clicking through to websites. These stats show how behaviour is shifting and why traditional SEO metrics only tell half the story.

1. 80% of users rely on “zero-click” results at least 40% of the time.

Zero-click behaviour (when people search for something online but don’t actually click on a result) is now mainstream, not marginal. Four in five users frequently find what they need directly on the SERP or inside AI-generated answers.

For SEOs and marketers, optimising purely for clicks is a losing strategy. You also need to earn visibility where users now stop their journey – think answer boxes, snippets, and increasingly, AI summaries.

2. 60% of searches are complete without users clicking through to specific websites.

The “clickless web” is accelerating. Most queries never generate a site visit, as AI and SERP features resolve searcher intent instantly. That makes brand presence within these environments critical.

Content strategies must shift from ranking alone to being cited, surfaced, or referenced directly within AI-generated answers to build brand awareness and qualify customers off-site before they’re ready to buy.

3. Two-thirds of consumers believe AI will replace traditional search by 2030.

Consumer expectations are running ahead of industry reality. If two-thirds believe search as we know it is on the clock, brands can’t afford to treat AI search as a side experiment.

This stat is a warning and an opportunity, at least for those ready to take action. It shows us that the companies working to build authority in AI environments now will control tomorrow’s discovery channels.

4. AI search is most popular among Gen Z, who default to AI platforms like ChatGPT for 31% of their searches.

For younger audiences, AI isn’t a novelty; it’s often the default. Gen Z are already bypassing Google in favour of conversational search. If your brand isn’t discoverable in these channels, you risk disappearing from the digital habits of tomorrow’s primary consumer base.

5. 42% of people report using generative AI for shopping recommendations and purchase decision support.

Almost half of consumers are already using AI for product discovery and decision-making. That makes AI visibility an ecommerce priority: if your brand doesn’t appear in these recommendations, you’re becoming invisible in buying journeys.

Now, what’s important to remember is that people aren’t necessarily converting after using an LLM or conversational AI platform. Most purchases are still made via traditional search, where users click “buy” (or the equivalent conversion event) on a product or service landing page. What’s changing is the process they go through to reach that point, as the middle of the funnel is fragmenting across search spaces.

6. Nearly half (49%) of people still click traditional blue links after consuming an AI-generated answer.

AI hasn’t completely killed the click. Almost half of users still head to traditional links after reading an AI response to verify accuracy or explore things in a deeper context.

That means the SEO funnel isn’t broken, but it is reshaped. Visibility now comes in two layers: being mentioned in AI results, and being the site users choose when they want to “double-check” the summary.

For brands, this is a crucial safety net. Even as AI absorbs more of the journey, optimising for credibility and depth can make you the natural click-through choice when users want the full picture.

7. ChatGPT results provide better user satisfaction than Google, likely due to the conversational nature of the search experience.

Early user satisfaction polling shows that ChatGPT is beating Google at its own game – not in volume, but in satisfaction. Users prefer its conversational, direct answers to the cluttered feel of traditional SERPs.

This is a serious signal for SEOs: relevance isn’t just about ranking anymore, it’s about how easily large language models (LLMs) can reshape content into clear, context-rich answers.

For brands, that means structuring content so it feels “conversation-ready.” Lists, FAQs, and well-organised insights are far more likely to be repurposed into satisfying AI outputs that help users quickly access the information they need.

8. One in three consumers hopes AI tools will make researching things online easier in the future.

Consumer expectations are shifting fast. A third of people already want AI to cut friction out of online research, showing how demand is outpacing current capability.

That sets the bar for brands, with new standards for anticipating needs. People are skim-reading, so content has to be frictionless, easy to surface, and structured for quick answers.

The winners will be those who feed AI tools content that makes user journeys feel effortless from awareness to action.

9. AI is accelerating the adoption of voice search, with users finding it easier to dictate longtail queries than typing them out.

Voice is back, but this time, AI is the catalyst. Conversational AI makes dictating natural-language queries feel intuitive, which means voice search adoption is rising again.

Brands should treat voice-friendly optimisation as part of AI readiness: think longtail phrasing, question-based content, and structured responses that are easier for LLMs to surface in increasingly personalised answers.

