Search.com, a division of Public Good Inc., today entered the generative artificial intelligence space with a new platform that aims to rethink how consumers, publishers and brands interact with search.

The new service combines AI-powered chat with a cash-back and monetization model, allowing users to earn rewards for purchases while providing publishers with revenue sharing and attribution for content integrated into AI results.

Search.com is being pitched as an alternative to traditional AI tools by removing paywalls and adding financial incentives. Users can interact with AI chat capabilities similar to other large language model-powered tools but earn cash-back, discounts and special offers from premium brands along the way.

The site offers a membership program that provides up to 10% cashback on purchases made through the platform. “Our cash-back approach not only democratizes AI search but also fosters stronger connections between consumers, publishers and brands,” said President Melissa Anderson.

The platform also seeks to address concerns among publishers about content scraping and monetization. Instead of charging publishers to integrate search capabilities or using their content without compensation, Search.com offers a revenue share and attribution model. The idea is to allow publishers to turn search into a profit center while maintaining visibility and control over their content.

“Publishers have gotten the short end of the stick and we’re here to change that,” added Anderson. “We are passionate about how our publisher monetization solutions support journalism.”

For brands, Search.com provides a clean, ad-friendly environment that supports contextual engagement in what the company calls “moments of motivation,” high-intent queries where users are actively seeking products or services. Ads are shown in a clutter-free interface designed to capture full user attention.

Search.com is backed by Public Good, which since July 1 has been owned by Ad.com Interactive Media Inc., which provides contextual AI-powered engagement tools to advertisers and media companies worldwide. The company says it’s focused on building equitable AI solutions that work for all stakeholders in the evolving digital landscape.

Ad.com itself has a long legacy in the advertising technology space. Originally founded as Advertising.com in the late 1990s, the company was acquired by AOL in 2004 for $435 million and played a key role in shaping AOL’s early digital ad business. Though the Ad.com brand has evolved over time, it remains closely associated with performance-driven marketing and large-scale ad network operations, experience that now underpins the monetization strategies behind Search.com.

Search.com’s new AI platform is accessible via desktop and mobile on both iOS and Android.

Image: Search.com