As AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews become part of how people find information, the definition of “search” is quietly shifting—and with it, the role of traditional SEO.
What was once a direct path—type into Google, click a link, make a decision—has turned into a more layered journey. Now, consumers often move through a mix of platforms before making a purchase: watching TikTok reviews, checking Reddit threads, asking AI tools for comparisons, and scanning YouTube breakdowns before even landing on a brand’s website.
This has major implications for how businesses manage their visibility online.
“People are still searching—but less of it is happening in Google, and even less of it is landing directly on your site,” says Mini Cainer, Director at Everyshot, a performance marketing agency specialising in SEO and paid media. “We’re seeing a shift from search being a single platform to being a wider process that includes AI, forums, social, and branded content across multiple touchpoints.”
Reddit as the new review engine
One of the most unexpected developments in the current search landscape is the rise of Reddit and other forums as quasi-review platforms. More and more consumers are typing “[brand] Reddit” into Google to find unfiltered, unpaid opinions about products, services, or companies.
What’s more, these threads are being surfaced in AI-generated answers.
Earlier this year, Reddit confirmed data licensing deals with Google and OpenAI, giving both companies permission to train models and surface Reddit content in AI responses. Tools like Perplexity now cite Reddit directly in their answers, and Google’s AI Overviews often pull summaries from active discussions.
“Reddit has always been a space for raw, user-generated content,” says Cainer. “But now it’s influencing what AI tools recommend, and in some cases, replacing the need for users to click through to traditional review sites or blog content.”
Branded search is the new battleground
At Everyshot, Cainer and her team have started referring to this shift as Search Integrated Optimisation—a broader take on SEO that reflects what’s really happening across digital touchpoints.
Rather than focusing solely on keyword rankings or backlinks, this approach considers:
- Brand mentions in forum threads and comparison posts
- Visibility in AI-generated summaries
- Growth in branded search queries
- Reputation signals from third-party content
- The likelihood of being recommended in decision-making platforms
“The businesses that win in this new environment are the ones that get talked about, not just ranked,” Cainer explains. “AI doesn’t invent trust—it looks for signals. And if your brand isn’t showing up in the content AI pulls from, you’re effectively invisible.”
So what now?
The rise of AI-powered search doesn’t mean businesses should abandon SEO—but it does mean they need to widen the scope of what they consider “search visibility.”
Google is still dominant, and likely will be for the next several years. But the path to purchase is no longer a straight line from search result to sale. Increasingly, it runs through social platforms, AI chat tools, video content, and forum threads—none of which are traditionally captured in SEO dashboards.
“If all you’re doing is optimising your website, you’re missing the bigger picture,” says Cainer. “The new version of search is about visibility wherever decisions are made—not just where they’re typed.”
Related reading:
SEO Is Dead. Kind Of. – A breakdown from Everyshot on what’s changed in search, and how brands can stay visible in an AI-shaped future.
