The Invisible Funnel: Modeling Generative Intent in the Age of AI

The consumer journey is no longer a linear path of search, click, and research.1 With the rise of large language models (LLMs) and Answer Engines (like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews), a new type of user behavior has become dominant: Generative Intent.

Generative Intent describes the user's primary goal to have the AI create or decide something for them, rather than simply pointing them to a link. This shift is critical because it moves the user away from traditional search marketing (SEO) and places the brand decision directly into the hands of an AI agent—creating an "invisible commerce funnel."

What is Generative Intent?

Generative Intent is the most common category of AI prompts, often accounting for over 37% of user queries in AI search [00:06:31, Josh Blyskal video].

Intent TypeUser Action in a Search Engine (Old Funnel)User Action in an Answer Engine (New Funnel)InformationalClicks link to read an article (e.g., "What is the capital of Peru?")AI gives direct, cited answer.NavigationalTypes "Facebook" to go to Facebook.AI gives direct link or opens app/platform.TransactionalClicks link to a checkout page (e.g., "Buy blue widgets").AI Agent executes the purchase (Agentic Commerce).GENERATIVEClicks link to research frameworks, compare products, or look up templates.AI is asked to create or synthesize: "Write me a sales email," "Create a 30-day marketing plan," or "Evaluate the best CRM for 50 employees."

In the generative model, the user delegates a cognitive task, making the AI the decision arbiter. The user is not looking for a starting point; they are looking for a finished product or a final verdict.

The Generative Intent Model: From Query to Prescription

Modeling Generative Intent requires understanding that the user's need is not satisfied by external links but by the AI's own synthesis. This process can be modeled in three key phases:

1. The Decision Delegation Phase (The Query Fan Out)

When a user expresses a generative need (e.g., "Recommend a new credit card for my startup"), the AI interprets this as a complex, multi-layered problem. It doesn't perform a single search; it executes a Query Fan Out [00:04:16, Zero Click Research video].

  • The AI instantly explodes the request into multiple, synthetic queries ("best startup credit cards 2025," "ramp credit card reviews," "business credit card features").

  • It then collects dozens of URLs, prioritizing sources based on Recency Bias and immediate machine-readability (AEO signals), not necessarily SEO authority.

The result is a near-instantaneous research and comparison process, where the user has completely delegated the complex decision-making task to the machine.

2. The Synthesis and Prescription Phase

This is where Callability wins. The AI reviews the collected data, prioritizing content that is Answer-Forward and structured in Semantic Chunks [00:11:36, Josh Blyskal video].

  • Synthesizing the Verdict: The AI uses its internal "WebGPT" component to evaluate the conflicting sources, giving weight to unique data (like the proprietary "Ramp Rate" metric) and genuine community discussion (Reddit citations) [00:05:40, Zero Click Research video].

  • Prescribing the Solution: Based on its synthesis, the AI acts as a prescriptive agent, offering a direct, unprompted brand recommendation, or even a full framework or document, completing the user's generative task. The user is steered from an abstract problem ("My back hurts") to a specific branded solution ("Herman Miller Aeron chair") [00:11:01, Zero Click Research video].

3. The Zero-Click Conversion Phase

Because the AI has done the decision-making and creation, the customer journey compresses severely. The typical research steps are eliminated.

  • Conversion Spike: Users with high AI involvement (80% of the decision) show a conversion rate as high as 85% [00:07:50, Josh Blyskal video]. They trust the AI's answer and proceed directly to purchase or action.

  • The New Goal: For brands, this means the highest priority is no longer securing a click, but ensuring the AI machine cites your brand when performing its generative task [00:02:54, James Cadwallader video].

To win in the age of Generative Intent, marketing must shift from attracting traffic to ensuring high Callability—optimizing for the machine that is now making the purchasing decisions.

Generative Intent, Callability, Agentic Commerce, Query Fan Out, Answer-Forward Content, PrescriptionFrancesca Tabor