Your customers have completely changed how they search for businesses. But your marketing strategy? It’s probably still built for 2019 Google.
Here’s what’s happening right now: Someone needs a tax accountant. But instead of Googling “tax accountant near me,” they’re asking ChatGPT for personalized recommendations. Someone else wants restaurant suggestions. They’re scrolling TikTok, not Yelp. Another person needs B2B software recommendations. They’re asking Perplexity to compare options, not reading your carefully crafted comparison pages.
What about that B2B buyer researching enterprise software? They’re using Perplexity to analyze vendor options in real-time. The procurement team looking for marketing agencies? They’re asking ChatGPT to create comparison matrices. The CFO evaluating new platforms? They’re getting AI to synthesize user reviews across multiple sources.
The businesses winning right now aren’t the ones with the best traditional SEO. They’re the ones who understand that “search” doesn’t mean what it used to.
And if you’re still optimizing for Google’s 10 blue links while your customers are discovering competitors through AI conversations and social media searches, you’re already behind.
The uncomfortable truth about modern search behavior
Let me paint you a picture of how dramatically search has shifted.
According to Adobe’s 2024 research, nearly 40% of Gen Z uses TikTok as their primary search engine. Not for entertainment. For actual business discovery. Google’s own data confirms that nearly 40% of young people go to TikTok or Instagram when looking for lunch spots instead of Google Search or Maps.
Meanwhile, ChatGPT hit 100 million users faster than any consumer application in history. People aren’t just playing with it. They’re using it to research purchases, find services, and make business decisions.
But here’s what really got my attention: Microsoft reported that for every 1% of search share gained, they’d see $2 billion in revenue. That’s how valuable search traffic is. And right now, that traffic is fragmenting across platforms most businesses aren’t even thinking about.
Your customers are searching in ways that didn’t exist two years ago. And traditional SEO tactics – optimizing for featured snippets, fighting for the Google 3-pack, targeting “People Also Ask” boxes – these still matter, but they’re only part of the story now.
Where your customers are actually searching (and what they expect)
The search landscape has exploded into a multi-platform ecosystem. Each platform serves different intent, and your customers use them all.
Google: Still the giant, but fundamentally different
Google isn’t just 10 blue links anymore. AI Overviews now appear for complex queries, synthesizing information in ways that can completely bypass traditional results.
The old tactics still exist – the local 3-pack for “near me” searches, featured snippets for quick answers, People Also Ask boxes for related questions – but they’re competing with AI-generated responses that pull from multiple sources.
Here’s the thing: Google’s AI doesn’t just summarize what’s already ranking. It synthesizes information to create new answers. If your content isn’t part of that synthesis, you’re invisible even if you’re ranking #1 the old-fashioned way.
ChatGPT and AI assistants: The new research layer
When someone asks ChatGPT for business recommendations, it’s not checking your Google reviews or pulling from your latest blog post. It’s working from training data that might be months or years old.
Recent studies show that 23% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT, with higher-income, educated demographics leading adoption. These aren’t just tech enthusiasts. They’re your high-value customers making purchase decisions through AI conversations.
TikTok: The discovery engine disguised as entertainment
TikTok isn’t just for dancing teenagers. Internal data suggests users are increasingly treating it like a visual search engine, especially for:
- Local business discovery
- How-to content and tutorials
- Product research and reviews
- B2B software demonstrations
The algorithm serves hyper-relevant content based on behavior, not keywords. Traditional SEO is useless here. What matters is understanding the platform’s unique discovery mechanics.
Voice search: The invisible shift
ComScore predicted that 50% of searches would be voice by 2020. While that seemed high, voice search has fundamentally changed query patterns. People don’t say “best CRM software” to Alexa. They say “what’s the best CRM for a company with 50 employees that integrates with Slack?”
These conversational queries require completely different optimization strategies.
The compound cost of ignoring this shift
Still think you can wait this out? Let me show you what’s already happening to businesses that haven’t adapted.
Invisible to an entire generation
If Gen Z can’t find you on TikTok and ChatGPT doesn’t know you exist, you’re missing 40% of future customers. That’s not a tomorrow problem. Gen Z’s spending power is already over $360 billion.
Competitors stealing customers through new channels
While you’re perfecting your Google strategy, competitors are building audiences on platforms you’re ignoring. They’re answering questions in ChatGPT’s training data. They’re creating TikToks that rank for buying-intent searches. They’re optimizing for voice queries you haven’t even considered.
Every day you wait, they’re building competitive moats on these platforms that get harder to overcome.
Trust is already shifting
Here’s what keeps me up at night: Trust is transferring from traditional search to AI recommendations. When ChatGPT suggests a competitor, it carries the weight of an unbiased recommendation. When someone discovers a business through authentic TikTok content, it feels more trustworthy than ads.
If you’re not showing up in AI responses or social search, you’re not just invisibleāyou’re losing trust and relevance before you’re even in the running.
Your perfect Google rankings mean nothing if customers trust AI and social recommendations more.
A strategic framework for multi-platform visibility
Enough doom and gloom. Here’s how to adapt your strategy for the new search landscape.
1. Understand intent across platforms
Different platforms serve different search intent:
Google: Still owns transactional and local intent
- “Buy now” searches
- “Near me” queries
- Specific product/service names
- Emergency needs
AI Assistants: Own research and comparison intent
- Complex purchasing decisions
- Multi-factor comparisons
- Advice and recommendations
- Educational deep-dives
TikTok/Social: Own discovery and inspiration intent
- “How do I…” queries
- Problem-solving content
- Behind-the-scenes/authentic content
- Entertainment that educates
Voice: Owns conversational and convenience intent
- Quick facts and answers
- Hands-free situations
- Accessibility needs
- Smart home integration
Map your customer journey across these platforms. Where do they start their research? Where do they validate decisions? Where do they make final choices?
