If you’re only optimizing for Google search, you’re already behind

Consumers now discover brands on platforms like TikTok, Reddit, YouTube and through AI-driven interfaces before they even think to Google something.

“Search,” or discovery, is undergoing a seismic transformation. What was once a deliberate action confined to a query box that returned a list of blue links has become a deeply integrated, conversational and ambient part of our digital diet. One study found almost 60% of consumers have used AI to shop, and 64% of TikTok users say they rely on TikTok’s AI-driven platform to search for multiple perspectives.

At Google I/O 2025, awareness of this shift was front and center. The introduction of “AI Mode” in Google Search marks a pivotal moment, with the tool transforming Google search into a conversational, context-aware experience. Now powered by the Gemini 2.5 model, AI Mode offers personalized, multimodal responses that go beyond traditional search results, integrating real-time data and user context to deliver more relevant information.

This evolution signifies a broader trend: Search is no longer a stand-alone action but a continuous, integrated thread throughout the consumer journey.

And as the consumer journey changes, advertisers will need to adapt. Recent research shows that AI summaries, when compared with traditional search results, influence consumer behavior. Users who see an AI summary are less likely to click links and more likely to end their browsing session.

That means old search engine advertising (SEA) strategies won’t cut it. You can’t rely on 2010 ideas in 2025.

Today, success isn’t a click away. Brands that fail to adapt with strategies that embed their messaging into conversational, AI-drive queries are at risk of diminished visibility, missing opportunities and declining relevance. Conversely, embracing this shift can deepen customer engagement and unlock a competitive edge in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.

Reimagining search strategy in the AI era

In this new era, marketing leaders must rethink what search means and how it’s activated. This requires a fundamental reinvestment in strategy.

Content must be optimized for both AI-driven environments and social ecosystems. For AI, this means creating informative, structured content that can be easily interpreted by algorithms. For social platforms, content should be engaging, reactive and culturally resonant. A dual approach ensures visibility across diverse discovery channels.

AI-driven discovery, in particular, relies on structured, accessible and interconnected data. Brands must ensure that their content is machine-readable and semantically rich, enabling AI systems to interpret and connect information in a meaningful way. This includes leveraging schema markup, continuing to ensure contextually relevant content across platforms and optimizing for voice and visual search — which, along with augmented reality (AR) is becoming integral to the discovery process. Over 181 million people in the U.S. use VR and AR, according to eMarketer, and the number is projected to rise to 207 million by 2028.

But it’s not just about AR and VR. With the rise of conversational AI, search interactions are becoming more dynamic. Google’s AI Mode exemplifies this shift, allowing users to engage in back-and-forth dialogues, ask follow-up questions and receive personalized recommendations. Brands should invest in conversational interfaces and chatbots that can provide nuanced, real-time responses across various channels.

Personalization must go beyond generic recommendations. It requires a deep understanding of each platform’s unique context and user behavior.

For instance, personalization on TikTok involves aligning with trending sounds and challenges, while on Reddit, it means engaging authentically within specific communities. Brands should tailor their messaging, tone and content format to resonate with users on each platform.

Ambiant, intelligent, and ever evolving

The future of search is here. It's ambient, intelligent, and ever evolving.

Brands should continue to strengthen Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T), which search engines prioritize. But it’s now equally important to cultivate multimodal experiences and genuine authenticity, especially on platforms driven by human interaction, as consumers increasingly demand both.

AI is already reshaping how users interact with information, emphasizing the need for brands to adapt swiftly. The cost of inaction is high: reduced visibility, lost engagement opportunities and eroded brand relevance.

The risk of doing nothing is clear: diminished visibility, missed moments and declining relevance. But the upside is enormous.

Brands that embrace this shift can deepen customer engagement, differentiate meaningfully, and unlock competitive advantage in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.

This op-ed represents the views and opinions of the author and not of The Current, a division of The Trade Desk, or The Trade Desk. The appearance of the op-ed on The Current does not constitute an endorsement by The Current or The Trade Desk.