Jim Yu is the Founder and CEO at BrightEdge, a platform for real-time insights into search and search engine optimization – which provides him a entrance row seat for the altering state of discovery and the massive function being performed by AI.
He spoke to Econsultancy in regards to the elephants within the room for search and discovery; why ‘share of dialog’ is changing into as essential as conventional search rankings; and why companies ought to return to fundamentals to be able to efficiently present up for AI brokers.
Econsultancy: What’s the elephant within the room in the meanwhile on this planet of search—and discovery extra broadly?
Jim Yu: It’s much less of an elephant and extra of an enormous that grows: Google. Regardless of the explosion of recent LLMs and AI-powered discovery engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude, BrightEdge’s newest information reveals Google nonetheless captures over 90% of complete search referrals nationwide. That dominance means even probably the most forward-thinking ‘AI-search methods’ must account for Google—not exchange it.
There’s a major hole between notion and actuality right here. We’re seeing large progress from AI discovery platforms, however by way of precise market share and referral visitors, we’re nonetheless speaking about roughly 1%. The headlines don’t all the time mirror what the information reveals.
The true elephant, if I’m being trustworthy, is the misunderstanding that GEO and AEO are changing search engine optimization. They’re not. search engine optimization has by no means been extra important—it’s the inspiration for fulfillment all over the place, together with in generative AI. Technical search engine optimization—web site crawlability, indexation, structure, Core Internet Vitals, structured information—is what makes your content material machine-readable for LLM crawlers and AI Overview methods.
The traditional search engine optimization pillars—intent-mapped content material, E-E-A-T alerts, inner linking, and efficiency—are exactly the alerts AI methods and reply engines lean on when deciding which sources to floor and belief.
GEO and AEO construct straight on these foundations, restructuring websites and content material so generative engines can parse entities, relationships, and FAQs, then confidently quote or cite them in solutions. And with the rise of agentic AI, search engine optimization is simply changing into extra essential.
The opposite elephant? Entrepreneurs must rethink what drives conversions versus discovery, the place to focus their efforts, and the way to measure success with new requirements and metrics.
Supply: BrightEdge AI Pulse information
Which content material codecs are bringing the most effective outcomes in the meanwhile? What ought to entrepreneurs pay extra consideration to?
Knowledgeable content material with clear construction continues to dominate as a result of AI engines reward authority, not quantity. When you’re producing content material at scale with out real experience behind it, you’re losing sources.
Evaluations and user-generated content material have grow to be important belief alerts. BrightEdge information reveals AI brokers more and more lean on sentiment and critiques when making product suggestions, particularly in retail. It is a multi-format world for multi-model LLMs and a number of platforms—YouTube, UGC, and social all play essential roles.
However in the end, what issues most is content material that AI can perceive. Codecs with sturdy metadata, schema markup, structured Q&A sections, and clear authority alerts carry out higher as a result of they’re simpler for LLMs to parse and cite.
Right here’s one thing entrepreneurs want to grasp: AI doesn’t cite content material that merely repackages current info—it could generate that itself. What AI methods do cite are distinctive insights, unique information, and trusted sources. High quality E-E-A-T content material stays foundational. Earned media and PR have additionally grow to be more and more worthwhile as exterior validation alerts.
What AI methods … cite are distinctive insights, unique information, and trusted sources. High quality E-E-A-T content material stays foundational.
How are budgets and methods of working altering?
I typically say that search engine optimization isn’t simply search-visible anymore—it’s AI-visible. Measuring impressions, citations, mentions, and sentiment in AI responses is the brand new aggressive edge. Your ‘share of dialog’ throughout AI engines is changing into as essential as conventional search rankings.
Class-specific AI behaviour is one other consideration. AI engines floor various kinds of manufacturers relying on the class—finance, retail, and B2B all behave in another way. Entrepreneurs should perceive these nuances relatively than assuming one-size-fits-all visibility.