10. Position #1 results in Google see a 34.5% lower CTR when AI Overviews are present.

Ranking #1 isn’t what it used to be. With AI Overviews stealing attention at the top of the SERP, even the best organic spots are losing clicks. This forces brands to confront a harsh reality: traffic is gone and unlikely to return anytime soon.

But we have to consider whether this traffic ever had conversion potential in the first place. Let’s say someone makes a broad “What is X” or “How to Y” query in Google. AI Overviews now dominate these types of questions, but that traffic was never going to result in a purchase back when someone had to click on a result to learn the answer.

For businesses, it’s about knowing what matters and tracking that…not getting caught up in vanity metrics (of which traffic is arguably one) and losing sight of the bigger picture.

11. 13% of queries triggered AI Overviews in March 2025, up from 6.49% in January 2025, with 88.1% being informational queries.

AI Overviews are expanding at speed. In just two months, coverage doubled from 6.49% to 13.14% of queries, overwhelmingly focused on informational searches (88.1%).

That trajectory is the story: if coverage can jump this much in weeks, it’s only a matter of time before AIOs become a standard part of search.

For SEOs, this makes optimising for informational intent critical. Authoritative, well-structured content is your ticket into the AI layer of results.

Global AI Adoption and Usage.

AI adoption has gone mainstream. From developers to Gen Z consumers to professionals in the workplace, usage is climbing fast, and confidence is growing alongside it. These numbers reveal how quickly AI search is scaling, and why optimisation can’t be left for later.

1. The number of American adults claiming to have used AI for search is predicted to reach 90 million by 2027.

If you’re still in the “AI search is a fringe behaviour” camp, it’s time to rethink your position. AI is scaling at lightning speed across all channels, and search is just one of them.

With nearly 90 million US adults expected to use AI in the next two years, optimising AI visibility will become a top priority. The size of this audience means ignoring AI search now risks leaving entire markets untapped.

2. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of people report feeling somewhat or very confident about their ability to use AI tools.

With close to 75% of people saying they feel confident using AI tools, it’s clear consumers aren’t just dabbling. And when most people feel comfortable using AI, adoption will snowball.

That confidence puts pressure on brands. The expectation is that AI experiences will “just work,” and your content has to be ready to feed them credible, high-quality answers.

3. ChatGPT mobile app downloads increased by nearly 20 million between February and March 2025.

ChatGPT’s surge in mobile downloads shows AI search isn’t confined to desktops or tech circles…it’s mainstream and always-on. To get ahead of the game, brands and SEOs must treat AI platforms like they once treated mobile-first indexing: as a default, not an afterthought.

Month	ChatGPT Downloads	Gemini Downloads
October ’24	46,281,094	11,288,499
November ’24	42,525,317	19,617,189
December ’24	43,261,691	21,377,225
January ’25	40,599,434	9,633,321
February ’25	44,692,124	13,348,734
March ’25	64,267,938	13,920,165

Source: Statista

4. Nearly four-fifths (79%) of British professionals use AI to help them at work.

Workplace adoption is widespread, and that has downstream effects. If professionals are already using AI to streamline tasks and surface information, B2B brands in particular need to ensure their content is being picked up in AI answers.

The upshot? Visibility in these tools can now directly influence business decision-making at executive and C-suite levels.

5. IT, telecoms, and legal services have the highest rates of AI adoption in the UK.

Adoption isn’t uniform; it’s clustered in tech-literate sectors where precision and efficiency are critical. Nearly one-third (29.5%) of businesses in IT and telecommunications, and 29.2% of those in legal services, report already using AI, with around the same percentage saying they plan to use it in the future.

For SEOs working in these high-adoption industries, being cited in AI tools is a competitive differentiator. If you fall behind here, you risk losing authority in categories where buyers rely on AI for answers.

3. 15 million developers are already using GitHub Copilot to improve efficiency and output.

AI isn’t just reshaping search; it’s embedded directly in workflows, especially in tech-heavy industries. Take web dev, for example. AI has become a default productivity layer with 15 million developers leaning on GitHub Copilot.

The lesson for SEOs and content teams is clear: AI adoption isn’t optional. The tools shaping how work gets done are already widely used, particularly when collaborating effectively with development teams.

