The new era of search comes with more acronyms (hello, AEO and GEO), AI overviews revamping the familiar Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and search queries that have evolved from “Best Italian Restaurant Aberdeen” to “I’m going out for a meal with my friend. We haven’t seen each other in 6 months, she’s vegetarian and we want somewhere with a nice atmosphere. Where should we go? ”.
The way people search has fundamentally changed, going beyond the wording of search queries. By 2027, it is expected that 95% of buyers will begin their research with AI, rather than starting with Google, according to a recent Gartner survey. This represents a significant increase from less than 20% in 2024.
This shift means visibility is no longer driven by search alone. Brands need a more integrated approach, with content, PR, social, reviews and wider third-party signals working together to build authority, reinforce expertise and create a consistent picture of the business across the places people, and increasingly AI, use to inform decisions.
In many ways, good marketing has always done this. The difference now is that the value of having those channels working together is becoming even more apparent.
How brands become discoverable in AI
Increasingly, customers are reaching the brands they eventually choose much later in the buying journey.
Buyers can now ask an AI assistant to help them understand what is available, compare options, refine their requirements and narrow down their shortlist before ever visiting a company’s website. They can ask follow-up questions, challenge recommendations and explore alternatives without clicking through to a brand at all.
A 6sense report found that the final shortlist is created on day one of the buying journey with buyers purchasing from one of 4 vendors on it in 95% of cases in 2025.
For your website, this means that the traffic that comes through is often much more valuable, with AI traffic converting at three times the rate of traffic from other channels. Instead of introducing your business for the first time, your site is now expected to validate a decision that has already been partially made.
There’s often a misconception that optimising for search engines and optimising for people are two completely different things. They’ve never been identical, but they are closely linked.
Google’s ranking systems have gradually evolved to reward websites that make information easy to find, understand and trust because that’s ultimately what creates a better experience for the person searching.
We’re now seeing something very similar happen with AI visibility.
AI systems process information in a way that is much closer to how humans evaluate recommendations than traditional search algorithms. Rather than relying heavily on a list of keywords and backlinks alone, they look for signals of authority, credibility and consensus across the wider web.
Why the integrated agency approach works
Eli Schwartz put it nicely in one of his weekly newsletters: “When someone asks an LLM for the best analytics tool, the AI doesn’t look up a database of meta tags pairing the word “analytics” with listicles that say “best”. The same is true when someone asks you, as a human, for the best burger in your neighbourhood: you rely on past experiences, social media posts, and friends’ reports to make your recommendation.”
That means it’s no longer enough to simply promote your brand through your own channels, you also need other trusted sources to talk about you.
That could be discussions on Reddit, reviews on Trustpilot or TripAdvisor, mentions in industry publications, guest articles, podcasts or expert commentary. The stronger the independent evidence around your business, the more confidence AI systems have in recommending it.
This is exactly where an integrated marketing strategy proves its value.
SEO, paid search, social media and great website content remain essential. (Digital) PR, thought leadership, partnerships and customer advocacy all contribute to building the wider digital footprint that people and AI increasingly rely on when evaluating a business.
Focusing on one channel in isolation can limit the bigger picture, and the rise of AI search makes integration even more important. That extends beyond digital into PR, partnerships and in-person events. For a while, traditional PR had been pushed to the side to make way for digital, but the power comes from how those channels work together.
Original thinking creates authority
While AI can synthesise existing information, it still depends on people and businesses to create new knowledge. Benchmark reports, customer surveys, industry analysis, proprietary data and expert perspectives all add something new to the conversation.
That matters because authority is built by having something worth saying, sharing and referencing. A strong point of view can become expert commentary in the media, spark discussion on social, earn links and mentions from trusted publications and create opportunities for speaking, podcasts or industry events. Each interaction adds another layer of evidence about who you are, what you know and why you should be trusted.
The brands that consistently contribute original ideas, demonstrate genuine expertise and earn recognition from trusted third parties will be in a much stronger position to be discovered, recommended and chosen.
At Prospect 13, we believe integration has to begin with the strategy. PR, digital, search, content, social and events should all reinforce the same idea. Reputation should be built through consistent, connected activity that makes your brand easier to find, trust and recommend.
Want to build a brand that’s easier to find, trust and recommend?