When it comes to organisational adjustments, we’re seeing corporations lean into search engine optimization as a self-discipline and spend money on the folks and experience behind it. Integration has grow to be important—search engine optimization, PPC, design, UX, content material, and PR all must work collectively.
Initially, organisations that achieved this integration gained a aggressive benefit. Now, it’s merely a requirement for survival. Good manufacturers are investing in alternatives for income now whereas future-proofing their model for what’s coming.
What expertise are most in-demand—and which do you discover are most definitely to be lacking?
AI visibility literacy is on the prime of the checklist. Entrepreneurs want to grasp how AI engines interpret, summarise, and floor their model. Most groups can optimise for Google rankings, however few know the way to optimise for AI engines—and these are totally different disciplines.
Technical foundations that make content material ‘agent-ready’ are important. Expertise like structured information implementation, clear HTML, schema markup, accessibility, and real-time feed administration are actually important as a result of AI engines depend on these alerts to confidently use and suggest content material.
Most groups can optimise for Google rankings, however few know the way to optimise for AI engines—and these are totally different disciplines.
New measurement expertise have gotten more and more essential. As discovery strikes from clicks to solutions, groups want individuals who can measure model presence with out relying solely on visitors. Expertise in log evaluation, AI impressions, quotation monitoring, and ‘share of dialog’ metrics have gotten important differentiators.
Skilled technical SEOs and content material and earned media professionals stay in excessive demand. We’re additionally seeing demand for what I’d name ‘advertising and marketing engineers’—individuals who perceive LLMs, prompting, and the way to translate visibility and presence into notion and efficiency.
What’s most frequently lacking? Model storytellers who can weave collectively various kinds of top-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content material cohesively. The technical expertise are simpler to rent for than the strategic narrative functionality.
What’s the one development you would like everybody would cease speaking about? And what must be a key space of focus for organisations subsequent 12 months?
I want everybody would cease with the ‘shiny new object syndrome.’ Each week there’s information about one other AI participant, one other characteristic launch, one other platform shift. Cease chasing the information. Concentrate on what issues now for income whereas protecting an in depth eye on the broader AI and LLM panorama.
‘AI will exchange search engine optimization’ is one other one I’d prefer to see retired. Google remains to be the highest winner. AI hasn’t killed search—it’s increasing it. Equally, the concept that a quantity technique nonetheless works is outdated. AI-driven ecosystems punish low-quality or duplicative content material. The mass-production period is over.
As for key areas of focus, manufacturers want to arrange for AI Agent Optimisation. AI will quickly make selections on shoppers’ behalf—purchases, anticipating wants, routine duties. Manufacturers want to make sure their information, content material, and product feeds are ‘agent-ready.’
Don’t get misplaced within the noise. Return to fundamentals together with your model entity: Who you might be, what you do, why your services or products matter, and what differentiates you from the competitors. Don’t construct content material for content material’s sake—that’s simply including to an issue that existed earlier than.
Construct in your model basis and use AI to attain AI success at scale. In any other case, AI will outline your model for you—and also you won’t like what it says.
Do you could have an outrageous prediction, or a protected wager, to share?
Six months in the past, CMOs have been asking whether or not they need to make investments on this area. Now it issues greater than ever. Manufacturers earn the precise to win—don’t lose it.
For a protected wager: nothing is safer or surer than Google persevering with to innovate and dominate. Their foundational moats—information, intent alerts, behaviour patterns, data graphs, the Procuring Graph—are monumental. All the search and AI ecosystem feeds into a good wider ecosystem of merchandise, belongings, and cloud providers.
For one thing extra outrageous: by 2026, AI brokers will make extra on a regular basis purchasing selections than people. For routine purchases—family fundamentals like shampoo, detergent, on a regular basis necessities—shoppers will hand full management to AI. Manufacturers will probably be competing for the agent’s selection, not the consumer’s click on.