4. The United States accounts for 15.1% of ChatGPT users, India 9.4%, Brazil 5.3%, and Indonesia 4.0%.

AI adoption has gone global, but usage isn’t evenly distributed. The US leads, but fast-growing markets like India and Brazil are catching up quickly.

For international brands, this means optimising AI visibility region by region, as user behaviour in Mumbai may look very different from that in New York.

5. Over 75% of managers and leaders use generative AI several times weekly, compared to 51% of frontline employees.

AI use inside companies is top-heavy. Leaders and decision-makers are leaning on it far more than frontline staff.

For marketers, that’s significant: the people shaping budgets and strategies are most likely to encounter your brand in AI tools. Optimising for AI visibility is now a way to get in front of the boardroom, not just the browsing public – something B2B brands can’t afford to overlook.

The Impact of AI on SEO and Organic Visibility.

For the majority of businesses, this is where AI hits closest to home. Search visibility is no longer about rankings. It’s about mentions, citations, and appearing in AI-generated answers. The following stats show how SEO teams are adapting, what’s being measured, and which signals matter most for earning visibility in AI search.

1. More than nine in ten (91%) of decision makers have asked about AI visibility in the last year.

AI visibility is now on the C-suite agenda. When nearly every decision-maker is asking how brands appear in AI search, SEOs need answers. Reporting on rankings alone won’t cut it – you need to show how your brand is present in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and beyond.

2. Traditional search still drives the most revenue, with 62% of SEOs saying AI search accounts for 0-5% of site earnings.

Follow the money: traditional search still pays the bills. But while AI search contributes little revenue today, that’s exactly what happened in mobile’s early years.

Our advice? Take the current gap as a warning, not a call to battle. Early movers in AI visibility will be best placed to grab share as monetisation scales, but you don’t want to lose sight of current growth and revenue targets as a result.

3. Nearly three-quarters (71%) of SEOs have already adopted their SEO processes to account for AI search.

The organic search industry is already shifting. No, scratch that; it’s already shifted.

Strategy updates and tactical realignments are now incorporating LLM visibility and securing citations in Google’s AI Overviews, but this doesn’t mean they’re discounting traditional SEO practices outright.

Far from it, actually. With AI search optimisation still being in its infancy, there is little consensus about the “right” way to improve visibility in these spaces. What is certain, though, is the fact that the SEOs positioned to win are the ones who are prepared to trial new things, test intensively, and pivot where needed to keep pace with changes.

4. Branded web mentions have the greatest correlation with appearance in AI Overviews.

AI isn’t rewriting the rules of authority; it’s reinforcing them in a new context. The brands that show up most often in AI Overviews are the ones already being talked about and referenced across the web.

That makes branded mentions earned via digital PR more important than ever. They’re no longer just a ranking fact butogle; they’re a visibility factor for AI.

The message for brands is clear: if journalists, publishers, and trusted sites aren’t talking about you, AI won’t either. Consistent, high-quality coverage and references across credible domains are now a gateway into AI results.

For SEOs, this reframes digital PR from a “nice to have” to a foundational layer of AI search optimisation. Without it, your chances of being cited in AI summaries (and staying visible as clicks decline) are slim.

5. The most common metrics SEOs use to track AI search optimisation efforts are brand visibility and mentions in relevant answers.

Measurement is moving beyond traditional “blue link” rankings. The metrics SEOs are prioritising – mentions, citations, and visibility in answers – reflect the reality of AI search. Success is no longer “position one” but “position anywhere the AI answers live.”

When we think about this in relation to commercial impact (the North Star metric all SEOs should be obsessing over), it suggests a shift in user journeys and buying behaviours.

Brand visibility in AI-generated answers creates more qualified users, as the top and middle of marketing funnels have shifted from on-page to on-SERP. The result? When users do land on your site, they’re likely closer to the point of purchase than before.

6. More than one-third (38%) of business decision makers have already allocated budget for AI search optimisation.

Budgets follow priorities. When over a third of decision makers are already funding AI-specific SEO, it shows this isn’t an experiment anymore. Brands that don’t earmark spend for AI visibility risk being outpaced by competitors who are already investing.

7. Only 22% of marketers actively track LLM visibility or traffic acquisition.

This statistic shows us that measurement hasn’t caught up with reality. While most marketers are talking about AI, fewer than a quarter are tracking how visible their brand is in LLMs.

