October saw AI Search expand its influence over how brands are discovered, represented and recommended. Google’s AI Overviews are now appearing across the vast majority of branded searches, while ChatGPT’s latest updates are changing how people interact with answers, moving beyond text into charts, tools and interactive experiences. At the same time, the sources shaping AI answers are coming under greater scrutiny. New research highlights both a growing preference for original, authoritative information and the ease with which misinformation can spread across AI platforms. Meanwhile, developments in AI advertising, publisher compensation and website discovery are creating new opportunities and challenges for brands.
Here are the key AI Search updates from October and what they mean for marketers.
1. AI Overviews now appear on more than 80% of branded searches
An Ahrefs analysis of 232.8 million US desktop search results found AI Overviews appearing on 82.9% of branded searches, up from just 13.1% in November 2025. For major brand queries, 76% appeared above the brand’s own website, with Wikipedia, YouTube and LinkedIn among the most frequently cited external sources.
Why it matters: Branded search is becoming another area where AI shapes how consumers perceive a brand before they reach its website. Marketers should audit branded queries, review what AI Overviews say about their brand and ensure information across influential third-party sources is accurate and consistent.
2. OpenAI brings visual advertising into ChatGPT
OpenAI announced a new visual ad format appearing alongside AI-generated images in ChatGPT, initially testing with US users on free and lower-cost plans. The company is also expanding its advertising measurement capabilities through partnerships with attribution, incrementality and brand-suitability providers.
Why it matters: ChatGPT is developing into a more sophisticated advertising channel, giving brands new opportunities to reach consumers within AI-powered experiences. Marketers will increasingly need to consider paid placements alongside organic AI visibility, understanding how each contributes to discovery, consideration and performance.
3. Google’s AI publisher payments reveal significant disparities
New reporting offers the first insight into Google’s AI Contribution pilot, which compensates publishers whose content contributes to answers across AI Overviews, AI Mode and Gemini. Among roughly 100 participants, reported earnings range from under $1,000 in total to over $1 million annually, with limited transparency around how payments are calculated.
Why it matters: Google is beginning to attach financial value to content used in AI-generated answers, potentially creating a new revenue stream for publishers. However, the significant differences in payouts and lack of reporting transparency raise questions about how content contributions are measured and rewarded.
4. GPT-6 brings interactive answers to ChatGPT
OpenAI’s GPT-6 introduces a more interactive approach to AI answers, presenting information through charts, comparison tables, forms and tools rather than traditional text alone. Users can now complete tasks such as calculations directly within ChatGPT, while OpenAI reports that web-search answers start 44% faster than with GPT-5.6.
Why it matters: As AI handles more tasks directly, content such as calculators, comparisons and informational guides may face greater competition from AI-generated experiences. Brands need to focus on providing distinctive value while understanding how their information is represented and cited across different answer formats.
5. Anthropic tightens its rules on AI search manipulation
Anthropic updated Claude’s usage policy to prohibit deceptive campaigns designed to influence AI answers through fake publications, reviews and website networks. The change follows an investigation into an organisation operating approximately 70 fake news sites and nearly 9,000 AI-generated articles to build search authority, which Anthropic subsequently banned.
Why it matters: AI providers are increasingly taking action against attempts to manufacture credibility through deceptive content. For brands and agencies, this introduces additional risks beyond traditional search penalties and reinforces the importance of earning genuine mentions from credible, independent sources.
6. AI matches Google among younger beauty shoppers
A Stella Rising survey of 511 US beauty consumers found that 24% of shoppers in their 20s start product searches with AI tools, matching Google, while TikTok follows at 20%. Across all age groups, 60% use AI somewhere in their shopping journey, highlighting its growing role alongside social media, traditional search and marketplaces.
Why it matters: Beauty shoppers are increasingly moving between platforms to discover, research and purchase products. For brands, this reinforces the importance of an omnichannel search strategy that ensures consistent visibility, messaging and product information across AI, social, Google and retail environments.
7. Google Discover could become an AI-powered assistant
Recent Google job listings suggest plans to transform Discover into a proactive, hyper-personalised experience that anticipates user needs and helps them achieve goals. Although Google has not confirmed a product overhaul, the language points towards a potential shift from recommending content to helping users take action.
Why it matters: If implemented, this could create another opportunity for brands to reach audiences through AI-powered recommendations. Marketers may need to consider Discover as part of their wider AI visibility strategy, prioritising content that addresses user needs and monitoring how it appears in personalised experiences.
8. ChatGPT increasingly favours original, authoritative sources
An Ahrefs study examining ChatGPT citations in US answers found a growing presence of institutions and primary sources, including PubMed, the FDA and financial regulators. Meanwhile, Reddit and Wikipedia citations declined, suggesting ChatGPT may be placing greater emphasis on original, authoritative information over content that summarises other sources.
Why it matters: Original research, first-hand expertise and accurate first-party information could become increasingly valuable for AI visibility. Brands should focus on producing content that contributes genuine knowledge and demonstrates credibility, rather than simply repackaging information already available elsewhere.
9. AI search tools cite a fake concept within a week
Researchers at Fudan University invented a fictional concept called the “Cactus Gravity Protocol” and published fabricated information across platforms including Medium and YouTube. Within one week, 8 out of 10 AI search tools tested were citing the concept, with some repeating deliberately planted false details.
Why it matters: The findings highlight how easily misinformation can spread through sources that AI platforms frequently rely on. For brands, this creates reputational risks, particularly when false claims appear on influential third-party platforms. Monitoring AI answers, coverage and sentiment is increasingly important for identifying and addressing misinformation.
10. ChatGPT Search gains access to hundreds of millions of pages
A pilot between Cloudflare and OpenAI has helped ChatGPT Search discover and index hundreds of millions of additional web pages. By using signals from Cloudflare’s network, OpenAI can identify new and updated content more efficiently, expanding the information available for AI-generated answers. However, discovery does not guarantee a citation or recommendation.
Why it matters: Technical accessibility is becoming an important foundation of AI visibility alongside content quality and authority. Brands should ensure relevant AI search crawlers can access their websites and distinguish between search access and model training permissions. Being discoverable creates opportunities, but selection still depends on relevance and credibility.
11. Google makes website links more prominent in AI answers
Google is introducing changes to AI Mode and AI Overviews designed to make websites more accessible from AI-generated answers. Updates include more prominent links, related articles with image thumbnails and expanded news carousels, alongside tests highlighting official websites where users can complete specific tasks.
Why it matters: These changes could create more opportunities for brands to attract website visits from AI-powered search, although increased link visibility does not guarantee more traffic. Marketers should monitor whether their content is being cited, how prominently links appear and whether those links help users take meaningful next steps.
12. ChatGPT Ads expands to 26 more countries
OpenAI announced the expansion of ChatGPT Ads into 26 additional countries, bringing availability to 89 markets worldwide. More than 100,000 advertisers have reportedly launched campaigns since the platform’s introduction, with ads appearing on ChatGPT’s Free and Go plans as users research products and compare options.
Why it matters: ChatGPT is becoming a more established advertising channel, offering brands opportunities to reach consumers during active research and consideration. Advertisers should approach the platform with defined objectives, controlled testing budgets and clear performance measurement, while evaluating paid placements separately from organic AI visibility.
What We’re Watching Next
With AI answers becoming more interactive and AI advertising expanding, the next challenge for brands will be understanding how these changes translate into measurable visibility and performance.
We’ll be watching how Google develops its AI-powered search experiences, how ChatGPT’s advertising offering evolves and whether AI platforms become more transparent about the sources shaping their answers.
Want to understand how your brand is showing up in AI Search? Let’s talk.
