Is AI Truly Changing Search? (A Semrush Data Analysis)

Everyone has been drawn to the concept of AI visibility, especially now that online search is being dominated by LLMs.

But who wouldn’t? This fascination is hardly surprising, as the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence have transformed not only the way we interact with technology, but also how businesses operate and engage with their audiences.

Most agencies and marketers are now capitalizing on AI visibility, launching countless offers of AI features that promise to enhance user experience, streamline operations, and deliver personalized content.

However, the question remains: does this really work? Are the claims made by these agencies backed by substantial evidence and results, or do they simply serve as buzzwords to attract more clients in a competitive digital landscape?

As organizations race to implement AI tools, it’s crucial to assess both the effectiveness of these technologies and the tangible benefits they provide, rather than getting lost in the allure of innovation alone.

The Semrush’s study: 2026 AI Visibility Index

The latest research from Semrush, specifically their 2026 AI Visibility Index, provides a definitive look at this new reality.

By analyzing a massive dataset of 126 million U.S. AI search prompts, Semrush has uncovered the rules, risks, and massive opportunities inherent in the age of AI.

The New Metric: AI Visibility vs. Traditional SEO

For years, SEO professionals focused on ranking. Today, the focus has shifted toward Brand Visibility. Unlike static search results, AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini generate summaries, narratives, and recommendations.

Semrush’s study defines two critical metrics that every marketer must now track:

Mentions: The frequency with which a brand name appears in an AI-generated answer.
Citations: The frequency with which an AI platform links to or references a brand’s domain as a source of truth.

The study reveals a startling disconnect: Being mentioned does not guarantee being cited. In some models, the overlap between mentioned brands and cited domains is as low as 30%. This means brands are often discussed in AI responses, but they aren’t capturing the traffic or the authority because they aren’t being linked as the primary source of information.

The “Universal 36”: Who Wins in AI?

One of the most compelling findings in the Semrush index is the identification of the “Universal 36”—the only 36 global brands that managed to maintain top-100 visibility across all four major AI platforms every single month during the study.

What makes these brands, such as YouTube, Reddit, Apple, and Walmart, so successful? They share three core traits:

Broad Consumer Reach: Their name recognition is so pervasive that AI models consider them a default reference point.
Sustained Recognition: They have built “entity authority” over years, ensuring AI models recognize them as distinct, trusted entities.
Utility: They play a clear role in the user’s journey, whether that involves discovery, comparison, or transaction.

For the average business, the lesson is clear: your AI narrative is no longer solely what you write on your own website. It is the aggregate of customer reviews, community discussions, and the information found across third-party publishers.

The Integrated Strategy Gap

Semrush’s companion survey highlights a critical failure point in modern marketing departments: the silo.

Integrated Teams: 81% of organizations that unified their SEO and AI visibility efforts reported an increase in traffic and leads.
Siloed Teams: Only 36% of organizations managing these channels separately saw similar growth.

AI visibility is not a standalone “side project.” It is inextricably linked to traditional search, content marketing, and brand governance. To win, businesses must move away from treating AI optimization as a technical task and start treating it as a holistic Brand Narrative challenge.

How AI is Changing Consumer Behavior

The stakes for getting this right are higher than ever. Semrush’s research indicates that users who search with LLMs are 4.4 times more likely to convert than those using traditional search engines. AI agents are not just providing information; they are evaluating options and, in many cases, making transactional decisions on behalf of the user.

As highlighted in Semrush’s guide to AI visibility, the transition to agentic search—where AI browse and purchase for the user—means that your brand’s presence needs to be “AI-ready.” This includes:

Technical Integrity: Ensuring your site is not blocking AI crawlers like ChatGPT-User or Google-Extended.
Structured Data: Implementing Organization schema to help AI systems map your brand’s relationships across the web.
Third-Party Validation: Focusing on building a digital footprint that exists independently of your domain, including social proof and community mentions.

SEO Perspectives for the Philippine Market

While the Semrush study provides global benchmarks, marketers in the Philippines must adapt these insights to the local context. Filipino search habits are characterized by high mobile usage, a preference for video, and a reliance on “community-first” validation.

For businesses looking to thrive in the Philippine digital space, consider these localized strategies:

Capitalize on Conversational Search: Filipinos often use “Taglish” and conversational queries. Optimize your FAQ and “how-to” content to mirror these natural language patterns.
The Power of Community: Since AI platforms like ChatGPT and Google AI Mode weigh community discussions heavily, fostering a presence on local forums and social platforms is a critical lever for AI citation.
Optimize for Local Context: Ensure your local business schema is robust. For those navigating the nuances of local SEO, resources such as Hashmeta’s insights on Philippine SEO tactics emphasize that trust signals and social proof carry significant weight in our market.

Action Plan: Building Your AI Visibility

To stay competitive, organizations must move from passive observation to active management of their AI narrative. Here is a five-step framework based on Semrush’s research:

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1. Audit Your AI Crawlers

Check your robots.txt file and your CMS settings. If your pages are blocked, they cannot be part of the AI’s knowledge base. Use the Semrush Site Audit to ensure you aren’t inadvertently opting out of AI discovery.

2. Strengthen Entity Recognition

AI platforms identify brands as “entities.” Use consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) data across your website, social media, and third-party directories. Utilize the sameAs schema property to link your website to your official social profiles.

3. Pursue High-Authority Citations

AI platforms favor sources with high “trust equity.” Shift your PR and content focus toward securing mentions and links from reputable, industry-specific publishers that LLMs are known to crawl and prioritize.

4. Optimize for “Answer Engine” Formats

Stop writing only for traditional keyword density. Structure your content for direct answers. Use clear headings, concise bulleted lists, and FAQ sections that address the specific “who, what, where, and how” of your industry.

5. Monitor the “Gap”

Don’t just track your keyword rankings. Use tools that specifically track your AI Brand Sentiment and Share of Voice in AI answers. Benchmark your performance against competitors—you may find that while you lead in organic search, a competitor is dominating the AI conversation in your niche.

Conclusion: The Future of Brand Narrative

Semrush’s study is a wake-up call. The era of “owning” the search result is over; we are now in the era of “influencing” the answer. Brands that fail to integrate their AI strategy will find themselves invisible, even if they occupy the top spots in traditional SERPs.

The path forward requires a new mindset. It demands that marketing teams treat AI not as a threat, but as a new platform where your brand’s narrative must be consistently, authoritatively, and strategically told. By focusing on technical accessibility, cross-platform consistency, and the cultivation of trust signals, you can ensure that when an AI agent prepares a response for a potential customer, your brand is the first one it recommends.

For those looking to dive deeper into the technical requirements of these changes, Semrush provides detailed documentation on optimizing for AI Overviews and managing your brand’s AI footprint. The technology is evolving, but the core objective remains the same: being the most trusted, relevant source in your user’s journey.

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