This blind spot is dangerous. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. And if you can’t manage it, competitors can close in and overtake with slicker strategies.

8. Ahrefs, Google Analytics, and Semrush are the most-used tools for optimising and monitoring the effectiveness of AI search strategies.

The toolset is familiar, but the use case is changing. Marketers are still leaning on the old guard (Ahrefs, Google Analytics, and Semrush) but applying them to track AI visibility. Expect a new wave of purpose-built AI visibility tools to emerge, and don’t be surprised if adoption shifts quickly once they mature.

A great example is Profound. This tool is a relative newcomer to the market, but it blew up overnight. With such uncertainty and unprecedented change brought about by AI, playing fields have been levelled like never before, and the markets are very much open for challenger brands to take centre stage.

9. Over two-thirds (67%) of SEOs believe the main benefit of generative AI tools is automating repetitive tasks.

AI is still being seen through the lens of efficiency. For most SEOs, the main benefit is offloading routine jobs like clustering, analysis, or draft writing.

But if adoption stops there, it risks plateauing. The real opportunity isn’t just saving time but redirecting that time into higher-value, more strategic work.

For SEO teams, that means reframing AI from “automation” to “acceleration.” Use it to get the basics out of the way faster, so you can invest more energy into creative campaigns, strategic testing, and innovation.

Oh, and if you’re a business with an SEO agency on your roster? Make sure they’re using this time to catalyse ever-better results for your brand.

10. 25% of ecommerce businesses use AI to help write product descriptions.

Ecommerce brands are already handing over the keyboard. A quarter of them are leaning on AI to generate product copy at scale.

But copy alone isn’t enough: if it isn’t optimised, fact-checked, and differentiated, it won’t stand out in AI summaries or search results. And, even more importantly, it won’t lead to the “add to basket” or “buy now” action we’re all hoping for.

11. More than one-quarter (25.7%) of marketers plan to prioritise developing authoritative content for AI citations in response to the impact of AI search on organic traffic.

This is a smart pivot. As AI starts to replace clicks, marketers are doubling down on authority content that gets cited. Think data-led guides, original research, and expert commentary.

Plus, with in-depth guides exploring topics in far more detail than an AI-generated summary can cover, this type of content pushes searchers to visit sites directly in search of the exclusive insights they need.

12. 84% of marketers believe AI will help SEO strategies better align web content with user intent.

Marketers see AI as a bridge to intent. Most believe AI can help match content more closely to what users actually want, so the pressure is on to create genuinely useful material. AI isn’t magic, but it will reward brands that deliver clarity, depth, and relevance.

13. 93% of marketers take the time to edit AI-generated content before publishing.

Raw AI output isn’t good enough, and most marketers (the good ones, at least) know it. The fact that almost everyone edits AI copy before hitting publish shows where the bar is. AI can accelerate, but human oversight is still critical for quality, accuracy, and brand tone.

If businesses think they can slash budgets and automate production processes entirely, substandard results and revenue disappointment will be inevitable.

14. Google’s AI Overviews appear in three-quarters (74%) of all problem-solving queries.

Problem-solving queries are where AI is most disruptive. With three-quarters triggering AI Overviews, brands risk being excluded from the journey if not surfaced here. If your content doesn’t directly answer user problems, you’re unlikely to feature in this new discovery layer.

15. Only 30-35% of URLs cited in AI Overviews also appear in AI Mode.

AI surfaces aren’t consistent. A third of citations overlap between Google’s AI Overview and AI Mode, but the majority don’t.

That means visibility strategies can’t be one-size-fits-all. Brands need to optimise for multiple AI environments, not assume success in one carries over to another.

16. AI Overviews cite an average of 7.7 sources, while AI Mode cites 9.

Citation volume varies by feature. AI Mode typically pulls from more sources than AI Overviews, making it harder for any single brand to dominate.

For businesses, that means you’re fighting for a smaller slice of attention in AIOs and a wider but thinner slice in AI Mode.

17. Over three-quarters (76%) of AI Overview citations come from pages already in the top 10 results.

The link between rankings and AI visibility is strong. Most AI Overview citations come from content already ranking on page one.

Traditional SEO is still the foundation, so if you want to win in AI, you must first earn your spot in the classic SERPs with tried and tested tactics.

