How the B2C Customer Journey is Shifting to LLM-based searches

Recent research highlights a fundamental transformation in the B2C customer journey, driven by the mass adoption of Large Language Model (LLM)-based search platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. LLM-powered responses are now compressing the traditional multi-step marketing funnel into a single authoritative answer, shifting where and how consumers discover and evaluate brands.

New Consumer Search Patterns

Studies show that over half of consumers now use AI-driven tools throughout their path to purchase—whether for product discovery, brand comparison, or personalized recommendations. According to McKinsey, almost 50% of purchase-related searches involve generative AI at some stage. Meanwhile, 42% of users trust AI-generated summaries without ever clicking through to a brand site, and “zero-click” searches account for nearly 59% of all Google search activity.

Acceleration and Impact

Adoption rates for AI tool-based search are accelerating. LLM-driven responses are expected to feature in 75% of Google results by 2028, significantly decreasing the influence of traditional web traffic and search rankings (McKinsey). As a result, brands are losing website traffic—20–50% in some sectors—as purchase decisions are finalized directly within AI-generated search results.

Brand Visibility in the LLM Era

To stay relevant, brands are now focusing on visibility in trusted external platforms such as Wikipedia, authoritative review sites, and credible third-party media—sources that LLMs frequently prioritize and cite in generative search outputs. The LLM-GEO framework recommends actions like structured, direct-answer content, robust authorship, and cross-platform reputation building to improve LLM citation rates.

Strategic Recommendations

Brands should:

1. Monitor and optimize their presence on Wikipedia, review aggregators, news, and community forums.

2. Implement technical strategies like structured data and FAQ schema.

3. Ensure content is accurate, transparent, and easily citable.

Continuous adaptation is essential; citation rates and platform priorities are volatile due to rapid LLM algorithm updates (McKinsey). Currently, only 16% of brands actively track their LLM search visibility, underscoring the need for proactive strategy (LLM-GEO).

In summary: As consumers increasingly rely on LLM-based search, brands must evolve from traditional SEO to multi-platform, AI-focused visibility and authority. Those who adapt their content and monitoring strategies now will remain present in the answers that shape the modern customer journey.