If you’ve been in the SEO game as long as I have, you know that change is the only constant. But what we’re seeing right now isn’t just another algorithm update or a tweak to ranking factors—it’s a seismic shift in how people search, discover, and interact with content online. And at the heart of this transformation? Artificial intelligence.
The New Search Reality: Beyond Google
Let’s start with a stat that might surprise you: Google processes about 13.7 billion search queries every day. Impressive, right? But here’s the kicker—this is only 27% of all search queries happening globally. The other 73%? They’re happening on large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, on social media platforms, inside apps, and across a growing ecosystem of AI-powered tools.
This means that the days of optimizing solely for Google are over. Today, your audience is searching everywhere—on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, Amazon, and even through AI assistants. If you’re not thinking about “Search Everywhere Optimisation,” you’re missing out on the majority of your potential traffic.
How AI Is Changing the Search Landscape
AI isn’t just changing how people search—it’s changing what they expect from search. Here’s how:
1. Conversational Search:
People are using natural language to ask questions, whether it’s in a chatbot, a voice assistant, or a social media DM. AI understands context, intent, and nuance, delivering more relevant answers than ever before.
2. Personalized Results:
AI tailors search results based on user behavior, preferences, and even location. This means your content needs to be hyper-relevant and adaptable to different audiences and platforms.
3. Visual and Multimodal Search:
Search isn’t just about text anymore. People are searching with images, videos, and even voice. AI-powered platforms can analyze and surface content in all these formats, so your optimization strategy needs to be just as versatile.
4. Decentralized Discovery:
With so many platforms and AI tools in play, discovery is happening everywhere. Your brand needs to be present and optimized across all relevant channels—not just your website.
What “Search Everywhere Optimisation” Looks Like
So, what does it mean to optimize for search everywhere? Here’s what I recommend:
- Diversify Your Content: Create content for multiple platforms—short videos for TikTok, in-depth guides for your blog, Q&A threads on Reddit, and so on.
- Leverage Structured Data: Use schema markup and metadata to help AI and search engines understand your content, no matter where it lives.
- Optimize for AI Assistants: Think about how your content can answer questions directly, as AI assistants often pull from featured snippets and structured data.
- Monitor Emerging Platforms: Stay ahead of the curve by experimenting with new platforms and tools where your audience might be searching next.
- Measure Everywhere: Track your visibility and engagement across all channels, not just Google Analytics.
Final Thoughts
The future of search isn’t just about ranking #1 on Google—it’s about being discoverable wherever your audience is searching. AI is making search more dynamic, more personal, and more decentralized than ever before. If you want to win in this new era, it’s time to embrace “Search Everywhere Optimisation.”
Stay curious, stay agile, and remember: the best place to hide a dead body is page two of Google—but the best place to grow your brand is everywhere your audience is searching. Check out the brilliant Neil Patels’ insights https://youtu.be/39o0uYPo4jU?si=b4QylytYZCQf6SuI