Below I expand each quick-list item into the practical mechanics and actions teams should take - aligned to the exact predictions above.

1. AI-generated content will skyrocket

• What’ll happen: Content volume explodes; noise rises. Only content with unique evidence or an authoritative POV gets cited by AI answer systems.

• What to do about it: Use AI to draft and iterate, but layer in proprietary data, expert quotes, and concise extractable sections so models can easily cite you.

  
  

2. The fundraising bubble will burst

• What’ll happen: Consolidation accelerates; fewer, larger players control distribution and tooling.

• What to do about it: Prioritize vendor resilience, exportable data, and integrations; favor partners with scale and clear SLAs.

  
  

3. ChatGPT (and similar) will roll out ads or ad-like placements

• What’ll happen: Paid placements inside chat interfaces create prompt-level demand signals and paid + organic feedback loops.

• What to do about it: Track paid prompt performance, test intent-driven creative, and treat chat ad signals as a new keyword-research input.

  
  

4. Paid and organic will blend even more

• What’ll happen: Interfaces show blended inventory; paid influences what gets surfaced as an answer.

• What to do about it: Coordinate paid campaigns and content to shape the answer-layer - not just landing pages but the evidence snippets agents use.

  
  

5. 2–3 new “platforms to rank for” become mandatory

• What’ll happen: LLM chat platforms, Perplexity-style answer engines, and community surfaces (Reddit/forums) become primary discovery layers.

• What to do about it: Pick 2–3 priority platforms, build extractable assets for each (FAQ blocks, short canonical answers, community playbooks), and measure SOV per platform.

  
  

6. AI search will drive more revenue than classic organic in many categories

• What’ll happen: Fewer low-value clicks, more recommendation-driven conversions and agent-driven purchases.

• What to do about it: Reframe attribution, track assisted conversions from AI platforms, and optimize for recommendation-readiness (clear value statements, pricing, proof).

  
  

7. “SEO is dead” keeps trending (but it’s wrong)

• What’ll happen: The discipline reframes from ranking to visibility engineering across multiple answer surfaces.

• What to do about it: Expand SEO skillsets to include entity modeling, source credibility, and structured evidence that models can use.

  
  

8. Google pushes an agentic browser direction

• What’ll happen: Agents can browse, interact, and complete tasks - meaning vendors are chosen by agents, not just by answers.

• What to do about it: Make product and policy data machine-friendly (APIs, structured feeds), minimize friction for agent actions (forms, trial signups), and prioritize trust signals.

  
  

9. Black hat SEO will target AI search

   • What’ll happen: Manipulated citations, synthetic reputation, and prompt injection attempts will surface.

   • What to do about it: Monitor for malicious signals, harden public pages against prompt-injection patterns, and amplify genuine citations via trusted channels.

   
   

10. . AI Mode absorbs AI Overviews

    • What’ll happen: Single-shot overviews give way to persistent conversational paths; visibility requires coverage across the user journey.

    • What to do about it: Create content sets (short answers + linked deeper pages + evidence snippets) that support follow-ups and sustained conversational context.

      
      

11. Half of AI search tools will disappear

    • What’ll happen: Tool churn and consolidation will remove many niche measurement providers.

    • What to do about it: Keep a short tool stack, ensure exportable data, and scenario-plan for acquisitions or shutdowns.

      
      

12. Perplexity gets acquired (or is in M&A conversations)

    • What’ll happen: Major acquisitions change citation ecosystems and integration priorities.

    • What to do about it: Treat platform ownership shifts as plausible and plan for rapid integration or reprioritization of where you publish evidence.