Glossary · AI Search
AI Search
A search experience powered by a large language model that returns synthesized answers, often with one to three recommended sources, instead of a ranked list of links.
AI search refers to the search experience offered by tools like ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Google Gemini, and Bing Copilot. Instead of returning ten organic results plus ads, the AI returns a written answer with a small number of cited sources.
For local businesses, AI search means recommendations have collapsed from a list of ten to a list of two or three. Position one and position infinity are now the only outcomes that matter for these queries. A business either gets cited or it is invisible.