In a recent Inc. article titled, “As SEO Falls Apart, the Attention Economy Is Coming for You,” the message is clear: SEO as we know it is broken

The old game of ranking on Google with keyword stuffing and backlinks is being replaced by something far more human, authentic thought leadership

So what does that mean for you?

We’re living in a noisy, AI-saturated world

Email marketing, once a cornerstone of digital outreach, has become almost irrelevant

I constantly hear from businesses that their messages aren’t landing anymore

It’s simply too easy now to spin up a domain and blast out semi-personalised emails

As a result, many brands are switching off their email engines entirely

The tactic is now largely used by low-cost vendors clinging to outdated SEO tricks, exactly the image most modern brands want to avoid

At the same time, buyer behavior has shifted dramatically

B2B buyers are no longer Googling their way to answers

They’re using AI tools

In fact, 89% of B2B buyers are now leveraging AI in their research, according to Forrester

That means the playing field has changed, and if you're still relying on SEO alone, you're already behind

So what should marketers and sellers do in this post-SEO world?

First, understand that AI will still serve content, but not just any content

It will elevate insightful, high-quality material

Brands often assume their website content qualifies, but here's the problem: what you consider great content might not align with what an AI model sees as valuable

That’s because AI doesn’t care about your brand story, it’s looking for usefulness, clarity, and trust signals

This demands a mindset shift

In this new landscape, buyers; just like you; turn to people they trust

And where do those trusted voices live?

On social media

Platforms like LinkedIn are no longer just job boards or sales channels; they’re trusted knowledge networks

But here’s the catch: no one wakes up excited to read a product brochure

So stop posting like a brand and start showing up like a human

As Matt Dixon points out in The Jolt Effect, today’s buyers are looking for a “buyer’s agent", someone who guides rather than sells, someone who helps them navigate complexity and risk

 That could be you

To thrive in this attention economy:

Shift your mindset – Social is not for selling, it’s for serving

Build your network – Connect with both in-market and future buyers to create long-term relevance

Share educational, insightful content – Whether you write it yourself (like this) or use an AI sales agent to help you, the goal is to consistently deliver value

Conclusion:
In a world where algorithms rule and buyers are overwhelmed, the race isn’t to the top of a Google search, it’s to the top of someone’s mind

SEO might be fading, but your ability to show up authentically, build trust, and guide buyers is more valuable than ever

That’s the real competitive edge

Don’t chase attention

Earn it

 

Have you thought about using social media to drive business growth?

How do you and your sales team compare with best practice, when it comes to using social media to drive revenue?

Want to know?

Take the assessment and see how you measure up

Start your journey here

 

What are our customers achieving by using our social selling methodology?

A measured average across our customers

For an AE, we can shorten sales cycles by 30%

And the average SDR will get 1 x ICP meeting a day

Which should increase your revenue by 20%

You can get these results by using our social selling methodology, that is certified by Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP)

 

"social selling techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 2nd edition".

In this brand new edition, I have updated all the text, I have also got 15 practitioners, so people who are doing this already to explain how they are get (practical) business benefit. From the CEO that has been running a digital business for over 18 months to sales leaders and sales people who use social selling every day to drive revenue growth. 

Articles on how these business have and are implementing digital, from Mercer, Telstra Purple, Ring Central, Cyberhawk, Namos, Ericsson, DLA Ignite and more.

What does Mark Schaefer, Marketing guru think of the book "social selling - techniques to influence buyers and changemakers - 2nd edition"? watch the video here

It's available on Amazon worldwide.  Link to Amazon.com here and Amazon.co.uk here.