2. Create platform-native content that converts
Stop trying to repurpose the same content everywhere. Each platform has its own language.
For Google (including AI Overviews):
- Comprehensive, authoritative content
- Clear structure with headers
- Direct answers to specific questions
- Fresh updates on changing topics
- Local signals for physical businesses
For AI platforms:
- Focus on being quotable and definitive
- Build topical authority across your site
- Create content that synthesizes well
- Contribute to the broader conversation
- Get mentioned in relevant contexts
For TikTok/Social search:
- Visual-first content strategy
- Authentic, behind-the-scenes content
- Problem/solution demonstrations
- Personality-driven messaging
- Hashtag strategy that matches search behavior
For voice search:
- Natural language optimization
- Question-and-answer formats
- Conversational content structure
- Local optimization for “near me” intent
- Featured snippet optimization
3. Build authority that transcends algorithms
The platforms will keep changing. New ones will emerge. Algorithms will shift. But authority transcends platforms.
Focus on:
- Becoming the recognized expert in your specific niche
- Building genuine relationships with your audience
- Creating content that people naturally reference
- Developing unique perspectives worth sharing
- Contributing real value to your industry
When you’re genuinely helpful, you naturally appear across platforms because people talk about you, reference you, and recommend you.
Look, I know this all sounds overwhelming. Multiple platforms, different strategies, new metrics to track. But here’s what I’ve learned after two decades in this business: you don’t have to be perfect on every platform. You just have to show up where your customers are actually looking.
4. Measure what matters across platforms
Traditional metrics don’t capture multi-platform success. Track:
- Share of voice across all platforms, not just Google rankings
- Discovery sources in your analytics – where are people first hearing about you?
- Conversion paths that cross platforms – TikTok discovery to Google validation to purchase
- Brand mention sentiment in AI responses (test regularly)
- Platform-specific engagement that indicates buying intent
Your 30-day implementation roadmap
Here’s exactly how to start adapting your strategy:
Week 1: Audit your current visibility
Run this multi-platform audit:
- Google traditional: Check your rankings, featured snippets, local pack presence
- Google AI: Search for your industry + “recommendations” and see what appears in AI Overviews
- ChatGPT test: Ask it about your industry and competitors – do you appear?
- TikTok search: Look for your keywords – what content ranks?
- Voice search: Use Siri/Alexa to search for your services
Document where you’re invisible. That’s your opportunity list.
Week 2: Pick your platform priorities
You can’t be everywhere immediately. Prioritize based on:
- Where your customers actually are (not where you think they are)
- Your resource constraints
- Your content strengths
- Competitive gaps you can exploit
Start with one new platform while maintaining Google visibility.
Week 3: Create platform-specific content
Develop three pieces of content optimized for your chosen platform:
- If AI: Create comprehensive, synthesizable guides
- If TikTok: Film authentic problem-solving content
- If voice: Optimize existing content for conversational queries
For example, I’ve seen B2B companies create massive impact with simple platform-native content. A financial advisor started answering common tax questions on TikTok – not dancing, just talking to camera – and saw 300% more site visits from their target 35-45 demographic than their blog ever delivered. A B2B software company created detailed comparison guides specifically structured for AI synthesis and started showing up in Perplexity responses when buyers researched their category.
Test, measure, learn. Don’t wait for perfection.
Week 4: Build your measurement system
Set up tracking for:
- Multi-platform discovery sources
- Cross-platform conversion paths
- Brand mention monitoring
- Platform-specific metrics
Review weekly. Adjust based on data, not assumptions.
The old rules still matter (but differently)
Those traditional SEO elements – featured snippets, the local 3-pack, People Also Ask boxes – they haven’t disappeared. They’ve evolved.
Google’s 3-pack still dominates local searches, but now it’s competing with TikTok for “best restaurant” queries. Featured snippets still provide quick answers, but AI Overviews might summarize multiple snippets into something new. People Also Ask boxes still expand visibility, but ChatGPT might be answering those questions in a conversation instead.
The key is understanding these aren’t separate strategies anymore. Your Google optimization feeds your AI visibility. Your social content supports your traditional SEO. Everything’s connected in the modern search ecosystem.
The businesses that will thrive
The winners in this new landscape share common traits:
They think ecosystem, not platform. They understand each platform’s role in the customer journey and create connected experiences across all of them.
They prioritize helpfulness over hacks. Instead of chasing algorithm tricks, they focus on genuinely solving customer problems in platform-native ways.
They test and adapt quickly. They’re running small experiments on new platforms, not waiting for perfect strategies.
They measure differently. They track influence and discovery, not just rankings and traffic.
They build for the future. They’re creating authority and relationships that transcend any single platform.
Your next move
The search revolution isn’t coming. It’s here. Your customers have already changed how they find businesses. The question is whether you’ll adapt your strategy to meet them where they are.
Start with one simple action: Run the platform audit I outlined above. See where you’re invisible. Pick one gap to fill this month.
Because here’s the thing: The businesses winning tomorrow are the ones adapting today. While everyone else is still optimizing for yesterday’s Google, you could be building visibility across the platforms where your customers actually are.
The old SEO playbook isn’t dead. It’s just not enough anymore.
Time to write a new one.