# Survey: 81% of marketers still call AI search 'SEO'

Published: 2026-08-24T16:04:14.140Z · Source: Search Engine Land (https://searchengineland.com/ai-search-marketers-call-it-seo-485574)
Source date: 2026-08-24
Flags: Fractl study — vendor-published (author is a Fractl co-founder)
Entities: chatgpt, gemini

A Fractl survey of 343 U.S. marketing decision-makers found 81% still refer to their AI search strategy internally as "SEO," with only 27% having formally adopted newer terminology, per Search Engine Land. Marketers allocate an average of 24% of search and content budgets to AI search visibility, and rank case studies with measurable results (34%) as the top signal of vendor credibility over buzzword fluency.

Why it matters: The vocabulary hasn't caught up, but the budget already has — a quarter of search spend moving toward AI-search visibility while most practitioners still call the work SEO shapes how vendors need to pitch and prove it.

## What this answers

**Do marketers still call AI search optimization 'SEO'?**

Yes — 81% of marketing decision-makers still refer to their AI search strategy internally as "SEO," per a Fractl survey of 343 U.S. marketers reported by Search Engine Land.

**How much budget are marketers putting toward AI search visibility?**

An average of 24% of search and content budgets, with 43% allocating more than a fifth, per the same survey.

**Which AI platform do marketers prioritize most for search visibility?**

ChatGPT, named by 34% of marketers, ahead of Gemini (16%), Claude (6%) and Copilot/Bing (5%), per the Fractl survey.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-08-24-survey-81-of-marketers-still-call-ai-search-seo/
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