The spread of AI-powered search engines could rearrange how companies compete for online visibility and create opportunities for smaller, specialist firms, BP Digital says. The agency examined the presence of 25 private healthcare brands across 500 AI-generated answers in its recent study.
Key findings from BP Digital
The Trend Report ran ten prompts that model real patient scenarios, each executed fifty times to produce the 500 AI responses. In that sample the highest Visibility Score was 11.6% for Budai Egészségközpont. Waberer Medical Center reached 9.7% and Medicare 9.5%.
BP Digital found that competition for visibility in AI-based search is considerably more fragmented than in traditional organic search: visibility is spread among multiple actors and different brands surface for different metrics. Company size alone does not guarantee advantage across all digital channels.
AI-driven traffic is growing fast but remains small
According to BP Digital’s client measurements, monthly clicks coming from AI tools may have increased roughly tenfold over a single year. In the agency’s examined sample, these AI referrals currently correspond to about 3–5% of organic Google traffic. BP Digital also noted that in sectors such as tourism and private healthcare, customers and patients are already using AI to prepare decisions.
Although AI-sourced volume is still far below Google’s traffic, the rapid growth makes AI visibility a strategic concern—especially in B2C areas where users ask complex questions and compare services.
Three areas that determine AI visibility
BP Digital identifies three factors that can influence a company’s visibility in AI search:
- Named expert content: linking knowledge to identifiable professionals (doctors, engineers, consultants) is more advantageous than generic corporate text.
- Structured answers on the company website: clear presentation of prices, service terms, processes and FAQs facilitates processing by AI systems.
- External authority: digital PR goes beyond link building and includes credible press coverage, expert interviews, reviews and brand mentions on relevant external platforms and communities.
GEO versus traditional SEO: complementary, not replacement
Szesztay Péter, CEO of BP Digital, stressed that Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) builds on the technical and content foundations of traditional SEO rather than replacing it. While classic search engines often show stable power structures that develop over time with dominant big players, generative AI systems assemble answers on a per-query basis and frequently surface niche specialists.
"This match is far from decided in GEO, and result lists are not as static as in traditional search. That gives small and medium players a realistic chance to overturn previous market balances," Szesztay said.
He added that digital PR is entering a prime phase: building an AI presence requires quality press coverage, interviews and credible brand mentions. Combining SEO and GEO will likely become standard practice to strengthen professional credibility across multiple search surfaces.
Conclusion
BP Digital’s results indicate that although traffic from AI is still a small portion of overall online traffic, the fragmentation of visibility and rapid growth of AI search create genuine opportunities for smaller, expert-focused companies. Firms should therefore prioritize expert-linked content, well-structured site information and external digital authority to improve their chances of appearing in AI-generated answers.
