by Molly George

If you’ve spent the last decade investing in search engine optimization, congrats! You were doing everything right! 

Now, forget (almost) all of it. 

Okay, not everything. But the rise of AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews has fundamentally changed how people find information online. And that means the rules for brand visibility are shifting fast – especially for B2B companies who rely on discovery to get into the early consideration set. 

Let’s break down how traditional SEO differs from AI search, and what that means for your brand moving forward. 

The new search reality: one answer, not ten pages 

In the old search model, showing up on page two or three of Google was still a win. Not ideal, but better than nothing. Users had the option to scroll, skim, and click around at their discretion. 

AI search doesn’t work like that. 

Whether someone’s using Google’s AI Overviews or asking ChatGPT for vendor recommendations, there’s no scrolling through dozens of blue links anymore. You’re either in the result, or you’re not. And if you’re not, you’re invisible. 

That raises the stakes significantly. Your brand has a much smaller window of opportunity, and fewer chances to make a lasting impression. 

Keywords don’t cut it anymore 

Old school SEO was about optimizing for keywords like “sales enablement” or “best CRM software.” But AI search is more conversational – and way more contextual. Instead of looking up clipped phrases, people are asking ChatGPT in-depth queries like, “What’s the best CRM software for a startup with a remote team and small sales org?” 

It’s not about matching exact phrases anymore. It’s about anticipating what questions your ICP might ask, answering them thoroughly, and doing so across trusted channels that influence AI engines. 

Your job is to find out what those high-intent questions are (hint: your sales team probably hears them all the time), and make sure you’re providing thoughtful, authoritative content that answers them – ideally in multiple places across the web, not just your blog. 

Zero-click search is the new normal 

You know those beautifully optimized landing pages you’ve been working on for years? The ones with the perfect H1 and an FAQ section at the bottom? Keep them, but don’t count on them being your main source of traffic. 

In AI search, users don’t always click through. Because AI summarizes. It cites. It curates. That means your content (and your brand’s presence) needs to be discoverable and credible across a wide mix of channels: podcasts, analyst reports, Substacks, LinkedIn, third-party blogs, media articles…we could go on. 

The more places you can document knowledge about your brand, the more likely AI is to find and disseminate that knowledge to searchers. 

Why this matters for your bottom line 

Here’s the stat that should keep every CMO up at night: 90% of buyers ultimately choose a vendor from their initial consideration set. If you don’t show up in that early research phase (which is increasingly powered by AI), your chances of closing the deal drop to just 17%. 

In other words, this imperative goes far beyond traffic. It’s about revenue. 

The good news is, if you’ve been investing in content, thought leadership, and brand credibility, you’re not starting from zero. But it is time to rethink your strategy – not just how you rank, but how you get referenced, cited, and surfaced across the channels that matter most to both your audience and the algorithms. 

At Kickstand, we’re helping brands do exactly that. In fact, we literally wrote the playbook on it. 

We’ve also got new research coming soon that explores how GTM teams are adapting to this shift in real time, so keep your eye out – you don’t want to miss it!