Generative AI has rewritten the rules of search. With platforms and models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini competing to deliver synthesized answers, traditional SEO is no longer enough. Today, visibility is won and lost on the playing field of AI-powered search engines.
To understand this paradigm shift, I interviewed Jim Yu, CEO and Founder of BrightEdge, the content performance platform used by over 8,400 global brands. With a track record that includes leading teams at Salesforce and IBM, Jim explains how their platform helps companies navigate the new reality of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and why authority and trust are now more critical than ever
Throughout your professional journey, you’ve worked for major companies like IBM and Salesforce. What led you to create BrightEdge in 2007? How did the idea come about, and what challenges did you face while developing it?
Early in my career, I led product development at Mercator Software, which was later acquired by IBM. The platform I built went on to generate over $100 million in revenue and it taught me what it takes to design enterprise technology that truly scales.
When I joined Salesforce, I saw a different problem: companies were investing heavily in digital marketing, yet organic search — their main source of traffic — was a blind spot. Paid channels were trackable down to the dollar, but there was no way to connect SEO and content performance to real business outcomes.
That realization was the spark for BrightEdge. In 2007, we set out to change the game by building the first enterprise-grade SEO platform to give organizations the same level of visibility and accountability for organic search as other channels. Once we proved the impact SEO could deliver to the bottom line, leading brands quickly came on board. And that trust has fueled BrightEdge’s growth ever since.
BrightEdge is an all-in-one platform that has become essential for more than 20,000 digital marketing professionals from 8,400 brands worldwide. What are the keys to your success? What does your tool offer that others don’t?
BrightEdge was founded with a simple mission: to transform organic search and content into a measurable, strategic advantage for enterprises. As the industry has evolved, our vision has only grown in relevance, and what continues to differentiate us is the combination of scale, innovation, and measurable impact.
Eighteen years ago, we pioneered enterprise-grade SEO technology. A few years later, we began weaving AI into our platform, laying the groundwork for the innovations that followed. In 2015, we introduced DataMind, a deep learning engine that surfaced search trends, competitive threats, and market shifts in real time. In 2018, we accelerated this journey with an AI-First strategy, embedding AI natively across the platform and augmenting our capabilities with Generative AI.
Building on that foundation, we launched Copilot and Autopilot to help marketers move faster from insights to action and automate routine but critical tasks. In 2023, we extended this leadership into AI Search with the BrightEdge Generative Parser, which for the first time enabled marketers to detect patterns in these new experiences (beginning when Google was still calling them Search Generative Experiences). This gave marketers unmatched visibility into how engines like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity interpret and surface information.
Data Cube X delivers the most comprehensive generative research dataset for both traditional and AI Search, helping marketers track performance, monitor customer journeys, and spot trends over time. And with AI Catalyst, brands can see their full presence across AI search engines in one place, right down to how those engines frame a brand’s strengths and weaknesses, so strategies can be fine-tuned with confidence.
Equally important, all of this innovation is unified. Customers aren’t bouncing between disconnected tools or teams. By bringing everything together — from traditional SEO to AI search analytics and recommendations — we ensure insights turn into action that drives growth, efficiency, and stronger customer experiences.
That’s ultimately why so many of the world’s leading brands rely on BrightEdge: we don’t just help them keep up with search. We help them stay ahead of it.
You’ve developed AI-powered tools like Copilot and Autopilot. How do they help companies when addressing their SEO strategy?
When we introduced Copilot and Autopilot, the goal was simple: make SEO less complex and help marketers move from insight to action faster.
Copilot works like your expert advisor. It understands your unique situation then surfaces opportunities, flags issues, and delivers recommendations directly in the workflow, so teams know exactly what to act on. Autopilot takes it further by automating many of the routine but critical tasks, from technical fixes to optimizing content, so marketers can scale their efforts without adding headcount.
Together, these tools shift teams from chasing problems to driving performance. Instead of digging through data, marketers can focus on strategy, creativity, and growth, knowing that Copilot and Autopilot are handling the heavy lifting in the background.
Speaking of AI, this technology is revolutionizing the world of SEO. More and more people are turning to ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini to search for information. How do you think generative AI is transforming user search habits? What implications does this have for traditional SEO strategies?
Generative AI is fundamentally reshaping search behavior. Instead of typing in keywords, then browsing links, then refining the search with more keywords and browsing links again, people now ask questions and expect immediate, synthesized answers, sometimes even next-step recommendations.
That’s a seismic shift for SEO. Ranking for keywords alone isn’t enough anymore. Now it’s about whether AI models understand, trust, and surface your brand in their responses. In other words, how is AI telling your story? Authority and credibility matter more than ever because AI engines are increasingly shaping the answers that drive decisions.
For marketers, this means expanding the playbook. Yes, you still need to optimize for Google, but you also need to understand how your brand is showing up across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. At BrightEdge, that’s why we built AI Catalyst, to give marketers visibility into how they’re showing up in AI-driven environments and the tools to adapt.
The bottom line: SEO is no longer just about being “search-visible,” it’s also about being “AI-visible.” Brands that make that shift early will be the ones that win.
In response to this paradigm shift, Google didn’t fall behind and launched AI Overviews in May 2024 in the U.S. According to a recent study of yours, during the first year of AI Overviews, the CTR in Google search decreased by 30%, but impressions increased by 49%. Tell us about this new reality and how brands can adapt to avoid losing visibility.
The launch of Google AI Overviews changed the way people interact with search results. Our research shows that AI Search can handle most of the user’s research needs, without the need to click through to a site.
