A new white paper from S4Capital’s Monks says the rapid rise of AI-driven search is forcing brands to rethink how they remain visible in an increasingly machine-mediated world.
Titled “Discovery Rewired: The Essential Guide to AI Search, Engine Optimization, and Growing Your Share of Model,” the report offers a strategic framework for CMOs and digital leaders, particularly in the Asia Pacific. The paper notes that the shift from keyword-based search to AI-mediated answers has made traditional SEO incomplete, urging marketers to adopt Engine Optimization (EO) to maintain and expand brand discoverability.
The paper additionally identifies a “fundamental fracture” in online discovery, noting that AI agents such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews increasingly deliver direct, “zero-click” answers that bypass brand websites. Citing Onelittleweb’s 2025 data study, it reports that AI search engines have grown 80.92% year-over-year, highlighting a rapid change in consumer search behavior.
To address this evolution, the white paper introduces Engine Optimization (EO) as a strategic discipline focused on shaping how AI systems interpret, retrieve, and reference brand information across the web.
Central to this framework is Share of Model (SoM), a new metric measuring how frequently, accurately, and favorably a brand is cited in AI-generated responses. The paper positions SoM as the leading indicator of visibility in an AI-driven digital landscape, replacing traditional metrics such as rank and clicks.
“In the age of unified growth, our focus must always be on what drives maximum client value and competitive advantage,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder and Executive Chairman of S4Capital.
“The strategic imperative is clear: you must be where the consumer is. As discovery is being rewritten by AI, a disciplined, data-led approach like Engine Optimization is essential for brands to stay visible, trusted, and recommended in every emerging digital ecosystem.”
“In APAC our Clients recognize that Gen Z and Millennials now use platforms like TikTok and ChatGPT as their primary discovery engines – shifting consensus, preference, and purchase intent faster than ever,” said Fay Denis du Peage, SVP, Media at Monks APAC.
“EO isn’t theoretical; it’s a live framework reshaping content budgets, platform priorities, and marketing KPIs from Sydney to Singapore to Shanghai.”
The report warns that inaction is no longer an option – brands that fail to adapt risk being “optimized out of the conversation by the machines.” Discovery Rewired outlines a practical roadmap for CMOs to build an EO capability, prioritising structure, citations, and trust signals to influence Large Language Model (LLM) responses.
“The digital landscape is undergoing a systemic rewiring, and as machines increasingly mediate the consumer journey, brands must adapt their entire digital footprint,” said Joseph Tague, Director, Strategy & Planning at Monks APAC.
“EO fundamentally impacts every aspect of marketing – from Product and Customer Success to Content and PR. LLMs are trained by citing consensus, and our research shows that over one-third of AI citations come from community-driven sources like Reddit and Quora, while less than 10% come from brand.com. Securing visibility now means ensuring your digital ecosystem operates as a unified, authoritative source – delivering not only a top-class product and experience but also consistent, structured, and machine-readable communications.”
The Discovery Rewired whitepaper is available for download here.
Featured image by Anna Shvets.
