Written by Rod Vedder, Director of Client Relations and SEMrush Ambassador
A new Semrush study recently confirmed something we at Robintek have been watching happen in real time: ChatGPT and AI search aren’t replacing Google — they’re expanding the entire search landscape. Search is no longer a single platform behavior. It’s multi-surface, multi-entry, and multi-context. Consumers don’t just “Google” anymore. They search everywhere — and AI is now part of the journey. For marketers, that changes everything.
Why AI Visibility Matters Now
In our own work, this shift has meant three things:
- Continuing to invest in foundational SEO
- Starting to actively explore AI visibility
- Creating content across multiple platforms and surfaces
And here’s the key insight we’re seeing: AI visibility correlates most strongly with good contextual content. Not keyword stuffing, not hacky SEO tricks, and not “long form” for the sake of volume. AI systems reward content that is clear, contextual, and grounded in meaning and expertise.
Google vs AI: Two Different Optimization Tracks
Google is still query-first. Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, etc. are topic-first and context-first. That’s why marketers should start treating search strategy as two parallel tracks:
| Track | Search Engine | What Works Best |
| Search Track #1 | Google / Bing | Keywords, EEAT signals, traditional SEO |
| Search Track #2 | AI Surfaces (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) | Context, entities, relationships, topical authority |
You don’t optimize for AI the exact same way you optimize for Google — and vice versa.
Our Next Steps (And Maybe Yours, Too)
Going forward, we’re planning to:
- Test prompt-based content for AI surface inclusion
- Map AI search journeys separately from traditional search journeys
- Build parallel reporting to measure both sides independently
Search Is No Longer Zero-Sum
The future isn’t “Google or ChatGPT.” This new era means marketers actually have more opportunities for traffic, influence, and discovery — not fewer. If we modernize how we think about search, we can win on both tracks, traditional SEO and AI-based answer engines
Search isn’t shrinking — it’s multiplying. That opens the door to new strategy, new testing, and ultimately, new growth. Contact Robintek today to learn more!
