illustration: DALL-EFor companies, this means one thing: classic SEO is no longer enough. Users no longer need to browse dozens of pages and compare reviews. Today, it’s enough to ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Google AI Overview. The answer? A condensed analysis of brands, models, prices, and features - tailored to budget and needs. McKinsey’s study shows that:
- 50% of users consciously choose AI as their main shopping tool,
- 44% name it as their preferred source of information (by comparison: only 31% choose traditional search engines).
This shifts the decision-making point much earlier - before the consumer visits a website or clicks on an ad.
Time for GEO, not just SEO
Classic positioning is not enough. Companies must invest in GEO - gen AI engine optimization. It’s a new approach to visibility in a digital world that is changing faster than ever. McKinsey recommends four actions:
- Presence analysis - checking where the brand appears in AI results and what it’s missing.
- Content adjustment - creating materials not just for the website but also for external publications.
- Language optimization - clarity, specificity, timeliness - that’s what AI expects.
- GEO team - companies should appoint a dedicated team combining marketing, SEO, and data.
For now, only 16% of companies track their visibility in AI. This is a huge opportunity for those who start now. The report`s authors - Elizabeth Silliman, Kelsey Robinson, and Julien Boudet - emphasize: AI has already changed consumer behavior. Soon, it may be making purchase decisions on its own. Brands that invest in visibility will gain an edge. Those that don’t - will vanish from users’ radar.
Visibility in AI is not a coincidence
AI does not work like a classic search engine. Algorithms draw from a wide range of sources - including forum content, articles, affiliate sites, and user reviews. As a result, even market leaders may not appear in AI-generated answers at all. According to McKinsey’s report:
| Type of content source | Share in AI results |
|---|---|
| Brands’ own content | 5-10% |
| External content (forums, reviews, affiliations) | 90-95% |
Lack of presence in these sources poses a real risk of losing customers. It’s worth noting that in many industries - such as finance, hospitality, or electronics - even the biggest brands do not appear in Google AI Overview answers, despite dominating in SEO.
Full analysis available at www.mckinsey.com
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
New generations and the end of traditional news. Reuters Institute report
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Traditional news media are losing touch with the youngest generation of audiences, who grew up in a digital environment. Young people aged 18 to 24 spend time online continuously and expect publishers to take a fresh approach to presenting reality, according to a report by the Reuters Institute.
TVs in Europe, the USA and China. What and how we watch on them
Paweł Sobczak
The Living Room Study shows significant differences in video content consumption across different regions of the world. This is the result of diverse media ecosystems shaped by decades of local broadcasting, channel availability, and strong cultural factors.
Cinema in the era of algorithms and AI
Arkadiusz Murenia
Will artificial intelligence kill the creativity of filmmakers? The most honest answer is: no, AI is unlikely to kill the creativity of filmmakers, but it will very clearly change the place where this creativity manifests itself and, above all, how.
See articles on a similar topic:
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills. The Future of the Job Market is Here
KFi
The world faces the challenge of digital transformation, and technological skills have become a gateway to career success. How do Europeans evaluate their abilities, and which industries are leading the way? A recent report by Pracuj.pl reveals which skills open doors to better careers and why AI is the future of work.
Digital Press Reading Habits
Bartłomiej Dwornik
What time of day do we most often reach for e-newspapers and e-books? According to a study by Legimi, peak times are between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. It’s time to dismiss the notion that weekends are our favorite reading days.
How to silence fake news? Young Latinos support internet censorship
Krzysztof Fiedorek
In Brazil, a court shut down platform X, cutting off 40 million users. In Colombia, 70% of citizens want information control, and in Chile, 75% of young people support censoring fake news. Is information security replacing freedom of speech as a new trend? [STUDY]
Artificial intelligence in newsrooms. Three realities of the AI era in media
Krzysztof Fiedorek
According to a report by the European Broadcasting Union, many newsrooms already use AI but still do not fully trust it. Audiences do not want "robotic" news, and the technologies themselves though fast can be costly, unreliable, and surprisingly human in their mistakes.





























