When the customer journey starts in an AI chat: looking back at the breakfast seminar at Optimizely

When Optimizely Norway invited us to host a breakfast seminar on how AI is changing the customer journey, we immediately said yes. Not because we lack opportunities to speak about AI visibility, but because this was a room filled with people who actually own the problem: marketing managers, heads of digital, and communications professionals from business, interest organizations, and public agencies, who see traffic patterns shifting and need to explain why to management. We were eager to hear from them about what they are thinking and experiencing right now. 

Three questions we started from

We structured the session around three central questions:

What does the customer journey actually look like now?

Users ask AI assistants, get a synthesized answer, and rarely click through. If they have made a purchase decision, they often visit the website directly and complete the purchase in record time. They leave few traces behind, and we are left with little information about the actual customer journey. What makes this especially interesting is that Norwegians are the most AI-active consumers in Europe (Eurostat). Consequently, an increasing number of purchasing decisions or information searches do not start in a search bar, but in a conversation with ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews. So the question is no longer whether you rank on page one, but whether you are part of the answer the AI assistant provides. 

Which KPIs make sense when the old ones no longer hold up?

Organic traffic and click-through rates tell less and less of the story. If we are visible in the answers AI provides, we have to expect less traffic to our website. We showed how we work with prompt monitoring to measure mention rate, citation rate, and share of voice, and why this needs to be tracked regularly, not just once.

What does it take in practice? 

Here we got down to specifics: how content must be structured to be pulled in as a source, why technical accessibility for AI crawlers is a must, and which sources the models rely on. We also discussed the potential impact of having AI write and publish content for us.

It wasn’t just about sales

At Sikte AI, we have typically focused on the commercial side of AI visibility: being recommended, driving sales, and winning the customer before the competitor does. But in the room, there were also specialists from interest organizations and public agencies, where the primary goal is ensuring that the correct information reaches the public. For them, AEO/GEO is just as critical. Their goal must be to become the source that AI cites.

When people ask ChatGPT about regulations, rights, or advice, AI answers regardless. The question is whether that answer is built on your expertise or on outdated and incorrect sources. That is why there was a lot of talk about owning the conversation and building the authority that makes you the source AI cites. It takes time to build trust and authority, which is why we recommend that everyone start their AEO/GEO efforts now. Those who position themselves early will gain a valuable head start. 

Feel free to read the article: SEO vs AEO vs GEO in 2026 - the complete comparison for more on this.

What we learned from the audience

What made the morning special wasn’t our presentation material, but the discussions. Several people in the room had already begun spotting patterns in their own data: referrals from AI services appearing in analytics tools, traffic numbers that are nonetheless declining, and an uncertainty about how to explain this internally.

Two takeaways stood out to us in particular. First: many already have the necessary content, but it is optimized for humans and search engines, not for large language models. Second: the need for measurement is urgent. It’s hard to prioritize something when you can't see its impact. 

Wondering how you can measure AI visibility? Read the article: How to measure AI visibility: 5 KPIs Norwegian businesses should track

Thanks to Optimizely

A big thank you to Optimizely Norway for the invitation and for setting up an arena that provided just as much room for conversation as for the presentation. And thanks to everyone who attended, challenged us, and shared their own experiences.

Want to know where your business stands in AI responses?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is traffic decreasing even though we are visible in AI answers?

Because many users get the answer directly and never click further. Declining traffic is therefore not automatically an alarm bell. Also look at conversion rates, cost per acquisition, and the share of direct traffic.

How do we measure visibility in AI answers?

By conducting prompt monitoring, which involves regularly testing a set of relevant queries across major AI platforms and tracking three key metrics: how often you are cited (citation rate), how often you are mentioned (mention rate), and your category share of mentions (share of voice).

Who is Optimizely Norway?

Optimizely is an international digital experience platform provider offering CMS, e-commerce, and experimentation tools, among others, and Optimizely Norway is the company's Norwegian office, helping local businesses build and optimize their websites and customer journeys.

Is AEO/GEO only relevant for those selling products or services?

No. For public sector entities and advocacy groups, it is all about ensuring accurate information is delivered when citizens ask AI about rules, rights, and advice. AEO/GEO is just as essential here.

Does Sikte AI deliver talks on AI visibility (AEO/GEO)?

Yes, Sikte AI has established itself as an experienced player in this field and has delivered seminars on AI visibility across several industries and disciplines in recent months. Here you can find more information about talks and inspiration sessions delivered by Sikte AI.