The way people search is changing—again. But this time, it’s not just about voice search or mobile-first indexing. It’s about AI agents. These autonomous, goal-driven systems are beginning to handle tasks on our behalf, from booking travel to researching products, and even making purchasing decisions. For marketers, this shift is seismic.
Agent-based AI is poised to transform how users interact with information—and how brands need to show up in those interactions. If your search strategy is still optimised for traditional SERPs, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Why This Matters Now
In 2025, AI agents are no longer a futuristic concept. They’re embedded in everyday tools—digital assistants, productivity apps, customer service platforms—and they’re increasingly trusted to act on behalf of users. Instead of typing queries into a search engine, users are delegating tasks to agents powered by models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity.
This changes everything about how visibility works. If your brand isn’t part of the answer these agents deliver, you’re invisible.
Key Insights for Marketing and SEO Teams
1. Search Is Becoming Goal-Oriented, Not Query-Based
Traditional search is reactive: a user types a query, and the engine returns a list of links. Agent-based AI flips this model. Users state a goal—“Find me the best CRM for a startup under £100/month”—and the agent handles the research, filtering, and decision-making.
Implication:
You’re no longer optimising for keywords. You’re optimising for outcomes. Your content and brand presence must align with the way agents evaluate and recommend solutions.
What to do:
- Structure content around use cases, not just keywords.
- Highlight pricing, integrations, and differentiators clearly.
- Ensure your brand is mentioned in AI-generated answers across platforms.
2. Visibility in AI Answers Is the New SEO Battleground
AI agents don’t show ten blue links. They summarise, recommend, and act. If your brand isn’t surfaced in their responses, you’re out of the conversation.
Implication:
Traditional SEO metrics—rankings, backlinks, even CTR—are losing relevance. What matters now is whether AI agents mention your brand and recommend it.
What to do:
- Monitor your brand’s presence in AI-generated answers across major models.
- Identify content gaps where competitors are mentioned but you’re not.
- Optimise for AI visibility, not just search engine visibility.
3. Trust Signals and Structured Data Are Critical
AI agents rely on structured data, reviews, and authoritative sources to make decisions. They need to trust the information they surface—and so do users.
Implication:
Your brand’s digital footprint must be machine-readable and credibility-rich.
What to do:
- Use schema markup to structure your content.
- Build third-party validation through reviews, citations, and expert mentions.
- Maintain consistent, accurate information across all digital touchpoints.
Looking Ahead
Agent-based AI isn’t a trend—it’s a paradigm shift. As these systems become more capable and more widely adopted, the brands that succeed will be those that understand how to speak to machines as well as humans.
This doesn’t mean SEO is dead. It means SEO is evolving. From optimising for search engines to optimising for AI agents, the core challenge remains: being discoverable, credible, and compelling at the moment of decision.
Final Thought
The brands that win in 2025 will be the ones that adapt early. Agent-based AI is already shaping how decisions are made—and if your brand isn’t part of the answer, you’re not even in the running.
How is your team preparing for the shift to AI-driven search?
Promina helps brands monitor and improve their visibility across AI agents like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. See how your brand shows up—and how to improve it—at https://promina.ai.
Start a free trial today.