If you depend on high-intent search to win clients, you already know what it costs to acquire them. Customer acquisition is expensive, but the math works when every new client has high lifetime value.
Instead of always clicking through a familiar list of ten blue links, people are beginning to get their answers in a different way. Google now shows AI Overviews for a share of searches, often summarizing information directly at the top of the page. In parallel, more people are turning to answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to ask the kinds of questions they might have once typed into Google.
Ahrefs analyzed 56 million Google results and found that AI Overviews appear most often for informational queries, but they also show up for commercial queries where customers are comparing providers or asking for recommendations. That means AI systems are already handling the kinds of searches that many businesses depend on for client acquisition.
Why This Matters
In traditional SEO, you target keywords like “best service provider near me.” You can track rankings, impressions, and traffic. That visibility makes high-intent search predictable and worth the cost of acquisition.
AI search works differently. The same query becomes a natural prompt: “Who’s the best provider in my city? How much do they cost? Give me a side by side summary.” The AI generates one synthesized answer, often naming just a few businesses. If you aren’t included, you don’t exist in that interaction.
What makes things even harder is that answer engines do not provide data on whether your brand was mentioned or how often. So a potential client may have searched, compared, and decided and you never even knew you lost this prospect.
What High-Intent Businesses Should Do Differently
If your business lives and dies by high-intent search, you can’t afford to ignore this shift. This is where Temso comes in. We help you see what’s otherwise invisible: whether your brand is showing up in AI search, how often, and how you and your competitors are positioned.
Here’s how to start adapting:
1. Measure your visibility in AI search
Traditional analytics won’t tell you if your brand appears in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude. You need a clear way to see if you’re part of the answers customers get.
2. Focus on the right sources
AI search engines look across the web for authority signals. That includes third-party directories, press coverage, industry publications, and customer reviews. If you’re only visible on your own website, you’re harder for AI systems to recommend.
3. Optimize for attributes, not just keywords
AI systems draw from reviews, directories, and trusted publications. The more your brand is consistently described in ways that align with customer needs, the more likely you are to appear in answers.
The Bigger Picture
AI search is not limited to Google’s AI Overviews. People are asking ChatGPT for recommendations. They’re using Perplexity to compare providers. They’re relying on Claude for advice.
For businesses built on high-intent search, this is where customer discovery is moving. The shift is already happening, and the implications are significant. You can’t buy placement with ads. You can’t assume organic SEO alone will cover you.
The winners will be the ones who measure visibility in AI search today and adapt before competitors pull ahead. If your growth depends on high-intent search, AI search is fundamental to customer acquisition.