I've written before about how AI is changing the buyer's journey

In the articles below I point out that the buyer's journey now starts at ChatGPT and that people are using ChatGPT rather than Google

Now I totally get that people haven't stopped using Google as all the (scared for their jobs)) Google SEO experts will tell you

Of course, but my job as a futurist is to tell you the future so you can prepare and start moving budgets

And if you didn't shift the budget in 2025, you must do it in 2026 or fall behind 

In the age of AI, Buyers write your brand story before you do http://digital-leadership-associates.passle.net/post/102ksqz/in-the-age-of-ai-buyers-write-your-brand-story-before-you-do

How AI has killed the Internet business model as we know it http://digital-leadership-associates.passle.net/post/102kqzv/how-ai-has-killed-the-internet-business-model-as-we-know-it

In this article by Tomasz Tunguz he goes into detail on how you can be found by buyers that go to ChatGPT rather than Google

Think of this as SEO in an AI world 

Often called AEO – Answer Engine Optimization or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

"As we’ve reached the AI search tipping point, publishers face an existential challenge : ensuring AI systems use their content in answers to maintain relevancy.

When you visit a website, your browser triggers an auction. The site’s supply-side platform sends your data to an exchange—like a stock market for ads

Dozens of advertisers bid for the chance to show you their message. Highest bidder wins

Total time: under 200 milliseconds

Now imagine the same system, but for content

Instead of bidding to show you ads, publishers vie to inform AI responses

The AI uses quality metrics, not money, to determine winners

Publishers compete on relevance, accuracy, freshness, and authority

The signals that make content useful

This is PageRank for real-time AI responses—algorithmic evaluation operating in milliseconds rather than batch processing

Here’s how it would work in practice : you ask Gemini: ‘What are the reviews of the new Google Pixel phone?’ 

That query broadcasts to participating publishers: tech reviewers, consumer sites, electronics retailers

They submit their best content to the auction

Gemini evaluates quality, recency & relevance, then synthesizes the winning submissions into your answer

Notice what disappears : the demand-side platform

No more advertisers optimizing for clicks

Just publishers competing to be the most useful source

The internet gets fewer ads, but every piece of content fights for attention in an auction measured in milliseconds"

The battle is now all about relevancy for AI

But that isn't it all ….

As a buyer I'm going to check with my network

So I'm going to look for relevancy and social proof in my network

If you haven't empowered your sales team and employees to be in your buyers network

To share relevant content, that provides social proof, then you are invisible

You are not at the party

Let's not forget that “network” and “trust” is about people and not brand

I trust “Steve” who I see in my Linkedin timeline

It will be “Steve” who I trust and will be the obvious choice