More on The State of Search 2025: SEO vs AEO (GEO or LLMSEO)
TL;DR:
- Google drops below 90% market share
- 58% of searches on Google now result in zero clicks
- LLMs like ChatGPT handle 1 billion queries daily
- Only 43% overlap between Google results and LLM responses
- Brands are now discovered (or ignored) by AI — not just search engines
The Fall of Google’s Dominance
For the first time since 2015, Google’s search engine market share has dipped below 90%, according to recent data from StatCounter (June 2025). While the company still leads, this milestone signals a major shift in user behavior — and competition.
![Google Share Decline Graph – 2010 to 2025]
Zero-Click Era in Full Swing
Back in 2019, SparkToro reported that 50% of Google searches ended without a click. Fast-forward to today, and that number has surged to 58%. Why?
People are getting their answers directly from snippets, AI previews, or autocomplete.
They’re not visiting your site — unless they absolutely have to.
LLMs as Discovery Engines
Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek are no longer novelty tools — they’re primary search interfaces for millions of users.
OpenAI reports ChatGPT now handles over 1 billion prompts per day. And these aren’t just casual queries:
“Who has the best med spa for expecting mothers?”
“Which dog food brands avoid seed oils?”
“What are the best beginner skate shoes under $100?”
These are high-intent, long-tail discovery prompts — and they don’t use keywords the way search engines expect.
LLMs Don’t Echo Google
In a multi-model prompt analysis we ran across GPT-4, Claude 3, Gemini 1.5, and DeepSeek, only 43% of brand-related results overlapped with Google’s SERPs.
That means 57% of what LLMs recommend — from products to services — doesn’t show up on Google at all.
Why?
Because LLMs cite sources like Reddit, long-form blogs, YouTube transcripts, and user reviews — even obscure ones.
If You’re Not Mentioned, You’re Invisible
Most brands obsess over keyword rankings.
But LLMs don’t care about keywords — they care about context.
Our LLM Brand Tracker shows that:
- Many top brands have no visibility in ChatGPT or Claude
- Others appear, but with outdated or negative sentiment
- Startups and niche players often beat incumbents by being cited in the right places
LLMs are building mental maps of brands, products, and services — whether you’re tracking it or not.
From SEO to LLMO: Strategic Takeaways
Welcome to the era of LLMO — Large Language Model Optimization.
Here’s how to prepare:
✅ Structure your content for AI — use FAQs, comparisons, and rich internal linking
✅ Track brand mentions across models (GPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek)
✅ Audit LLM results weekly for tone, citations, and hallucinations
✅ Expand beyond Google — optimize for Reddit, blogs, YouTube, and forums
Get Your AI Visibility Report
We built the LLM Brand Tracker to help brands understand where they stand — and how to get ahead in the LLM era.
🎯 Want to know what Claude or GPT-4 says about your business?
Download your AI Visibility Report free at seshes.ai
References
- StatCounter GlobalStats: https://gs.statcounter.com/
- SparkToro Zero-Click Study (Rand Fishkin): https://sparktoro.com/blog/zero-click-searches/
- OpenAI: ChatGPT usage trends and API metrics (June 2025)
- LLM Brand Tracker Internal Dataset: Prompt comparisons across GPT-4, Claude 3, Gemini 1.5, DeepSeek, Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo
- Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) analysis: https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-search/
Final Thought
Search is no longer a list of links.
It’s a conversation.
And if you’re not part of it, you’re being left behind.
