Cease Calling It search engine marketing: 12 Methods To Dominate AI Search in 2026

2. Google’s new AI search information says most AI optimization techniques are pointless. Does that validate your considering, or do you disagree?

I disagree.

Google’s steering is self-serving and naive as a result of it treats AI search as if a single platform’s suggestions may clarify your complete search ecosystem.

That’s the issue with the “it’s simply search engine marketing” argument. It provides folks permission to maintain doing the identical factor, even when it’s producing diminishing returns.

Google’s steering could also be helpful when you solely care about Google. However it doesn’t clarify what works in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, or different AI search environments. Every system retrieves, evaluates, and surfaces data in a different way.

The one half I broadly agree with is the necessity to create non-commodity content material. Past that, Google’s public steering doesn’t line up with what we learn about how these methods truly operate.

Google additionally has a protracted historical past of claiming one factor publicly whereas its methods behave in a different way in observe. So when somebody factors to Google’s steering and says, “See, AI search is simply search engine marketing,” they’re on the lookout for an excuse to remain snug.

3. AI search requires a essentially completely different technique, however the consensus is that it layers on high of conventional search engine marketing. What are your ideas?

AI search is an enlargement of search engine marketing, however there’s sufficient of a step-change distinction that it deserves to be handled individually.

The problem isn’t that each tactic is model new as a result of some techniques overlap. For instance, Digital PR, hyperlink constructing, gross sales outreach, and fundraising all use related motions. However nobody argues they’re the identical self-discipline as a result of they share techniques.

AI search works the identical approach. It might use some search engine marketing techniques, however that doesn’t make it conventional search engine marketing.

The issue with saying “it’s simply search engine marketing” is that it makes the work smaller on the precise second groups are open to one thing new. It retains AI search trapped contained in the previous notion of search engine marketing, limiting what it could possibly do. 

If we hold forcing it into the identical field, we make it more durable to get the price range, instruments, staff, and strategic possession this work requires.