Navigating the future of search: Insights from the Voices of Search podcast
Colleen Tuohy • AI isn't just changing how we search—it’s redefining who and what we optimize for. As search becomes more fragmented, traditional marketing and SEO playbooks are being rewritten. Chris Andrew CEO and Co-founder of Scrunch AI, joined Voices of Search for a three-part series unpacking how AI Search is reshaping discovery, intent, and customer journeys.
This article recaps recent episodes of the Voices of Search podcast and highlights actionable insights for marketers navigating the shift to AI Search and the AI customer journey.
Will traditional keyword research become obsolete in an AI Search world?
Keyword research isn’t dead—but it’s no longer one-dimensional. Chris breaks down how traditional keywords now splinter into hundreds of nuanced prompt variations across different AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. In this new landscape, success means mapping your content not just to keywords, but to intent patterns and conversational contexts.
Chris shares:
“I don’t think keyword research is going to be obsolete, primarily because Google isn't going away in the next 18 months. Google is the inventor of the technology behind these large language models. Search is fragmenting and evolving as there are multiple viable players—and for the first time ever, it’s not my default motion to go to google.com for my initial query.”
Takeaway: To stay visible, marketers and SEOs must go beyond ranking for exact-match keywords and instead build frameworks that connect language to intent across AI ecosystems.
🕒 4-minute listen → Apple, Spotify
How to win customers in an AI Search-driven world
AI search prioritizes answers, not links. That means your website might never get the click—but your brand still needs to show up. Chris shares strategies for maintaining visibility in AI-generated responses, including how to:
- Monitor AI crawler behavior
- Track brand citations across models
- Create content that reflects your entire customer journey—not just individual keywords
Takeaway: AI Search is rewriting the rules of discoverability. Marketers need to optimize for retrievability, not just rankings—ensuring their content is structured for AI to read, cite, and serve.
🕒 28-minute listen → Apple, Spotify
How AI Search tools will evolve to handle complex queries
Today’s AI models don’t just match queries to answers—they interpret intent, validate information, and personalize responses. Chris explains how AI search tools are maturing to:
- Clarify ambiguous queries through validation loops. Think: Deep Research mode asking the user for clarification and additional context
- Support different thinking styles with personalized pathways
- Aggregate insights from multiple sources to deliver comprehensive answers
Takeaway: Brands must consider how their content performs in more layered, multi-step research flows. The future of AI Search is about being useful, credible, and retrievable—not just clickable.
🕒 6-minute listen → Apple, Spotify
Conclusion: AI Search requires a new kind of strategy
These episodes reinforce one truth: AI is the new front door to your brand. Whether it’s citations, context, or conversational prompts, visibility in AI Search means rethinking everything from keyword research to content structure.
As AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives, it’s no surprise that many people feel uneasy about what it means for the future. Chris explains his point of view:
“I think one of the beautiful things about AI Search is that it’s a much more human experience if you allow it to be that. I think we are all worried about robots taking over and there are reasonable fears and guardrails we should be putting in place. Ultimately, AI Search is working on our behalf in a really seamless way and it understands our intent and does a better job of matching it.”
And I couldn't agree more.
Bottom line: if you’re in marketing, SEO, or digital strategy, now is the time to:
- Shift from keyword targeting to intent mapping
- Monitor how your brand appears across AI platforms
- Structure content for AI readability and relevance
Ready to dive in? Follow Scrunch AI and Chris Andrew on LinkedIn for more insights on AI search and visibility or book a meeting with our team today.
About Scrunch AI
Scrunch AI is the leading visibility platform for AI Search. We enable brands to monitor, analyze, and optimize how they appear across AI platforms—helping them navigate the shift to the AI customer journey. To learn more about Scrunch AI, visit us at www.scrunchai.com.