Even the most sophisticated AI assistants start their answers somewhere, and that “somewhere” is still the open web. As Google replaces the familiar blue-link page with an AI-first interface, only a handful of authoritative sources will earn a visible citation. Brands that control those citations will shape the narrative, influence purchase journeys, and set the benchmark for trust across every Gemini-powered touchpoint, from Chrome to Gmail. In other words, search optimisation has moved from measuring clicks to safeguarding relevance itself.