Winners and Losers in the Post-Google World 

With AI-powered answer engines gaining dominance, the old search paradigm is unraveling. By 2026, traditional search engine traffic is expected to decline by 25%​, disrupting not just Google’s business model but also an entire ecosystem of companies reliant on search-driven traffic, advertising, and customer acquisition. 


First-Order Effects: SEO Tools are Toast 

As search declines, businesses tied to search-based discovery and traffic monetization face irrelevance unless they can adapt. 

1. SEO and Analytics Tools 
  • SEMrush and Ahrefs: Once essential for keyword research and traffic analysis, these platforms must pivot toward "Answer Engine Optimization" (AEO), focusing on structured data markup and authority-based ranking rather than traditional keyword tracking​. 
  • Moz: With traditional SEO metrics losing relevance, companies specializing in domain authority and backlink strategies must rethink their value propositions​.
2. Website Infrastructure and CMS Providers 
  • WordPress Plugins (Yoast SEO): With generative AI reducing keyword-driven search intent, tools designed to optimize blog content for search engines may see declining demand​. 
  • Web Hosting Companies (GoDaddy, Bluehost): As websites see declining traffic, hosting services will need to offer new value propositions beyond traditional website SEO​. 
3. Customer Support and Knowledge Bases 
  • Zendesk: AI-powered chatbots are now resolving customer queries instantly, reducing reliance on external knowledge bases​. 
  • Intercom: AI agents are synthesizing responses from multiple documentation sources, minimizing the need for standalone FAQ and support ticketing solutions​. 

Second-Order Effects: Companies Losing the SEO War 

AI-generated answers are replacing the need to click through to websites. As a result, companies built on SEO-dependent growth are experiencing traffic collapses, lead declines, and revenue erosion. Some of the hardest-hit industries include SaaS platforms, content publishers, and digital advertising firms. 

1. SEO-Dependent SaaS Platforms 
  • ClickUp: Lost 50% of its organic search traffic in 2024 as AI-generated summaries provided direct answers to productivity-related queries​. 
  • HubSpot: Inbound marketing tools may become obsolete as 72% of users now get answers directly from AI, bypassing traditional blog-based lead generation​. 
  • ZoomInfo: With AI tools like Gemini synthesizing B2B contact data instantly, platforms dependent on search-driven lead discovery are losing relevance​. 
2. Content Monetization Platforms 
  • BuzzFeed: Once a digital media powerhouse, BuzzFeed's tutorial-driven ad impressions have shrunk by 42% in key verticals like health and finance due to AI content aggregation​. 
  • The Motley Fool: Investment and stock analysis sites are being displaced as AI-generated market summaries eliminate the need for traditional analyst reports​. 
  • Reddit and Quora: While user-generated content platforms previously thrived on search queries leading to discussions, AI-generated responses are cutting into their traffic and ad revenues​. 
3. Digital Advertising Networks 
  • Google Ads Users (Salesforce, Shopify, etc.): Companies using Google Ads are seeing diminishing returns. Salesforce experienced a 21.6% drop in lead quality due to AI-driven click reductions​. 
  • Taboola/Outbrain: Native ad networks reliant on referrals from search traffic face existential threats as fewer users navigate beyond AI-generated answers​. 


Third-Order Effects: Broader Ecosystem Reconfigurations 

Beyond immediate revenue losses, the rise of AI-powered search is reshaping how businesses approach digital visibility, content distribution, and customer acquisition. 

1. The Rise of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) 

As AI-generated responses replace traditional search results, companies must optimize content to be referenced by AI models rather than ranking in search engines. This means: 

  • Structured data and schema markup will become critical to AI citation and visibility. 
  • Multimodal content (text, video, and authoritative sources) will gain preference in AI responses. 
  • Real-time updates will help mitigate AI hallucinations and ensure content is featured in response generation​. 
2. A Shift to Alternative Discovery Channels 

With search traffic declining, companies must diversify how they reach customers: 

  • TikTok and Instagram are becoming product discovery engines for Gen Z and Millennials, forcing brands to shift from search-optimized blogs to short-form video content​. 
  • Amazon Ads is expected to capture 25% of the search ad market by 2026 as more product searches start directly on e-commerce platforms​. 
  • AI-driven marketplaces like Perplexity and Anthropic are emerging as new digital discovery hubs, presenting new content distribution challenges​. 

Winners and Losers in the AI Search Revolution 

Category 

Losers 

Winners 

SEO-Dependent SaaS 

ClickUp, HubSpot, ZoomInfo 

Notion (integrated AI assistants) 

Content Platforms 

BuzzFeed, The Motley Fool 

TikTok, Perplexity AI 

Search-Adjacent SaaS 

SEMrush, Moz, Zendesk 

OpenAI, Anthropic (enterprise AI solutions) 

Ad Networks 

Taboola, Outbrain 

Amazon Ads, TikTok Shop 

Web Infrastructure 

WordPress SEO plugins 

AI-powered website builders 



What Businesses Should Do Next 

1. Prioritize AI Citation and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) 
  • Structure content for E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). 
  • Implement schema markup and structured data strategies for AI ingestion. 
  • Shift from SEO blogging to AI-relevant authority-building (e.g., expert interviews, peer-reviewed sources). 
2. Diversify Customer Acquisition Channels 
  • Invest in TikTok and Instagram for product discovery. 
  • Explore AI-powered marketplaces like Perplexity. 
  • Shift ad budgets toward Amazon Ads and direct B2B outreach. 
3. Develop AI-Integrated Products
  • Embed AI into customer support workflows (e.g., AI-generated FAQs). 
  • Build proprietary AI-enhanced search experiences for on-platform discovery. 
  • Automate lead generation via AI-driven tools. 

A New Era of Digital Discovery 

Businesses must rethink visibility, content strategy, and user acquisition. Companies clinging to outdated SEO-driven models risk obsolescence, while those embracing AI-native strategies, multimodal content, and alternative discovery channels stand to thrive. 

The era of “Googling” is ending. The era of “ChatGPT-ing” has begun! 

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