Semantic search retrieves content based on meaning rather than exact keyword match. Instead of looking for pages that contain the same words as the query, it uses embeddings to find pages whose meaning is closest to the intent behind the query, even when the wording is different.
For brands, semantic search changes how content gets found. Optimizing for a single exact keyword matters less than covering a concept clearly and completely, because the system matches on intent. Content that answers the underlying question well can surface for many phrasings of that question, which is the foundation of how AI assistants retrieve and cite sources.