New Book Warns Businesses Risk Invisibility as AI Search Replaces Traditional SEO

While most businesses scramble to understand why their website traffic is mysteriously declining, a new book reveals the uncomfortable truth: traditional search engine usage is dying, and most companies are completely unprepared for what's replacing it. The SPARK Framework: The Blueprint for AI Search Dominance addresses the new discipline of Answer Engine Optimization. In his new book, Lane Houk exposes a seismic shift happening right now in digital visibility—one that threatens to make two-thirds of businesses effectively invisible to the 800 million people using AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews every single week.

The data is startling. According to newly released research compiled in the book, ChatGPT exploded from 400 million to 800 million weekly users in just eight months—a 100% increase that shows no signs of slowing. Google's general search market share plummeted from 73% to 66.9% between February and August 2025—the steepest six-month decline in the company's history. Additionally, 43% of all searches now start with AI assistants instead of traditional search engines, 34% of Gen Z users prefer AI chatbots over Google for information discovery, and 79% of Americans trust AI search engines to provide accurate information.

Traditional SEO focused on one goal: ranking in Google's top 10 results. But AI assistants don't show rankings—they cite sources. The book introduces Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)—a completely new discipline that focuses on making businesses citable by AI assistants rather than merely rankable by search engines. AEO combines advanced traditional SEO strategies with new tactics that specifically address LLM visibility. Companies investing millions in traditional SEO are optimizing for a platform that's hemorrhaging users at the fastest rate in internet history.

Unlike theoretical frameworks, The SPARK Framework provides a month-by-month implementation guide that businesses can execute immediately. The system is already producing dramatic results for early adopters: 150-300% traffic increases from AI-driven search, 50-100+ AI citations per month across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, and 300-500% ROI on AEO implementation compared to traditional SEO alone. The book breaks down into 12 monthly implementation phases, each with specific, actionable tasks including emergency protocol and foundation setup, semantic optimization and entity mapping, platform authority building across AI ecosystems, and answer readiness implementation.

Perhaps the most urgent message in the book is that the window for early-mover advantage is measured in months, not years. Businesses implementing AEO now are gaining 12-18 month leads over competitors—leads that compound as AI assistants continue to cite established authorities more frequently than newcomers. The framework is designed for business owners watching traffic decline without understanding why, marketing directors tasked with figuring out AI search, SEO professionals realizing their skills need urgent updating, and agency owners looking to add high-value AEO services. More information about the approach can be found at https://thesparkframework.com.