How SEOteric is Adapting to AI-First Search Behavior: Navigating the Shift in How Users Find Information

Search Engine Land contributor Marcus Miller argues that search is shifting from a click-driven model to one where users increasingly delegate tasks to AI systems. In his piece, “From searching to delegating: Adapting to AI-first search behavior,” Miller explores how AI Overviews and conversational responses change where and how users engage with content. Read the original on Search Engine Land.

Understanding the shift: from searching to delegating

Traditional search involved a short query, a list of links, and a user-driven exploration. Miller points out that “AI reverses that flow: The user asks a more detailed question. AI runs multiple searches and processes the results. AI delivers a summarized response.” This change means users often receive concise answers without visiting multiple pages, which reduces friction but also fragments the traffic sources that sites have relied on for years.

What this means for content and site structure

AI-driven search elevates content that demonstrates clear expertise, relevance, and retrievability. Google’s own announcement about Gemini 3 highlights this capability: “Gemini 3 brings incredible reasoning power to Search because it’s built to grasp unprecedented depth and nuance for your hardest questions.” (Google Blog, Nov 18, 2025). When models can synthesize information across pages and sources, they prefer material that is well-structured and transparent.

RAG-friendly formatting

• Use question-based H2/H3 headings that mirror real user questions (for example: “How much does X cost?”).
• Lead with the answer: put a concise direct response at the top of sections (inverted pyramid).
• Use bulleted lists and clear definitions to make structured facts easy to extract.
• Link to evidence and primary sources — AI systems favor verifiable content.

Key points summarized

• Search behavior is shifting from manual exploration to AI-assisted delegation.
• AI Overviews and conversational responses can reduce click-throughs to site pages.
• Content that anticipates follow-up questions and provides detailed, structured answers is more likely to be used by AI systems.
• Site navigation and clarity of messaging (especially on homepages and product pages) are increasingly important as AI can surface brand-level information during research.

Analysis and implications for marketers and SEOs

The rise of AI-driven answers changes the funnel. Users may start research through AI tools, which means the point of discovery often shifts to the mid-funnel, where detailed comparisons, pricing guidance, and problem-solution content live. Marketers must re-evaluate metrics and outcomes: impressions and referral traffic may decline while influence over decisions remains—if your content is the one AI cites or summarizes.

There is also an opportunity: when AI cites your content or uses it for summaries, you gain brand authority without the same click volume. The task shifts from chasing clicks to ensuring that your content is the authoritative source AI can draw from. That means investing in depth, clarity, and trust signals (reviews, transparent pricing, evidence links).

Actionable recommendations

1. Rework site architecture and messaging

Ensure your homepage and top-level pages clearly reflect primary offers and use-cases. If AI-driven research leads to increased brand searches and home visits, your navigation must quickly direct users to relevant mid-funnel content.

2. Create RAG-ready content

Produce content specifically designed for retrieval-augmented generation: question-based headers, short direct answers, followed by context and supporting detail. Use bulleted lists for attributes and clear one-sentence definitions for industry terms.

3. Prioritize mid-funnel and comparison content

Build detailed buyer guides, comparisons, pricing explainers, and honest reviews. Marcus Miller highlights that AI-driven experiences “deliver summarized pros, cons, and supporting evidence at each stage of the decision-making process.” Serving this need positions your content for AI summarization.

4. Strengthen trust signals and evidence

Include clear citations, case study links, and third-party reviews. AI systems and users both value corroborated information; link to research and data whenever possible.

5. Monitor new metrics

Track brand search volume, homepage engagement, and mentions in AI-generated summaries where possible. Shift KPIs toward influence — leads, assisted conversions, and brand engagement — rather than raw organic clicks alone.

Conclusion

The shift to AI-first search behavior is not a death knell for SEO; it is a call to evolve. By making content more retrievable, structured, and evidence-backed, sites can remain relevant as AI aggregates and presents information. As Google’s Gemini 3 shows, search can now handle deeper reasoning — so the best defense is to speak clearly, demonstrate expertise, and design for both human readers and AI consumers.

Attribution: Marcus Miller, “From searching to delegating: Adapting to AI-first search behavior,” Search Engine Land, Jan 26, 2026. https://searchengineland.com/from-searching-to-delegating-adapting-to-ai-first-search-behavior-467888

Additional source: Google Blog, “Gemini 3 in Search AI Mode,” Nov 18, 2025. https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/gemini-3-search-ai-mode/