Insurance companies face a critical shift in how customers find them online, as AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Google AI Overviews replace traditional search rankings as the primary discovery tool. Vero Insurance, a New Zealand-based insurer, has partnered with The Optimisers to overhaul its digital strategy across three emerging optimization disciplines: SEO (search engine optimization), GEO (generative engine optimization), and AEO (answer engine optimization). The move reflects a broader industry awakening to the fact that appearing in AI-generated answers requires fundamentally different strategies than ranking high on Google.

Why Are Insurance Companies Suddenly Worried About AI Search?

The insurance sector faces particular pressure because customers typically make high-trust, high-consideration purchases that involve comparing detailed policy information. When AI systems generate summaries and recommendations, insurers need to ensure their content is not only found but also understood, trusted, and cited accurately by these systems. Vero's engagement with The Optimisers includes workshops for its marketing and communications teams on how customers use tools such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity to research products and compare providers.

Richard Conway, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Optimisers, emphasized the magnitude of this shift. "Search is going through a fundamental and exciting shift. I've not seen a change this impactful since I set up my first Google Ads campaign in 2002," he stated. Conway added that customers are already changing their search habits, with many now using AI systems for recommendations, comparisons, explanations, and next steps.

Richard Conway, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Optimisers

What's the Difference Between Traditional SEO and AI Search Optimization?

Many businesses mistakenly assume that ranking in AI-driven search results follows the same rules as conventional SEO. While some established principles still matter, companies need to account for how AI systems assess trust, structure, and authority. GEO focuses on how a brand is represented in AI-generated answers, while AEO centers on structuring content so it can surface as a direct answer across search and AI platforms. Both sit alongside traditional SEO rather than replacing it.

For marketers, the shift means content has to do more than just rank well in search results. It also has to be clear enough for automated systems to interpret, cite, and present accurately when users ask conversational questions. According to Forrester research, 94% of business buyers now use generative AI during the purchasing journey, making visibility within AI-generated responses increasingly important.

How to Prepare Your Content for AI-Powered Search Engines

• Prioritize Clarity and Structure: AI systems reward content that is clearly organized, well-structured, and easy for automated systems to parse. This means using proper headings, bullet points, and logical information hierarchy that helps AI understand your content's meaning and context.
• Build Authority Through Trusted Sources: Rather than focusing solely on traditional search rankings, brands should strengthen their authority through trusted third-party sources such as customer reviews, partner endorsements, and industry expert citations that help shape how brands appear in AI-powered search experiences.
• Invest in Earned Credibility: Marketers should think beyond traditional SEO by investing more heavily in public relations, influencer marketing, customer reviews, and other forms of earned credibility that AI systems increasingly rely on when generating recommendations and summaries.

Conway explained the competitive advantage for early movers: "There is a huge opportunity now for early adopters. The brands that invest now will be better placed as search becomes more conversational, more fragmented and more decision-led." He stressed that while some SEO fundamentals remain important, companies also need to augment their strategies with activities specifically designed for AI systems.

Conway

Campbell Hodgetts, Executive Manager of Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Sustainability at Vero Insurance, described the company's approach as part of a broader effort to improve the customer experience. "As the way people search for, compare and evaluate information continues to evolve, it's important that we evolve alongside them," Hodgetts stated. The company aims to ensure its content remains accessible, relevant, and easy to find wherever customers are seeking information.

Corporate Affairs, Marketing and Sustainability at Vero Insurance

What Are Marketers Budgeting For in 2027?

The shift toward AI search optimization is already influencing marketing budgets. According to Forrester's 2027 budget planning guides, 89% of B2B marketing decision-makers and 91% of B2C marketers expect marketing investments to increase over the next 12 months. However, the research firm argues that simply spending more will not be enough to keep pace with an AI-driven market.

Rather than increasing spend across existing priorities, marketers are urged to redirect investment toward specific areas that address the AI search shift. Forrester recommends that organizations prioritize the following investment categories:

• Answer Engine Optimization: One of the report's strongest recommendations is for marketers to increase investment in AEO as AI-powered search fundamentally changes how buyers and consumers discover brands and make purchasing decisions.
• Market Intelligence and Governance: Organizations should invest in understanding how AI systems interpret their content and in establishing governance frameworks to ensure accurate representation across AI platforms.
• Marketing-Specific AI Capabilities: Rather than limiting AI to content generation, organizations should invest in AI architects, governance specialists, continuous workforce training, and AI agents that can assist with campaign execution, audience generation, and customer engagement.

For B2B organizations, technology is expected to receive the biggest investment boost, with 80% of marketers planning to increase spending on technology platforms. Personnel and programs follow closely at 76% each. B2C marketers also expect technology to see the strongest spending growth, ahead of services and paid media.

Sharyn Leaver, Chief Research Officer at Forrester, noted that the conversation around AI investment has fundamentally shifted. "Business leaders are no longer planning for a return to stability; they're planning for a future where volatility is a constant," Leaver stated. "The organisations that outperform in 2027 won't be those that spend the most on AI. They'll be the ones that invest in the foundations that make AI effective: trusted data, strong governance, organisational readiness and the ability to continuously adapt as technology and customer behaviour evolve".

Sharyn Leaver, Chief Research Officer at Forrester

The insurance industry's early adoption of AI search optimization signals a broader trend across sectors where customer discovery and decision-making are increasingly mediated by AI systems. Companies that invest now in understanding and optimizing for these new search environments may gain significant competitive advantages as search becomes more conversational, fragmented, and decision-led.