I’m often asked about what’s working in SEO and paid search right now. With AI transforming how people find and consume information, the landscape has shifted. A lot. This isn’t 2020 anymore. If your strategy hasn’t evolved, you’re playing by rules that no longer apply.
Let’s talk about how AI is reshaping search—and what smart marketers are doing about it.
The Shift: From Search Engines to Discovery Engines
Traditional SEO focused on one thing: Google. But now, people are searching on TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, even inside ChatGPT.
They’re looking for how-tos, walkthroughs, recommendations—and often, they’re getting AI-generated summaries instead of clicking through.
If your brand doesn’t show up in these newer discovery paths, you’re invisible to a growing portion of your market. Being on Google isn’t enough. You need to be everywhere your audience looks.
Case in Point: Britannica’s SEO Reinvention
When we started working with Britannica, they were losing ground fast. Wikipedia dominated the SERPs. Google’s algorithm updates were relentless. AI summaries were stealing clicks. Traffic was plummeting.
We helped them rethink their content from the ground up—focusing on high-authority, evergreen assets aligned with E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) principles. The results speak for themselves:
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1,200 keywords moved from page two to page one
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53% increase in monthly pageviews
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$42 million in annual revenue recovered
They didn’t double down on outdated SEO. They adapted to how AI and users behave today.
SEO Isn’t Dead—It’s Fragmented
Let’s be clear: SEO still matters. But not in isolation.
People search across platforms now. Google is for summaries. TikTok is for visual how-tos. Reddit is for unfiltered opinions. YouTube is for demonstrations. Newsletters and email are seeing a resurgence as direct channels. Even LinkedIn and Meta platforms are turning into search surfaces.
We saw this in action with GS1, where we executed a multichannel campaign across Google, Microsoft, and Meta. Instead of relying solely on search rankings, we created platform-native content for each. The campaign drove 312% more event registrations than projected.
Likewise, PPAI was losing ground to competitors bidding on their branded terms and getting outranked in AI snippets. We executed a hybrid strategy of PPC defense and SEO content refinement. The result: 23 high-value keywords moved into the top three spots on Google.
What Modern SEO Looks Like
So what’s the playbook now?
First, you need to expand your concept of SEO. Google is just one of several engines your content needs to perform in. If your audience is searching YouTube, optimize there. If they’re looking for commentary or trends, be present on Reddit and Twitter/X. If they’re asking AI tools questions, you want your site to be the source those answers are pulled from.
Second, balance your content types. Evergreen content is still your long-term traffic engine. News and trend-driven content keeps you current and visible. Thought leadership establishes your brand’s authority, which matters more than ever in an AI-summarized world.
When we helped Agility CMS combine SEO-driven blog content with authoritative leadership pieces and targeted PPC, they closed leads worth over $3.6 million. Why? Because visibility + trust = conversions.
Third, understand how AI chooses what to show. AI systems prioritize clarity, structure, and trusted sources. Your content needs structured data, real authorship signals, and intent-aligned answers. If you’re vague, overly clever, or lack credibility markers, AI won’t feature you.
The Playbook: A Recap
1. Don’t just rank on Google. Show up across platforms where your audience spends time searching, watching, and learning.
2. Create content for all stages of interest. Long-term evergreen. Timely, trend-sensitive updates. Authority-building thought leadership.
3. Become a source AI trusts. Be clear, structured, factual, and expert-driven.
Final Thoughts
AI didn’t erase SEO. It expanded it.
You don’t win by gaming a single algorithm anymore. You win by being discoverable wherever your audience is—and by becoming a trusted authority that AI tools can summarize, cite, and rank.
For brands that embrace this shift, there’s a huge opportunity to build durable visibility across every phase of the buyer journey.
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