Marqii vs Yext

Why We Built the Marqii MCP: Giving Operators Back Control of Their Data

Giving Operators Back Control of Their Data

AI Search and Agents Compress B2B Buying Journey

This CMSWire analysis examines how AI assistants and autonomous agents are transforming the consumer and B2B buying journey, shifting discovery from keyword search to AI-mediated conversations. Key findings include McKinsey's forecast of $750 billion in US revenue flowing through AI search by 2028, and the rise of agentic commerce with protocols like Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP). The article emphasizes that data governance has become a CX discipline, as brands must ensure accurate, machine-readable information to be surfaced by AI. It highlights examples from Amazon's Rufus, Rakuten's AI concierge, OpenAI's Instant Checkout, and Siemens' Industrial Copilot. The piece concludes with actionable steps for CX leaders to adapt, including mapping AI-mediated entry points, treating machine-readable accuracy as a KPI, and preparing for agentic customers.

• McKinsey forecasts $750 billion in US revenue flowing through AI search by 2028.
• Half of consumers already use AI-powered search in buying journeys.
• Amazon's Rufus assistant was used by more than 250 million customers in a year.

Promptwatch CEO on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Promptwatch founder and CEO Gijs de Groot discusses how search behavior is shifting from traditional engines like Google to AI-driven systems, and why brands must optimize across a broader information ecosystem—what he calls Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Promptwatch, founded in March 2025, offers a platform that measures brand visibility in AI dialog systems, uses CDN log data and other signals to recommend technical and editorial optimizations, and has introduced a new solution called "Agentic AI Search Optimization" that can apply optimizations automatically. De Groot stresses the continuing importance of owned websites, high-quality content, and trusted sources while warning against mass low-quality AI content and an exclusive reliance on LLM-centered strategies.

• Promptwatch was founded in March 2025.
• Promptwatch offers a platform to optimize brand visibility in AI-driven dialog systems and to measure visibility in language-model answers.
• Promptwatch's entry packages start at €85 per month; the company also offers business licenses and enterprise solutions.

AI reshapes local search; chatbots join Google

Yext's "Consumer Search Behaviors Report 2026" finds that AI is increasingly a starting point for local search but has not displaced traditional search engines. 84% of respondents say they use such applications more often than a year ago. While 77% still search for nearby businesses via conventional search engines, 41% use AI tools and 39% use social networks. In Germany, 27% of consumers say an AI recommendation led them to contact or visit a previously unvisited local business in the past six months, especially restaurants. Trust in AI answers is mixed: 79% partly trust AI responses, 11% fully trust them, and 96% verify AI answers via other sources. The report signals a hybrid customer journey in which chatbots initiate discovery and users then consult search engines, websites and reviews.

• Yext's "Consumer Search Behaviors Report 2026" found 84% of respondents use search/AI applications more frequently than a year ago.
• 77% of respondents still search for nearby businesses via traditional search engines; AI tools are used by 41% and social networks by 39%.
• 27% of German consumers reported contacting or visiting a previously unvisited local business due to an AI recommendation in the past six months; 48% of those visits were to restaurants, 44% to retail, and 37% to health services.