If you want to understand why the search landscape is shifting so violently right now, you only need to look at one thing: the difference between an option and an answer.

For twenty years, Google’s job has been to say: “Here are ten blue links. Good luck picking the best one.” It was a choice engine.

But in 2026, the AI Personal Assistant has taken over. Now, the user says, “Tell me which CRM I should buy,” and the AI says: “Here is the answer.”

It doesn’t give you options. It gives you a recommendation.

This “Personal Assistant Pivot” changes everything for B2B brands. If you aren’t the one the AI chooses to recommend, you don’t even get to be an “option” anymore. You’re just… gone.

I’ve been documenting this shift and how to optimize for it through Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). I put together a full breakdown of how to survive this transition over at The SEO System.

Check it out for more detail on the topic > The Personal Assistant Pivot: Optimizing for AI Search