Search is changing. For years, search engines like Google have been the main way people discover information, products and services online. But with the rapid integration of artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs), the way people search and the way businesses are found is evolving quickly.
How search works today
When you use a search engine, a few key processes happen in the background.
Indexing – Search engines constantly crawl the web, storing copies of web pages in a massive database called an index.
Query understanding – When you type in a search, the search engine uses natural language processing to interpret your intent, not just match keywords.
Ranking – The search engine uses hundreds of factors to decide which pages to display. These include relevance to the search, the quality and authority of the page, the number and quality of backlinks, the user experience such as page speed and mobile-friendliness, and personalisation based on location or past behaviour.
Results display – Traditionally, results are presented as a mix of:
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Organic results, which are standard links to websites
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Paid ads, which appear above or alongside organic results
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Rich features such as maps, videos, images and featured snippets
In the past, search primarily worked as a gateway, sending users from the results page to an external website where they could find the full answer.
The impact of AI and LLMs on search
LLMs such as GPT, Gemini and Claude are now being integrated into search engines. Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft Bing’s Copilot and tools like Perplexity are examples of how AI is beginning to reshape the search experience.
The biggest shift is that search engines are now capable of answering questions directly, often removing the need for the user to click through to another site.
Some of the key changes include:
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AI-generated summaries that combine information from multiple sources into a single, coherent answer
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A rise in “zero-click searches” where the user gets what they need directly from the results page
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More personalised responses based on the user’s location, search history and preferences
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Conversational search experiences where users can follow up with questions in a natural way, turning search into a chat-like interaction
Will websites become redundant?
Websites will not disappear, but their role will change.
AI systems still need high-quality content to learn from and reference. Without websites publishing valuable information, there is nothing for AI to summarise. Some searches will always require a website visit, particularly when booking a service, making a purchase or completing a form.
Trust and authority will continue to be important. People want to see who is behind the information, check reviews and verify sources. There are also legal and ethical pressures on search engines and AI tools to provide citations and credit original content creators.
However, the overall volume of clicks to websites from search is likely to decrease for many informational queries. This means businesses will need to:
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Focus on being mentioned and credited within AI summaries, not just ranking in the top 10 results
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Shift some website content towards conversion-focused pages rather than purely informational ones
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Build brand recognition and trust through other channels such as social media, email marketing and partnerships
The bottom line
Websites will remain an important part of the digital landscape, but the path people take to get there is changing. In an AI-driven search environment, the goal will be to make sure your brand is visible, trusted and referenced wherever people are getting their answers, whether that is in a search engine results page, an AI-generated snippet or a conversational assistant.
