How to think strategically when AI is changing search, discovery, and distribution
AI is shifting how people search, and with it, the first touchpoint of their digital journeys. But the question is not that much about what “they” are doing, it is more what it means for you.
This is one of the biggest distribution shifts in the past 20 years, and the question we should be thinking about is: if digital distribution channels are changing, what does winning look like now?
NOTE:
👉🏻 It’s a longer read, because the topic deserves depth. And focus.
You’ll find the TL;DR version in this LinkedIn carousel but I hope you’ll keep reading below.
Welcome to the distribution disruption era.
In case you didn’t notice, in the past few months, everything happened.
Perplexity is pushing its own browser, from beta now available for everyone.
OpenAI is moving boldly to own the full user journey: from the one-click shop to the “app in app” and their own browser (Atlas) with built-in GPT and agents.
Amazon and Meta are closing their data gates.
And Google? It’s (finally) moving, fighting to win back the internet’s first touchpoint as AI-powered usage rises.
And in the middle of all this, new data on ChatGPT usage revealed that people’s search behaviors are changing. And they’re changing faaaaaast.
If your head is spinning, I’m with you!
I am quite sure that all these changes happening while companies are in their yearly planning phase are not a coincidence. The real skill now is stay calm and strategize in the middle of all the noise. Cut through the hype and figure out your next best step.
I’m doing the same, so here’s my attempt to break it down and go from data, to insights, and action.
The behavioral change is happening — now!
First things first, I think that there is a piece of info that went a bit under the radar while everyone was focusing on the crazy distribution moves...the user behavior.
The TL;DR version is direct and harsh: if you think brand trust and habit will keep users loyal — think again.
Discovery habits are shifting, an increasingly amount of users are starting their journeys in ChatGPT instead of Google (or your website). The first touch points of digital journeys are fragmenting, and they’re fragmenting now.
The OpenAI Data
Where do these insights come from?
Harvard, Duke University, and OpenAI released the first paper on ChatGPT consumer usage (link here).
It’s worth noting that the research is based on OpenAI’s own data, so not an independent source, but still they offer a fascinating perspective as ChatGPT positioned itself as the most used tool in the general consumer space. I think it is safe to say it is the tool that is on everyone’s mouth, and even my aunt, definitely not tech savvy, would mention and use. (I’m a bit more skeptical about the work-related data, as tools like Gemini or Co-pilot may play a bigger role there.)
So, what does the paper say?
My key takeaways:
Global usage is rising — ChatGPT is now “commodity tech.”
The way people search is shifting, in and outside ChatGPT.
Personal usage is growing faster than work usage — not because users are changing, but because they use the tool differently.
Stickiness is impressive: older user cohorts drive usage up over time.
Combining those, we see that seeking advice and asking for guidance are the most common intents (and the ones growing the most!) — not just consuming information, but engaging in deeper, more conversational tasks.
Below two charts showing the stickiness over time and usage trends.
What about Google?
Of course, OpenAI isn’t the only player here. Google is also repositioning, which is part of the reason why things are getting complex.
In a recent episode of Lenny’s Podcast, Rob Stein (VP of Product for Search) shared how search is evolving.
My main takeaway from what he shared is that the core of search is not going away, but is expanding.
Rather than doing the work for users, Google is doubling down on its mission to organize and connect the world’s information….through AI.
Some examples:
Natural-language queries instead of keywords
Summarizing and synthesizing information
Extending Gemini into users’ daily lives
Bringing agents to Gmail
Experimenting with multimodal search (voice and images)
In short: while OpenAI and Perplexity are focusing on doing, Google is doubling down on asking.
Strategic implications
The shift in how people search (especially in their free time) is real and moving fast.
The real battlefield will be discovery and distribution. One thins is really clear to me: everyone wants a bigger slice of those digital journeys. How it will be monetized is a secondary question at this point.
What this means:
The first touchpoint of a search will fragment — from one key player (Google) to several.
User expectations are evolving toward more contextual, content-rich results.
You’ll need to decide whether to meet those needs within your own platform or ensure visibility where users already are.
So you might be thinking: great, the key is “just be visible in multiple places” , doable.
To which I would say, yes….but not so fast — there’s more to consider.
Anticipating Big Tech Moves
Beyond the usage of ChatGPT and Google, there are two other shifts worth lifting into your strategic view:
The AI-powered browser battle — with OpenAI, Perplexity, and The Browser Company (recently acquired by Atlassian) all reinventing browsers to challenge Google’s dominance.
The deepened chat experience — OpenAI is trying to capitalize on its user engagement and move closer to new B2B monetization models. Examples in action:
The “one-click shop” lets users buy directly in ChatGPT. No need to leave the chat.
The “app-in-app” experience integrates partners like Zillow, Spotify, and Booking for smoother, contextual interactions.
These are still early moves, not yet available in Europe, and with many data concerns still on the table.
But they point toward a clear direction: deeper engagement, longer sessions, and integrated transactions.
Strategically, this means you need to decide your stance.
