The digital landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift as generative AI platforms become the primary gateway for consumer discovery and purchasing decisions. New research from Optimizely exposes a critical readiness gap, revealing that while marketers recognize the urgency of this change, most are failing to adapt their strategies accordingly. This inertia creates a significant risk of brand invisibility in an era where consumers increasingly rely on AI summaries without ever visiting a source website.
Quick Intel
Optimizely research shows a 30+ point gap between AI urgency and marketer action.
62% of marketers believe click-less journeys are the norm, but only 27% feel prepared.
67% of consumers use AI tools like ChatGPT to research products and services.
Nearly one-third of consumers have made a purchase based solely on an AI response.
Only 39% of marketers rank Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) as a top priority.
66% of marketing leaders would leave a company without an AI/GEO strategy within a year.
The research highlights a dramatic disconnect. A majority of marketers understand that click-less customer journeys—where decisions are made within AI interfaces—are becoming standard. However, only a small fraction feel equipped for this reality. This is particularly alarming as consumer adoption soars; 67% now use AI for product research, and a staggering 87% of those who purchased based on an AI summary were satisfied, proving the effectiveness of this new discovery channel.
As consumers delegate research to AI, brand representation within these summaries is paramount. The data shows that brand recognition remains a key trust signal, with 31% of consumers more likely to trust an AI summary from a known brand. However, marketer confidence is low, with only 25% being very confident that AI summaries accurately reflect their brand. This creates a pressing need for strategies that ensure favorable and accurate representation in generative engine outputs.
The lack of action is not just an external threat but an internal one. The research identifies a clear talent retention risk, with two-thirds of marketing leaders stating they would leave their company within a year if it fails to develop an AI or GEO strategy. Furthermore, marketer concerns are fragmented across legal, traffic, and content accuracy issues, indicating no cohesive industry strategy for tackling the AI challenge, which slows collective progress.
The era of AI-driven discovery is not a future possibility but a present reality. Brands that delay adapting their content and SEO strategies for generative engines face the dual threat of becoming invisible to potential customers and losing their most forward-thinking marketing talent. The time for brands to invest in Generative Engine Optimization is now, as the cost of inaction is rapidly escalating.
About Optimizely
Optimizely is on a mission to make the lives of marketers better with Optimizely One, the world's first operating system for marketing teams. Optimizely One combines industry-leading solutions across content management, content marketing, experimentation, commerce and personalization, powering every stage of the marketing lifecycle through a single, AI-accelerated workflow. With the flexibility of a fully composable platform, Optimizely is proudly helping global brands like Salesforce, Zoom and Toyota create content with speed, launch experiments with confidence, and deliver experiences of the highest quality. Learn more at optimizely.com.
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