Customers Are Skipping Google and Asking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for Answers
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Dubai, UAE – September 29, 2026: Imagine a potential customer sitting in Dubai, London or New York and asking:
“Which jewellery brand should I trust for an engagement ring?”
Or:
“Which clinic should I consider for this treatment?”
They may no longer begin with a list of websites.
They may ask an AI-powered search engine for the answer.
And that creates a new battle for brands: not simply ranking — but being understood, trusted, mentioned and recommended.
That is where Digital Media Sapiens (DMS), a Dubai-based digital marketing agency with more than 13 years of experience, is expanding its focus across SEO, Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
“For years, businesses have fought to be on page one of Google. Now there is another question: when a customer asks AI who they should choose, does your brand appear in the conversation?” says Sangeeta Butani, Founder and CEO of Digital Media Sapiens.
“We believe brands need to prepare for both worlds — traditional search and AI-driven discovery. The opportunity is not to abandon SEO. It is to make the entire digital presence stronger, more authoritative and easier for search engines and AI systems to understand.”
https://youtu.be/HkFEvLJDrkk?si=vXErpPfO0jTBRCYt
THE SEARCH GAME IS CHANGING
AI is becoming an increasingly important layer between customers and businesses. Google has expanded AI Overviews to more than 200 countries and territories and has continued developing AI Mode as a more conversational search experience. Meanwhile, new research from Conductor found that 94% of surveyed enterprise marketing leaders planned to increase their AEO investment in 2026, while 97% reported that AEO had a positive impact on their marketing funnel in 2025. The implication for businesses is simple:
Visibility is no longer only about where you rank. It is increasingly about whether your brand becomes part of the answer.
SEO + AEO + GEO: ONE VISIBILITY STRATEGY
Digital Media Sapiens brings the three disciplines together rather than treating them as disconnected marketing projects.
SEO — Search Engine Optimisation Builds the technical foundation, relevance and organic visibility needed to compete in traditional search.
AEO — Answer Engine Optimisation Helps structure information so answer engines can understand the questions customers are asking and identify useful, authoritative answers.
GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation Focuses on the broader visibility of a brand across generative AI experiences — including brand mentions, citations, authority and the digital signals that influence how information is surfaced.
The objective is not to chase a new acronym every time technology changes.
The objective is to make your brand easier to find, understand, trust and choose.
FROM “WHERE DO WE RANK?” TO “WHO IS AI RECOMMENDING?”
Digital Media Sapiens works with businesses where trust and visibility can directly influence commercial decisions, including specialist healthcare and luxury sectors.
Its AI visibility approach examines how a brand appears across platforms such as:
- ChatGPT
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Gemini
- Perplexity
- Traditional Google Search
DMS then looks for the gaps.
Are competitors being mentioned when your brand isn’t?
Are AI systems misunderstanding your services?
Are authoritative sources supporting your competitors?
Does your website clearly demonstrate expertise and relevance?
Are your content, technical foundations and digital authority working together?
The strategy combines website analysis, search data, content analysis, competitor research, AI visibility monitoring and ongoing optimisation.
“We don’t want clients to invest in AEO or GEO simply because it is the latest marketing trend,” Butani adds.
“We want them to understand exactly where their visibility stands, what is creating the gap and what actions can improve it. That’s where strategy becomes measurable.”
THE BIG OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES
The companies that adapt early have an opportunity to build visibility while the AI search landscape is still evolving.
But there is an important distinction.
AI search is not a replacement for SEO.
Google continues to emphasise the importance of strong technical foundations, useful content and overall page experience, while its search systems increasingly incorporate AI-generated experiences.
For businesses, the opportunity is therefore broader:
Keep winning traditional search — while building the authority and clarity required for AI-driven discovery.
That is the approach Digital Media Sapiens is bringing to its clients.
FIND OUT HOW YOUR BRAND APPEARS IN AI SEARCH
Digital Media Sapiens is offering businesses an AI Visibility Check to identify how their brand currently appears across major AI search experiences.
The assessment can reveal:
- Whether your brand is being mentioned
- Which competitors appear instead
- What questions trigger visibility
- Where your content and authority gaps exist
- Which opportunities should be prioritised
CHECK YOUR AI VISIBILITY →digitalmediasapiens.com
Because before you invest more in SEO, AEO or GEO, you should know one thing:
Can your customers — and the AI answering them — actually find you?
ABOUT DIGITAL MEDIA SAPIENS
Digital Media Sapiens (DMS) is a Dubai-based digital marketing agency with more than 13 years of experience, specialising in SEO, AEO, GEO, performance marketing, content and digital growth.
Based in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, DMS works with businesses across sectors including healthcare, luxury, financial services and consumer brands.
The agency combines search strategy, performance marketing, content, technology and AI-driven visibility to help businesses become more discoverable, credible and commercially effective across modern digital channels.
DMS participates in the Google Partners programme and holds Google Ads expertise and certifications; Google says Premier Partner status is awarded to companies meeting Partner requirements and ranking among the top 3% of participating companies in a given country each year.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOcWa4pbu_ezGJ6ZQJHpWE43voL6AJPA/view?usp=sharing
Email: info@dmsapiens.com
Phone: +971507867884
Address: 104, Jumierah Bay X2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Media Contact
Company Name: Digital Media Sapiens (Mobile Commz DMCC)
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: +971507867884
City: Dubai
Country: United Arab Emirates
Website: www.digitalmediasapiens.com
Press Release Distributed by ABNewswire.com
To view the original version on ABNewswire visit: Customers Are Skipping Google and Asking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity for Answers
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