18. Reddit, Wikipedia, and Amazon are the most cited sites on ChatGPT.

ChatGPT leans on a mix of community, reference, and commercial sources. Reddit provides authentic, first-hand discussions; Wikipedia offers structured, consensus-driven knowledge; and Amazon supplies product-level data.

For SEOs, the message is clear: AI search values variety. Success isn’t just about ranking in Google; it’s about making your brand relevant in the ecosystems that AI repeatedly pulls from.

19. On average, URLs cited in AI search results are 25.7% “fresher” than those on traditional SERPs.

Recency is rewarded. AI assistants prefer fresher content, surfacing pages that are, on average, a quarter newer than what Google shows in its top results.

For SEOs, this makes regular content refreshes and scaling strategies more than just a traditional ranking tactic; it’s a key lever for AI visibility and essential for cross-platform brand presence.

20. AI Overview coverage has increased rapidly in 2025, with trackers reporting up to 55% of queries showing AI-generated results.

Different trackers give different numbers, but they all show the same curve: rapid growth. Some data puts AIO coverage at 10% of queries, others as high as 55%. What matters is the pace of expansion, not the precise figure.

This mirrors how mobile search once grew – quietly at first, then suddenly unavoidable.

For SEOs, the takeaway is simple: treat AI Overview visibility as a KPI now. If you wait for the numbers to stabilise before assessing impact, you’ll be too late.

21. Two in five ecommerce SEOs believe alternative search or AI Overviews will have the biggest impact on how they do their jobs in the next two years.

Exclusive Digitaloft survey data reveals that 20.7% of ecommerce SEO professionals believe the growth of alternative search spaces, such as ChatGPT, will have the biggest impact on how they devise strategies in the next two years.

Pair this with a further 20% thinking that AI Overviews will be the single biggest factor shaping their specialism, and we can begin to see a clear narrative emerging.

Despite beliefs not being tied to optimism or anxiety, ecommerce SEOs are undoubtedly anticipating seismic shifts in the face of AI. The ones who win will be those ready to adapt, test, and iterate relentlessly.

Expert Perspectives.

AI hasn’t killed search, but it’s absolutely fragmented the top of the funnel. People are discovering brands in new places, where once they’d have clicked onto the traditional SERP results and consumed informational content, as one example.

We’re now seeing decisions driven by zero-click searches across AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other LLMs long before a user hits a website.

That means the old playbook (chasing vanity rankings and hoping for clicks) will not cut it alone. The winners will focus their efforts and resources on building websites that can be crawled and understood by LLMs as well as search engines (don’t forget some LLMs cannot render JavaScript) with authoritative, expert-led content and digital PR that earns credible mentions, then layer on tailored Generative Engine Optimisation to make sure those signals surface where AI is answering questions. If your brand isn’t being cited, you’re not in the conversation…leaving the field open for your competition to be visible.

Our advice to leadership teams is simple: keep your SEO foundations tight, invest in content that’s genuinely helpful to the people consuming it, build brand authority through PR, and start measuring visibility inside generative platforms, not just on traditional SERPs.

James Brockbank, Founder and Managing Director

The Impact of AI on Business Operations and Workflows.

Trust is the currency of search, and AI is already testing its limits. From frustrations with inaccuracies to cautious confidence in generative answers, these stats highlight where consumers stand and what brands must do to stay credible in an AI-powered landscape.

1. 82% of enterprise SEOs plan to invest more in AI.

Enterprise SEO teams aren’t just testing AI but actively doubling down. When more than 8 in 10 say they’ll increase investment, it shows AI is becoming embedded at scale.

This signals a maturity shift: AI is moving from an optional experiment to an operational backbone for large organisations.

If your team doesn’t allocate budget to AI tools and processes, it risks falling behind enterprise competitors who execute faster, automate more, and measure impact with greater precision.

2. Nearly half (48%) of marketing leaders have already invested in AI tools for their teams.

Nearly half of senior marketing leaders are already investing in AI adoption. This isn’t just grassroots enthusiasm…it’s leadership endorsement.

When investment comes from the top, scrutiny and expectations, AI ROI rise. AI isn’t a playground anymore; it’s a boardroom line item.