Do you want to be an early innovator, wait and see, or follow fast once the bets are clearer?
We’re witnessing a battle of titans not seen in 20 years. While they edge their bets, your job is to position yourself to act intentionally, not reactively.
How do you strategize in all this?
You read this far, and maybe are thinking: why does this all matter to me and my company? Let them battle it out.
I can assure you, if you have a digital product, this matters. It matters a lot.
Because all these shifts influence how people find you (or your competitors) during their digital journeys.
Things are changing as we speak, and you should not sleep on it. No matter how safe you think your brand trust keeps you. Your brand moat and consumers habits should only define your urgency, not the fact that you have to be aware of the change and prepare to act.
The right strategy for you depends your context, but here are three areas I invite you to reflect on.
1 — Acquisition: how do people find you?
Start with the question: what are users hiring my product to do?
Do they come for something specific, or just happen to find you?
Do they associate your brand with their main job-to-be-done?
How are they discovering you today — and are their behaviors shifting?
The lower your direct traffic and emotional attachment, the more urgent your move.
Fragmentation of first touch points means you’ll need to rethink visibility and presence.
Ask yourself:
Shall we invest in visibility beyond SEO?
Which channels matter most to us — and which can we afford to only keep as is?
Can we run multiple experiments in parallel?
Should our main differentiator be visibility, experience, or both?
The science behind AEO (AI Engine Optimization, the SEO for chatbots) isn’t clear yet, but what we can safely anticipate is that data will matter.
Do your due diligence, understand which data will set you apart, what are your users context, how they find you today, estimate how many users in your market (will) find you via conversational tools in the future, and invest accordingly.
I know, I know it sounds like a lot of ifs and buts, but the signs are there, and you can pick them up.
Just to give you a concrete example.
In the Nordics, where I live, I believe we’ll reach ~70% LLM familiarity within three years, and ~30% starting searches in ChatGPT. This is based on OpenAI growth trends and current penetration numbers, mixed with a dose of gut feels. This means that 1 in 3 could (will?) find you via those chatbots.
If your brand isn’t top of mind, this could be your underdog distribution strategy.
If it is, think about how to turn that trust into advantage (like Zillow or Spotify testing “app-in-app”).
You can also be more data informed and ask your users how they are using external tools or product in their discovery or search with a survey. The results are a goldmine for your next discovery step.
Your move depends on your moat … and your risk and investment appetite.
Which brings us to the next strategic area…
2 — Risk: how much are you willing to invest to find your bet?
Just to make it crystal clear: we’re in the experimentation era.
No clear winners, no proven monetization paths, no fixed digital journeys.
Will users adopt AI browsers, delegate to agents, or stick to trusted brands? We don’t know — yet.
So while you strategize one really important component is to define your stance:
Play it safe: Focus on your data strategy. Watch market signals, usage, and competitors closely.
Be a first mover: Edge your bets like Zillow. Experiment, learn fast, accept some failure.
Data: Decide your openness. Are you opening or closing your data gates? What does that mean for trust and visibility?
Across all strategies, three investment areas remain key:
External visibility — be present where the journey starts. And identify the most important starting points.
User experience — can you leverage UX and user trust as an hard to copy differentiator?
Integrations — Like the app-in-app, one-click, etc. it is about believing that more and more people will want their experience all in one place.
Find your balance, and think about your balance sheet, which leads us to the third strategic area…
3 — Mooooooney: can you absorb the taxes and the disruption coming your way?
One last critical area to think about is how the shift in behavior will get monetized. But also how it could disrupt some monetization models.
Let’s start from big tech monetization, because we know it is coming.
Everything is free now, but we know the playbook: it won’t last. Once someone will reach escape velocity, the bills will start to pop up.
If you want visibility, use the tech, or integrate, one thing is sure: it will cost.
We don’t yet know how much or how (CPCs, partner programs, success fees), but you should start defining different scenarios and estimating the impact.
And while you are at it, take the extra step and imagine a world where your monetization game gets disrupted.
If your product relies on visibility (like a marketplace), ask yourself how to evolve and disrupt yourself before someone else does.
I’ve seen first hand what happened to companies that missed the mobile wave, they simply do not exist anymore. The uncomfortable step of rethinking your core might be the one that keeps you in the game.
So, what now?
If you made it this far: thank you for the intentional time you put into reading.
I know it all feels overwhelming right now, but in all this uncertainty there is one thing you have complete control and can can act on: create flexibility in your strategy.
Things move fast, and we have no crystal ball, unfortunately. The best thing you can do is to understand your users deeply, align around your strategic stance, monitor signals, and adjust.
Obsess about your customers, really really do. Double down on data insights and conversations, set clear guardrail metrics and temperature checks, and move from there.
And when things feel shaky, take a deep breath, and ask someone else in the same boat how they are acting. Shoot me an email if you want talk, we’re all figuring this out together, and I’d love to accelerate the learnings.
Further reading:
If you want to read more in details, here are all the sources:
