Definition. Search systems whose result is not a list of links but a generated or assembled answer, based on retrieval, embeddings and LLM synthesis. Examples: Perplexity, ChatGPT Search, Google AI Overviews and internal company RAG systems.

Why it matters. AI search changes the entry point to a website. Not every click still goes through the home page or a landing page. Many users only see what the AI extracts from the website and condenses into an answer.

Related. AI Retrieval, AI Overview, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Retrieval-ready content