That means your role isn’t just to use AI tools. It’s to demonstrate tangible results that justify continued buy-in, showing exactly how AI adoption translates into marketing performance.

3. Two-thirds of businesses that started using AI have seen their revenue growth rate increase by 25% or more.

AI adoption is delivering clear financial upside. For most businesses, integrating AI has already accelerated growth.

That makes AI a proven driver of competitive advantage, not just a time-saver. The growth figures show it can shift more than workflows; it shifts outcomes.

If you’re pitching AI adoption internally, lead with this: it’s not just about efficiency, it’s about revenue impact.

4. On average, employees save between 4.7 and 5.4 hours per week with generative AI.

Even at the employee level, AI is shaving off almost an hour a day of repetitive work. That’s consistent time that can be reallocated across entire teams.

The scale of this matters. Across a department, those hours compound into hundreds of saved workdays a year.

For businesses and SEOs, the question is how to channel that capacity. The teams that use it to push ahead on innovation (whether testing more AI-led strategies or experimenting with new visibility metrics) will leave the rest behind.

5. Marketers save an average of 13 hours per week using AI tools.

AI is handing marketers back more than a full working day every week. Those hours are being clawed back from manual tasks like research, drafting, and data analysis.

But time saved isn’t value created unless it’s reinvested wisely. That free capacity has to go into higher-order work – strategy, creative, testing, etc. – not just ticking more boxes.

For SEO teams, the goal isn’t to produce more for the sake of it. It’s to use that extra time to deliver better campaigns, smarter optimisation, and clearer reporting.

6. Nearly nine in ten ecommerce SEOs have incorporated AI into their workflows, and this figure is set to rise.

Digitaloft survey data shows widespread adoption of AI tools amongst ecommerce SEOs. When asked about how they have used AI as part of their content planning or production processes, 72.9% said they had used AI tools for research, 43.2% for writing, and 36.8% for editing. These numbers stand in stark contrast to the 12.8% who admitted never having used AI tools at work.

Moreover, our research showed that this early adoption is on an upward trend. Across all use cases, ecommerce SEOs plan to leverage AI more in the coming years than previously, showing growing confidence and awareness about how AI can streamline operations effectively.

The Impact of AI and AI Search on Business Workflows.

AI isn’t just changing search results; it’s changing how work gets done. These stats show how adoption saves hours, reshapes workflows, and even drives revenue growth.

1. Generating website copy is the least-cited way business owners think AI will help their companies.

Reason for believing ChatGPT can help your business	% of respondents saying “I Agree”
Responding to customers (i.e. via chatbots)	74%
Summarising information	53%
Improving decision-making	50%
Translating information	47%
Generating responses to colleagues (e.g. emails)	46%
Creating content in different languages	44%
Fixing code errors	41%
Generating website copy	30%

Source: Forbes Advisor

AI isn’t impressing business owners as a copy machine. The fact that it ranks lowest as a perceived benefit shows that leadership isn’t looking for volume…they’re looking for bottom-line impact.

This perception highlights the rising premium on originality and authority. AI can churn words, but it can’t deliver the credibility or trust signals that audiences and algorithms both demand.

For SEOs, the play is clear: use AI as a helper, not a replacement. Human-led creativity and expertise are still what give content the edge that earns rankings, citations, and trust.

Explore Digitaloft’s content marketing services to see how your business could win with category-leading web content.

2. One in four business owners thinks AI will affect website traffic.

There’s already concern in the boardroom about AI reducing web traffic. With one in four anticipating impact, it’s clear that business leaders see disruption coming.

This highlights the growing pressure on SEOs to measure and prove visibility in AI search environments, not just Google rankings.

Your job isn’t to show where traffic drops. It’s to demonstrate how brand authority and mentions in AI answers can keep you present even when clicks decline.

3. 55% of business owners use AI to offer better customer service via personalised experiences.

AI is already delivering the goods in customer experience. More than half of businesses use it to personalise interactions and improve service.

This matters for search because AI-trained consumer expectations don’t stop at the helpdesk. If customers get fast, tailored answers elsewhere, they’ll expect the same when searching.

Ultimately, this means content must also feel personalised by anticipating intent, addressing context, and mirroring the clarity of an AI response.

4. 97% of business owners believe that ChatGPT will help their company.

