AI is changing the search game, but paid still wins the last click

The way people search is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. Until recently, the typical user journey started with a search engine, followed a path of blue links, and eventually landed on a product page or brand website. But with the rise of generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and platforms like Perplexity, users are increasingly beginning their journeys in conversational, exploratory environments.