As the latest installation of OMG's ongoing Future of Search exploration of the consumer and cultural forces that have transformed search marketing from a channel into a behavior, the new report - Generative Engine Optimization: The New Paradigm for Discovery in the GenAI Era - reveals a search landscape that has been radically transformed as consumers turn to GenAI for information, advice, comparison shopping and entertainment, engaging in full conversations without clicking click away to publisher - or brand - websites.
AI Overviews as the Single Source of Truth
According to new consumer research irevealed in the report, 65% of consumers now expect to get their ideal answers from AI overviews - a feature in Google search that uses GenAI to create a concise summary of a users' query that appears at the top of the search results page - with 20% reporting that they rely exclusively on AI overviews, and 45%using a mix of AI overviews and traditional search results.
And while as of today consumers are still most likely to report they turn to AI in the early phases of the shopping journey - with getting familiar with products (46%), discovering options (39%), or simply looking for inspiration (27%) being the main phases of the purchase journey in which GenAI is currently helping shoppers - 33% of respondents said GenAI helps them in the "deciding" phase of the purchase process; and 17% of users now say they have purchased a product due to an AI recommendation.
"As GenAI is transforming the experience of finding and connecting with information, brands must adapt to a reality where users may rarely leave AI summaries or AI-infused SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) - where in fact, GenAI recommendations are the new word of mouth, " says OMG North America Chief Intelligence Officer and lead study author Joanna O'Connell. "In this zero-click world, the new gold standard will be visibility, citations, and sentiment - and GEO becomes the primary means to ensure that when AI speaks, brands hold the key to influencing their presence and representation to consumers. Simply stated, GEO enables brands to market to AI to improve the likelihood of being featured in an AI prompt response."
The 4 Cs of a GEO Strategy
To achieve this goal, OMG has identified four strategic pillars that, when executed as a collective, will determine how brands appear - or disappear - in GenAI Search: Consumers, Content, Code, and Credibility.
"Brands need to understand that consumers are no longer searching but are now asking questions," says OMG North America Head of Search Michael Sondak. "This means content across brand owned and operated elements needs to change to answer these questions. And coding needs to change as well for LLMs to read it properly. Finally, credibility comes with establishing trust with the LLM that the information being digested is trustworthy."
In addition to offering a blueprint for building a GEO strategy rooted in the four Cs, the report offers examples of how OMG GEO solutions - developed in partnership with specialists in content, commerce and PR across the Omnicom network - have driven double digit increases in product display page (PDP) Search Visibility, win rates, visibility and content citations within a few weeks of activation.
"GEO is a process, not an easy button," says Sondak. "But when executed strategically and systematically, it delivers tangible value to brands."
Generative Engine Optimization: The New Paradigm for Discovery in the GenAI Era is available to download here.
About Omnicom Media Group
Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of Omnicom (NYSE: OMC), delivers transformational experiences for consumers, clients, and talent. Powered by the Omni marketing orchestration system, OMG connects best -in-class capabilities that enable our full-service media agencies OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science to deliver more relevant and actionable consumer experiences; more productive and proactive client experiences; and more collaborative and rewarding talent experiences for the more than 26,000 people serving the world's leading brands in OMG agencies around the globe.
i Online survey via OMG's proprietary panel - OMG Signal - among 2,404 US adults aged 18–72 during July 2025
SOURCE Omnicom Media Group
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