The near-unanimous belief in ChatGPT’s value shows how quickly AI has moved from novelty to necessity. When almost every business owner sees it as an asset, it stops being a competitive advantage and becomes a baseline expectation.

This raises the bar for marketers: it’s no longer enough to “use” ChatGPT. You need to show how it’s improving processes, outcomes, and ultimately customer experience. Otherwise, you risk lagging behind peers who are already embedding it deeper into their business models.

5. Nearly half (45%) of people report that inaccurate or misleading AI-generated summaries are the biggest frustration with Google’s search experience.

Trust is fragile. Almost half of users are already frustrated by inaccuracies in AI Overviews, which undermines confidence in the answers they’re given.

For brands, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Poor-quality content won’t just miss rankings…it risks being misrepresented by AI. But authoritative, accurate, and well-structured content has a better chance of being cited as a corrective voice.

That makes brand credibility non-negotiable. To be the source AI trusts, your content has to be the source people trust.

6. Nearly two-thirds of professionals think that content quality and authenticity are the biggest problems caused by generative AI.

Scepticism about AI content isn’t new, and data shows it’s not going away. Professionals are worried that it dilutes quality and makes it harder to separate fact from fluff.

This perception matters because it means both consumers and search engines will put more weight on signals of authority and authenticity.

For SEOs, the task is clear: AI can help scale content, but it can’t replace the human edge. Editorial oversight, original research, and expert input are what turn AI drafts into content people (and algorithms) believe.

7. Over 50% of marketers feel under pressure to adopt AI to stay competitive.

AI adoption isn’t just about opportunity anymore; it’s about survival. More than half of marketers feel they have no choice but to integrate AI, or risk falling behind.

That competitive pressure is reshaping priorities. Early adopters are already setting new standards for speed and scale, forcing others to catch up.

This is a wake-up call for business teams: hesitating on AI isn’t a neutral play. It’s a decision to let competitors move faster while you fall behind.

8. 63% of Americans say AI-generated health information is somewhat or very reliable.

Even in high-stakes “your money and your life” (YMYL) contexts like health, most people are willing to trust AI-generated answers. That’s a sign of how deeply AI has embedded itself in user behaviour in the U.S.

For businesses in regulated industries, this stat should sharpen your focus. AI visibility isn’t all about reach; it’s about protecting brand integrity by being the source that AI tools rely on for credible information.

9. 41% of consumers trust generative AI search results more than paid search results.

Paid search is fighting an uphill battle. Four in ten consumers say they trust generative AI more than paid results, undermining the premium Google has built on paid visibility.

For brands, this shift means organic authority (especially in AI-driven environments) is regaining ground over spend. Investing in content and credibility could drive greater returns than outbidding competitors on ads.

If we think about why, the same logic applies to traditional organic rankings. Unlike paid results, organic visibility is earned via on- and off-page authority, high-quality content, and strong user engagement signals.

Whether it’s in Google results, AI Overviews, ChatGPT responses, or otherwise, establishing and maintaining an organic presence builds credibility in the hearts and minds of your core customer base.

10. 62% of consumers trust AI to guide brand decisions.

AI is gaining legitimacy as a guide for discovery and choice. With most consumers comfortable letting AI influence brand decisions, the channel is moving from curiosity to conversion.

That puts pressure on SEOs to ensure brand visibility in these moments. If you’re absent from AI-generated recommendations, you’re absent from the customer journey entirely.

11. Only 8.5% of people always trust AI Overviews, while 61% sometimes trust them, and 21% never trust them.

AI Overviews are being met with caution. Very few people trust them outright; most are selective, and a significant minority reject them altogether.

This hesitation means users often double-check information, and that’s where your opportunity lies. If your site is cited, you appear in the AI answer and become the go-to destination when users want to verify what they’ve read.

Market Growth and Global Trends in AI.

The AI industry is ballooning, with trillions in value projected and adoption patterns varying widely across regions. These stats put SEO into the bigger picture: global investment, shifting perceptions, and the long-term trajectory of AI as a dominant force in search.

1. The AI content marketing industry is expected to be worth $17.6 billion globally by 2033.

AI content is a fast-growing market. By 2033, the AI content marketing industry alone will be worth billions, reshaping how brands plan, produce, and distribute content.

