Jul 11, 2025

From Google to ChatGPT: How search behavior is changing.

The way we search for information on the Internet is fundamentally changing. For decades, Google was the first stop for any question – but with the rise of AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini, new ways of obtaining information are emerging.

In this article, I will show you how search behavior is shifting, what this means for businesses – and why classic SEO is no longer sufficient.

In the past: Googling, clicking, comparing

The Google search was long dominated by:

  • short keyword phrases like "best toothbrush 2024"

  • ten blue links on the results page

  • manual clicking, reading, comparing

Users needed patience and had to decide for themselves which source is trustworthy.

Today: Asking, understanding, getting it directly

With AI search systems like ChatGPT, it looks different:

  • Questions are phrased more naturally, e.g., "Which toothbrush is good for sensitive gums?"

  • The answer comes directly, compactly, and to the point

  • The user no longer has to research themselves – the AI takes care of that

Result: fewer clicks, more trust in the initial answer.

How language models find content

Language models like ChatGPT do not work like classic search engines. They rely on:

  • large amounts of text from the web

  • structured data

  • high-quality content

  • semantic relationships and entity networks

Important: They build answers reconstructively, not based on current rankings.

What does this mean for content marketing?

  1. AI visibility is not the same as Google visibility
    Good rankings on Google do not guarantee presence in AI responses.

  2. Brands must be recognized as a "source"
    Language models refer to content that they classify as valid, credible, and relevant – not just to frequently clicked pages.

  3. Entities instead of keywords
    AIs understand concepts. Those who are clearly positioned as an expert or brand are more likely to be quoted.

  4. Structure beats keyword stuffing
    AIs recognize relationships – well-structured content therefore has an advantage.

Welcome to the age of AI SEO

To ensure your content is found and used by AI systems, you need a new kind of optimization:

  • semantically clearly structured content

  • mentions of your brand in relevant contexts

  • technical fundamentals like structured data and AI-readable formats

  • tools like gemcore.ai, which support you in geo-optimization and AI visibility

Conclusion

The future of search is dialog-based, AI-supported, and context-related. Those who optimize only for Google today will remain invisible tomorrow in ChatGPT, Gemini, and the like.

Those who invest in AI SEO now secure their place in the answers of tomorrow.

👉 Start your Geo-Check with gemcore.ai now and check how visible your content really is in AI systems.