The Forgelight Beacon Newsletter — Issue No. 7

🔎 AI Search | YouGov

The way customers search for information is rapidly evolving (I can't stress enough how quickly this is moving)! Instead of typing a few keywords into Google, more people are asking AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity complete questions and expecting complete answers.

Rather than sorting through pages of search results, AI is delivering recommendations, comparisons, and buying advice in a single conversation. At the same time, traditional search engines remain an important part of the customer journey, with AI becoming an additional tool rather than a complete replacement (but for how long 🤔.)

For businesses, this changes the game. Success is no longer measured solely by where you rank on Google, but by whether AI considers your brand credible enough to recommend. Companies with strong reviews, helpful content, consistent branding, and a trusted online presence are far more likely to appear in AI-generated responses.

My Take: SEO isn't going away but it's expanding and evolving. The businesses that invest in authority, expertise, and trust today will be the ones customers discover tomorrow, whether they're searching Google or asking AI for advice.

Facts:

• Half of consumers now intentionally use AI-powered search (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews) to research brands and make buying decisions.
• About 50% of Google searches already include AI-generated summaries, with McKinsey projecting that figure could exceed 75% by 2028.
• McKinsey estimates that $750 billion in U.S. revenue could be influenced by AI-powered search by 2028.

📚 Branding & Marketing | Search Engine Land

For years, we marketers have obsessed over keywords, rankings, and clicks. While those still matter, AI is changing the equation. Today's AI-powered search experiences are more likely to recommend brands they recognize and trust than simply reward the webpage with the best keyword optimization. In a world where customers increasingly ask AI for recommendations, brand authority has become a competitive advantage.

Brand authority is built over time through consistent messaging, expert content, positive customer reviews, media mentions, and delivering on your brand promise. These trust signals help AI feel confident recommending your business over competitors. The strongest brands won't necessarily be the ones creating the most content, but the ones earning the most credibility.

My Take: The future belongs to brands people trust before they ever become customers. Invest in your reputation, publish content that demonstrates expertise, and create a consistent brand experience across every touchpoint. Authority compounds over time and it's becoming one of the few competitive advantages that's difficult to copy.