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How AI Chatbots Are Becoming the New Gatekeepers of Search—And What It Means for Brands in 2025

How AI Chatbots Are Becoming the New Gatekeepers of Search—And What It Means for Brands in 2025

Published:
2025-07-06 21:26:02
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The Death of the "10 Blue Links" and the Rise of AI Gatekeepers

Google’s AI Pivot Sparks Legal Firestorms

  • Real-time dashboards: Profound’s tools track how often ChatGPT name-drops clients like Salesforce vs. HubSpot.
  • Citation sculpting: Athena helps brands structure content so AI pulls direct quotes (not paraphrases).
  • AI training data lobbying: Leaked docs show Walmart paying to "correct" AI errors about product dimensions.
  • Multimodal optimization: With Google’s AI now parsing videos, brands like Sephora optimize video transcripts.
  • Investor frenzy: Kleiner Perkins’ latest funding round values Profound at $120M—for tech that didn’t exist in 2023.

FAQ: Your Burning Questions About AI Search Wars

How is AEO different from traditional ?

Will Google lose its search dominance to AI chatbots?

Unlikely soon—but cracks are showing. OpenAI’s exploration of ChatGPT ads (projected to grab 15% of search ad spend by 2029 per EII) could erode Google’s $180B cash cow. Meanwhile, 43% of Gen Z now starts product searches on TikTok’s AI—not Google.

Can small businesses compete in AEO?

Yes, but differently. Local bakeries win by structuring hours/ingredients for AI snippets, while e-commerce sites battle for "featured product" citations in AI comparisons. Tools like Athena’s $99/month plan democratize some analytics.

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