While AI search may be the fastest-growing channel, the smartest marketers are winning by combining AI readiness with proven SEO strategies

BrightEdge, the global leader in AI-driven organic search, content, and digital marketing automation, released new research spanning January through August 2025 that shows AI search is experiencing explosive growth. The data underscores that visits from AI search platforms surged at double-digit rates month over month, demonstrating how rapidly AI is reshaping discovery.

Yet BrightEdge data also reveals a critical distinction: while AI search is growing fast, it only accounts for less than 1% of referral traffic, while organic search remains the primary driver and delivers significantly stronger conversions.

“AI search is the fastest-growing channel we’ve ever tracked,” said Jim Yu, Founder and CEO of BrightEdge. “But growth and quality are two different things. Organic search continues to outperform on conversions and remains the engine of digital growth. The most successful marketers aren’t choosing one over the other — they’re adapting for AI while doubling down on the organic strategies that have always driven results.”

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BrightEdge analysis of thousands of queries and top-performing websites, including many Fortune 100 brands, shows that leading marketers are reinforcing SEO best practices in the age of AI discovery, from improving site performance for faster, more user-friendly experiences to adding contextual signals like schema that help AI engines and search platforms better interpret content.

BrightEdge Launches Two New Innovations to Help Marketers Win in the Age of AI

To help brands navigate this ongoing shift, BrightEdge announced two major product innovations:

AI Early Detection System – The next generation of analytics reporting that reveals, in real time, how AI search is contributing to traffic, leads, and revenue. The capability allows marketers to separate signals from noise, detect shifts early, and prove the ROI of AI. Instead of guessing whether a spike in AI referrals matters, marketers can see when it drives real downstream engagement and adjust their strategy accordingly.

AI Catalyst Recommendations – BrightEdge AI Catalyst identifies where competitors are appearing in AI results, then translates those gaps into actionable steps. It not only shows what’s missing, but why others are winning — whether it’s page structure that makes content easier for LLMs to interpret, deeper topic coverage, or clearer user signals that help models surface the right answers.

What makes Catalyst especially powerful is that it also shows where AI engines source their answers. For example, BrightEdge data shows:

• 34% of AI citations pull from sources that brands can influence through PR.
• Nearly 10% of citations come from social platforms, like LinkedIn and Reddit, and because BrightEdge pinpoints the exact forum (even down to a subreddit), marketers know exactly where to engage.
• User-generated content sites are cited seven times more often than general business sites, and BrightEdge identifies the exact sources of authority so that marketers can act with precision.

By pinpointing which third-party voices shape AI results, BrightEdge AI Catalyst gives marketers precision targeting. It identifies the sources that matter most, analyzes why they influence AI, and generates clear action items — even down to what content resonates and who inside an organization to reach. The result: a faster, easier way to strengthen presence in AI search and tie activity directly to specific channels and broader business outcomes.

“These innovations give marketers a roadmap for the future,” Yu added. “They can finally measure AI’s impact, act on insights in real time, and influence the sources that shape AI results — all while continuing to build on the proven power of organic search.”

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