Walmart is already seeing the dramatic shift

According to anew article in Fast Company, Adobe research shows that AI-driven traffic to U.S. retailers increased more thantenfold between July 2024 and February 2025. For Walmart, the shift is already tangible: ChatGPT is now their single largest traffic driver, accounting for a full 20% of their total referral traffic.

What used to require consumers to scroll through pages of Google results, compare prices across several websites, and read reviews — AI now does in seconds. And it shows only two or three options.

From SEO to AEO: why your website is no longer enough

For over a decade, companies have poured enormous resources into SEO — optimizing websites to rank high on Google. But as AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini become the new search engines, the old rules no longer apply.

AI doesn’t care how good your website is. AI cares how good your reputation is.

As the article’s author Justin Ramos explains: unlike Google results, which are influenced by SEO and paid ads, AI recommendations areentirely organic. AI platforms analyze Reddit threads, YouTube reviews, product blogs, and user feedback from public sources. If your brand appears in an AI answer, you’veearnedthat placement — you haven’t bought it.

This is called AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and it requires a completely different strategy from traditional SEO.

Why the time to act is now

AEO is still in its infancy, which meanscompanies that move early have a significant advantage. The Fast Company article underlines this clearly: “early movers have an advantage, so now is the time to act.”

As AI models learn which companies are credible, reliable, and recommended by real users, it becomes increasingly difficult for newcomers to break in. Companies that build their digital reputation now — through genuine customer relationships, positive reviews, and consistent engagement — will become the default recommendations in their categories.

Three concrete steps to succeed with AEO

According to the Fast Company article, there are three critical areas where companies must start working immediately:

  • Measure your current AI visibility:Before you can improve, you need to know where you stand. Try searching for your company and products in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Are you mentioned at all? How are you positioned compared to competitors?
  • Integrate directly with AI platforms:ChatGPT and Perplexity now offer direct integrations for e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Etsy, with up-to-date pricing, inventory, and checkout options. This signals to AI models that your company is established and trustworthy.
  • Nurture your customer relationships:When AI chatbots evaluate which companies to recommend, they look for consistent engagement, positive reviews, and evidence that customers return. Companies that actively run newsletters, request product reviews, and use automated follow-ups will naturally surface in AI recommendations.

As the article’s author puts it: “It’s not about gaming the algorithm; it’s about doing what good businesses have always done, just at a scale that’s actually sustainable.”

How Kaistone helps you navigate the new AI-driven reality

At Kaistone, we’re Sweden’s leading experts in AEO and understand exactly what it takes for your company to appear in AI-generated answers. We have deep experience with how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and other AI platforms analyze and recommend companies — and we know how to position you to become the natural recommendation in your industry.

  • AEO audits:We analyze your current visibility in AI search engines and identify concrete areas for improvement
  • Content optimization for AI:We help structure your content so AI models can easily find, understand, and cite your information
  • Competitor analysis:We map how your competitors are positioning themselves in AI answers and find your unique opportunities
  • Continuous monitoring:We track developments and adapt your strategy to ensure ongoing visibility

We also runregular seminarswhere we share the latest insights on how AI search is reshaping digital marketing — and what Swedish companies need to do to stay ahead.

No one in Sweden knows AEO better than Kaistone. Contact us today to secure your place in the AI-driven market of tomorrow.

Read the full Fast Company article here:The death of SEO: How AI is rewriting the rules of online shopping

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Kaistone was founded on a simple insight: search has changed forever. As AI-powered answer engines replace traditional search results, companies need new ways to be seen, understood, and chosen. That’s why we exist—to makeAnswer Engine Optimization (AEO)accessible, understandable, and effective for companies in Sweden.