AI search is forcing businesses to diversify their channel strategy: Here's why

"Picture this: Content visibility is up, but traffic to your website is way down. More than half of Google searches today end in no clicks, according to Search Engine Land. And consumers are looking everywhere - including Google's AI Overviews and Reddit - for instant solutions to fit their needs. Is this your reality? Welcome to the rebirth of how people find information."

"Payoffs from traditional SEO tactics used to be huge. Now, AI has effectively given everyone access to unlimited, personalized knowledge on a diverse set of channels, and Google Search is losing users to AI search engines like ChatGPT. The once reliable marketing playbook has officially been disrupted. You can no longer count on one distribution channel, like search, to do all of the work for you. As a brand, you need to diversify your content across channels to meet buyers where they are."

"With the rise in AI adoption, one of those channels is AI search. When your audience is finding information in large language models (LLMs), it's time to optimize your content strategy for both humans and machines. HubSpot breaks it down here. AI usage has been increasing since 2023. A recent McKinsey survey found that 78% of organizations used AI in at least one business function in 2024, compared to 55% the year prior. This widespread adoption is fundamentally changing how people consume information."

AI-driven features and AI Overviews are increasing content visibility while driving more searches to no-click outcomes and alternate platforms like Reddit and ChatGPT. AI provides personalized, on-demand knowledge across many channels, diminishing the impact of traditional SEO and concentrating early product discovery within AI search. Brands cannot rely on a single distribution channel and must diversify content to meet buyers where they look. Organizational AI adoption is rising rapidly, with 78% using AI in 2024, and the buyer's journey stages remain intact even as the channels that guide discovery, consideration, and selection shift toward AI.

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