Source: Search Engine Journal
Microsoft is now distinguishing between searches that lead to brand websites versus those that convert through AI answers, effectively measuring whether AI results cannibalize direct brand traffic or create new discovery pathways. Marketers have treated all AI citations as equivalent losses, but the real concern is non-branded queries—where consumers actively seek solutions rather than specific brands—being answered entirely by AI without clicks to publishers or commerce sites. The distinction lets brands understand whether AI is stealing their most loyal traffic (branded searches) or blocking entirely new customer acquisition (non-branded searches). How brands should weight SEO investment and AI distribution partnerships depends on which is happening.