For brands, this means visibility can’t be measured by clicks alone anymore. You have to understand how your brand is showing up inside the AI-generated overview. This could mean whether you’re mentioned with or without a citation, how your brand is positioned against competitors, and even the sentiment of that mention.
The takeaway: SEO isn’t disappearing, but the definition of success is evolving. It’s no longer just about ranking on page one, it’s also about ensuring AI engines surface your brand in ways that drive measurable outcomes.
There has been much discussion about the effects of generative AI search engines on news websites and blogs. But how do they affect the eCommerce world? How can online stores turn this technology to their advantage?
We’re seeing a big shift in how people shop online. Instead of starting with a keyword on Google, consumers are asking AI Search Engines for specific product recommendations: “What’s the best moisturizer under $50 for someone with sensitive skin?” or “What are the best running shoes for a 30-year-old male looking to run his first marathon?” The traditional shopping journey is being shortcut by AI agents surfacing specific products and brands directly in the answer.
That creates both challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, shoppers may never reach a brand’s site if the AI provides enough information upfront. On the other, brands that optimize can gain visibility at the exact decision-making moment.
To win in this new landscape, retailers need to expand their approach. It’s no longer just about ranking on Google. Brands must ensure their product data, such as descriptions and reviews, is accessible and easy for AI systems to process. Real-time accuracy is critical, because AI often collects website information instantly in response to searches. If they can’t easily understand or surface your product, they’ll skip it.
Trust signals also matter more than ever. Reviews, ratings, and credible brand storytelling influence whether AI engines choose your product over a competitor’s. It’s harder to measure exactly where traffic comes from, but we know that presence in AI answers is already driving stronger brand recognition and more direct engagement.
What role does the concept of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) play in this new era of content? How should content creation be rethought to be effective in AI-powered engines?
GEO starts with SEO. Traditional search still drives the majority of traffic, so a strong SEO foundation remains the bedrock for any content strategy. At the same time, large language models rely on traditional search indexes to discover websites, whether their own or from third parties. For example, ChatGPT draws from Bing, Claude from Brave, and Google AI Mode from Google.
From there, it becomes about optimizing for the nuances of AI engines, each of which ingests, interprets, and surfaces information differently. That means aligning content with the signals that matter most for discovery in AI contexts — things like authority, schema, entity alignment, and authenticity.
What we do is help marketers optimize once, rank everywhere with a data-driven approach that is focused on actions that drive business results.
In a context where content can be generated at scale by AI, how can brands maintain relevance, differentiation, and authority without falling into overproduction?
AI makes it easy to generate more content, but more isn’t always better. Flooding the web with generic content risks diluting your brand and eroding trust. The brands that stand out will be the ones that focus on quality, not quantity.
That starts with expertise. AI-powered search engines increasingly prioritize trusted, credible sources. Brands that invest in original insights, thought leadership, and well-structured content will continue to surface more often than those chasing volume.
Second, differentiation comes from brand voice and perspective. AI can generate summaries, but it can’t replicate the authenticity of a brand’s story. That human layer matters more than ever.
Finally, staying relevant means being intentional. Brands should use AI to enhance productivity by automating routine tasks, but ultimately applying human creativity to ensure the final product adds real value. That balance prevents overproduction and keeps content impactful.
AI may change how content is produced, but the fundamentals of building authority and trust haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve become more important.
How is BrightEdge responding to all these changes? What innovations have you developed or what approach have you recently adopted to help your clients stay competitive in this new environment?
BrightEdge has always been ahead of shifts in search, and with AI, that commitment is stronger than ever. We’ve built tools to give marketers confidence and control in a search environment that’s evolving fast.
One of our most important innovations is AI Catalyst, the industry’s first solution that shows brands how they appear across generative platforms. It answers the question every marketer is asking right now: “How is my brand being seen in the AI ecosystem?”
We’ve also evolved from being a pure SEO platform into a full AI-driven content performance platform. That means combining traditional SEO signals with real-time AI insights, automating workflows, and surfacing recommendations so marketers can act fast. Tools like Copilot and Autopilot reduce the manual work and let teams focus on strategy and creativity.
Ultimately, our approach is simple: enable brands to optimize once and succeed everywhere. Whether that’s in Google, in an AI overview, or inside an autonomous agent’s recommendations. We see ourselves not just as a technology provider, but as a partner helping enterprises navigate the AI-first era of discovery.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane: what advice would you give to Jim Yu from 10 years ago?
If I could go back 10 years, I’d remind myself to always stay anchored in the fundamentals, even when the hype cycles around technology feel overwhelming. The biggest shifts, from mobile to AI, don’t erase the need for clarity on customer value, data-driven decisions, and building resilient teams.
I’d also tell myself to double down on experimentation sooner. We learned over time that testing new ideas quickly, at scale, is the best way to separate signal from noise.
And maybe most importantly: be patient, but bold. The landscape changes faster than you think, but impact takes longer than you want. The real advantage comes from balancing those two truths.
Finally, what would you say to an SEO professional just starting their career in such a turbulent time?
I’d actually call this one of the most exciting times to be starting a career in SEO. The fundamentals haven’t changed, but the canvas you get to work on is so much bigger now. AI-powered search, generative engines, and new discovery models reshape the field almost daily.
My advice: lean into the change, stay curious, and ground yourself in data. The people who thrive will be the ones who can adapt, experiment, and connect the dots between classic SEO discipline and the new rules of AI-driven discovery.
It’s not turbulence — it’s opportunity. And the skills you build now will put you at the center of how brands grow for the next decade.
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