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
Advertising market 2025. Poland, Europe and the World
Marcin Grządka
The global advertising market is growing by 8.8% in 2025 and will reach a value of 1.14 trillion dollars. The industry result in Europe records slightly lower dynamics, at the level of 5.8%. In this comparison, Poland performs clearly above the average. We will record an increase of 8.9% this year and a value of 18.56 billion PLN - estimates WPP Media in the annual report "This Year Next Year".
The print media market 2025. Three global trends
Krzysztof Fiedorek
The market value is 359.53 billion dollars, yet the erosion is visible to the naked eye. The decline for newspapers will amount to -2.3 percent. Despite this, print retains strength: it generates 76 percent of subscription revenues and enjoys 82 percent consumer trust. The future of the industry is defined by hybrid strategies and niche specialization.
Journalism in the age of AI. Why people prefer humans over machines
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Only 12% of people accept news created solely by AI, while 62% prefer those written by humans. At the same time, only 19% notice labels indicating the use of artificial intelligence, while younger audiences ask AI to explain the content to them. These are the findings of the Reuters Institute report on artificial intelligence in media.
See articles on a similar topic:
Zero-click search 2025. The even bigger end of clicking in search engines
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Google is giving up its role as a web signpost. More and more, it wants to be the destination of the whole journey. ChatGPT and Perplexity are hot on its heels, changing the rules of the search game. AI Overviews is a card from the same deck. Only content creators are losing ground in this race.
Trust in social media. Youtube beats TikTok and X
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Do we really trust social media? A new study reveals major differences in how top platforms are rated. Trust goes where there's authenticity, not just algorithms. The role of people is growing while brand influence is fading.
AI changes the game. A new face of internet search
KFi
Half of consumers in the US already use AI-powered search. By 2028, purchase decisions worth $750 billion will be made through AI. These findings come from McKinsey’s report "Winning in the age of AI search".
Repression Against Media: Committee to Protect Journalists Report for 2024
Krzysztof Fiedorek
In 2024, at least 361 journalists worldwide were imprisoned, often for exposing the truth. In China, reporters are tracked using advanced facial recognition systems, in Israel, Palestinian journalists are jailed without trial, and in Myanmar, journalist Shin Daewe received a life sentence for... a drone.




