For SEOs, this means the competitive landscape will only get noisier. To cut through, AI-assisted content has to be paired with human creativity, originality, and authority. Otherwise, you risk drowning in a sea of the same-sounding outputs.

2. AI search platforms currently drive around 0.15% of global internet traffic, compared to 48.5% from organic search.

Right now, AI search traffic is a drop in the ocean. But its year-on-year growth is explosive – up sevenfold since 2024.

This early-stage growth curve mirrors how mobile search began. For SEOs, the smart move is to invest now, while competition is still light, to establish authority before AI traffic becomes mainstream.

Will it become the dominant force in search engine optimisation? Who knows. But when the stakes are this high, you’d rather be safe than sorry, right?

3. Customer service and support are the most common uses for AI agents in business.

AI is finding its strongest foothold in customer-facing roles. Businesses are betting on it to speed up, personalise, and scale service interactions.

For marketers, that means customer expectations are shifting. If AI can answer their support questions instantly, they’ll expect the same seamless experience when searching. Your SEO content needs to meet that bar: quick, useful, and context-aware.

4. 35% of businesses cite a lack of skills and experience as the biggest barrier to implementing agentic and generative AI.

The appetite is there, but skills are lagging. Over a third of businesses admit they don’t yet have the expertise to make AI work effectively.

For agencies and SEO teams, this gap is an opportunity. Brands want to use AI but need guidance. Positioning yourself as the expert who can bridge that skills gap could be the difference between winning and losing clients in the next wave of adoption.

5. Business investment into AI is highest in the U.S. at $109.1 billion in 2024.

If you follow the money, it points to the U.S. With over $100 billion in global AI investment, the US market is setting the pace for adoption, tools, and innovation.

For international brands, this concentration means US competitors may move faster, but it also signals where the biggest early opportunities lie. If you’re competing globally, expect the US market to set expectations others will soon follow.

6. Globally, perceptions about AI are fragmented, with Asia typically seeing AI products and services as more beneficial than Canada, the US, and Europe.

Cultural attitudes matter. While Asia leans positive on AI, Western markets are more sceptical. That shapes adoption rates, trust levels, and how people interact with AI-powered search.

For SEOs, this means localisation is about attitudes as much as it is about languages and hreflang. Messaging and optimisation strategies that work in Asia may not resonate in Europe or North America.

7. Global understandings of what artificial intelligence is are rising.

AI literacy is growing steadily. In 2022, 64% of people said they felt confident about what AI is and does. That rose to 67% in 2023 and held at 67% in 2024.

This consistency shows that comfort with AI isn’t a blip; it’s becoming embedded in everyday behaviour. As more people understand what AI can and can’t do, their expectations for accuracy, relevance, and usefulness rise alongside.

For brands, this means no shortcuts. Users won’t accept vague, low-value outputs forever. To earn citations in AI search, your content has to meet higher standards of rigour, authority, and clarity.

8. The global AI market is expected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030.

The scale is staggering, and data shows that AI is becoming one of the largest industries in the world.

For brands keen to stay ahead, this means embracing constant change. New platforms, search behaviours, and optimisation demands will keep emerging. The takeaway? Treat AI visibility as a long-term, evolving discipline, not a short-term experiment.

AI Search Is Rewriting Rules, But Your Next Move Is In Your Hands.

AI isn’t coming; it’s here and reshaping search faster than most brands can react.

But here’s the thing…to keep ahead of the game, you need to double down on longstanding tactics – strong SEO foundations, authoritative content, and digital PR that earns credible mentions across the web. What’s changed is where and how those signals show up.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is the next layer. It’s about making sure your brand is visible not just in Google’s blue links, but inside AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and every other generative platform where decisions are being made.

Brands that adapt now will own the AI search landscape of tomorrow. Those who wait will fight uphill against entrenched competitors. If you’re ready to secure earned visibility on both traditional SERPs and in AI-driven search, book a strategy call with us today.

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Methodology.

Digitaloft conducted proprietary research when compiling this statistics round-up, surveying hundreds of ecommerce SEOs to ask their perspectives on various themes, including how AI impacts the industry.

We also surfaced insights from the following sources to enrich the guide and explore other areas relevant to SEO, organic growth, and how AI search is impacting businesses:

65 AI in SEO Statistics for 2025.