Marina Lyubimova
Artificial intelligence is quietly reshaping how people discover brands online. A new consumer study from Semrush surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, asking them to rate their trust in AI-generated brand recommendations on a scale from 1 to 5. The findings offer a revealing snapshot of how tools like ChatGPT are entering the early stages of the buying journey and what that means for brands competing for digital visibility.
AI often acts as an initial discovery channel rather than a final decision-maker in the shopping process.
The results show that consumer trust in AI recommendations is largely moderate to strong. A combined 75% of respondents rated their trust at level 3 or 4 out of 5, with 35% choosing level 3 and 40% selecting level 4. Another 20% gave the maximum rating of 5, indicating full confidence in AI-generated suggestions. Skepticism remains a minority position: only 5% rated their trust at level 2, and just 2% said they do not trust AI recommendations at all.
Consumers Verify AI Picks Before Buying
Despite the broadly positive sentiment, the Semrush data makes clear that AI tools are not yet the final word in purchase decisions. Many respondents reported cross-checking AI-generated suggestions through search engines, official brand websites, and online reviews before committing to a buy. This pattern positions AI as a starting point for product research rather than a standalone authority, suggesting brands need a presence across multiple touchpoints to convert AI-driven discovery into actual sales.
AI Visibility Is the New SEO Battleground
The broader implications for digital marketing are significant. As generative AI tools expand their reach, appearing in AI-generated answers is rapidly becoming a new form of competitive advantage, one that sits alongside, and in some cases ahead of, traditional search rankings.
The Semrush study adds to a growing body of research reshaping conversations around brand strategy, content discoverability, and AI Search Visibility Becomes New SEO Battleground: Semrush's Framework, which explores in depth how companies can optimize their presence in recommendation-driven AI environments. For brands, understanding how AI tools surface and rank suggestions is fast becoming as critical as any traditional SEO investment.
Marina Lyubimova
