For years, we got used to “talking” to search engines with short, dry keyword strings. Today, however, we are quickly moving into the so-called “conversational” model, where people prefer to ask complete questions that mirror everyday language. So, while queries like “best smartphone camera night” used to dominate, most users today would write “What is the best smartphone for night photography?”. A historic shift that Forbes has called “perhaps the largest shift in the history of the Internet.”

In practice, search engines are no longer just matching pages that contain the terms we type; they are turning into true intelligent assistants, able to understand context, interpret intent, and deliver already-summarized answers. For brands, this is a revolution: relying on classic SEO strategies to climb rankings is no longer enough. Competition is shifting from link placement to the ability to make content relevant and “AI-ready,” so that it can be selected and cited directly by AI assistants filtering information for the user.

In China, the conversational model has already become an integral part of everyday digital life. Baidu, with its Ernie Bot, along with platforms like WeChat and Douyin, are training users to interact using natural language, while also allowing them to include text, images, or voice inputs in their queries. The benefits? A more natural experience, less effort in formulating searches, more accurate answers, and above all, the ability to sustain an iterative dialogue where users can ask follow-up questions without having to retype the entire query. While older users remain largely tied to the traditional keyword-based logic, younger generations, students, and professionals have already made “question-based search” their go-to tool.

In Europe and the United States, conversational search is evolving at a more cautious pace. While Google is experimenting with its AI Mode, an evolution of the Search Generative Experience, Microsoft has already integrated ChatGPT into Bing. AI-generated answers in the West, however, tend to maintain a largely “encyclopedic” style: they provide detailed explanations, summaries from multiple sources, and present themselves almost like a consultant gathering information.

By contrast, the approach in China is far more practical and action-oriented: in addition to providing data and context, users are also guided on where to book or make purchases. In short, AI-driven search in China doesn’t stop at delivering knowledge: it acts as a direct bridge to services and transactions.

For brands, the real turning point is clear. Today it’s no longer enough to simply be found, but they need to enter the conversation and become part of the answer the user receives.

Take this example: if a user in China asks “Which watch brands are colorful and creative this year?” and a company in the sector has published optimized content recognized as relevant, the AI will feature it directly in its response, perhaps even alongside a link to a mini-shop on WeChat. This is what we mean by plugging into conversational flows: being cited within AI-generated dialogues and becoming an integral part of the user’s experience. Equally important are mentions from users and media, which AI interprets as signals of credibility and uses to determine ranking positions.

As Forbes points out, brands today must optimize their online presence not just for people, but also for bots and AI agents. That means building fast-loading websites, writing clear texts, and creating content that speaks to two different audiences: the human one and the “artificial” one.