SEO Essex, the SEO analysis firm, said in a release distributed by PR Newswire that a majority of marketers are already optimizing for AI-generated search answers. The same analysis found Google query volume has hit an all-time high.

The PR Newswire headline — "Majority of Marketers Are Already Optimizing for AI-Generated Search Answers as Google Query Volume Hits an All-Time High, SEO Essex Analysis Finds" — carries the substantive content of the release as distributed. The body of the release, methodology, sample size, and named spokespersons are not present in the source feed reviewed by Mart Signal.

What is SEO Essex claiming?

Two findings, both stated as conclusions rather than forecasts:

• A majority of marketers — over 50%, by definition — are running optimization work targeted at AI-generated search results.
• Google query volume reached an all-time high in the period covered.

The release treats both as settled findings, not projections.

What does "optimizing for AI-generated search answers" mean operationally?

In current SEO practice, this work targets the answer blocks that Google surfaces through AI Overviews, as well as answer delivery by third-party engines including Perplexity, OpenAI's ChatGPT search, and Anthropic's Claude. Day-to-day execution usually involves:

• Schema and structured-data markup that helps parsers extract entity-level facts
• Conversational, question-shaped headings matched to long-tail queries
• Author bylines, source citations, and E-E-A-T signals (experience, expertise, authority, trust)
• Content rewritten so the first two sentences answer the query directly
• Internal linking that reinforces topical clusters across a domain

If a majority of marketers are running this work, the implication is that the practice has moved past early-adopter status into mainstream operation.

What does the "all-time high" claim change?

Third-party traffic data — including Similarweb's monthly totals for google.com — has repeatedly shown Google handling more queries per month through 2024 than in any prior period. SEO Essex's "all-time high" framing is consistent with that third-party trend, though the firm does not specify which Google metric it relies on.

For operators, the pairing of record query volume with majority marketer adoption means the AI-search channel is no longer an optional bet. Distribution teams ignoring it risk ceding share to competitors who moved first.

What the source does not include

PR Newswire releases of this length typically summarize a longer report. The truncated release surfaced in our feed does not show:

• The percentage above 50% — whether 55%, 70%, or 90%
• Number of marketers surveyed or measured
• Whether "optimizing" means active execution, planning, or stated intent
• Time period studied
• The specific Google metric used for the all-time-high claim
• Geographic or industry breakdown
• A named SEO Essex executive or analyst quoted in the release

What trade readers should do with this

Treat any single headline finding as directional, not as a benchmark. Practitioners running campaigns should:

• Ask vendors and agencies referencing this study for the underlying PDF or dataset
• Cross-check the methodology against independent surveys, including annual reports from BrightEdge, Conductor, and Search Engine Land's industry polls
• Pressure-test vendor-specific claims, since vendor studies often rely on data the vendor itself collected

The next value point arrives when SEO Essex publishes the full study with sample size, dates, and the specific Google metric used. Until then, the headline is a signal, not a benchmark.