In a captivating discussion, Chris Andrew, Co-founder and CEO of Scrunch AI, explores the transformative shift from traditional SEO to AI-driven search. He reveals how AI offers personalized and unbiased answers, dramatically improving customer journeys. Chris discusses the necessity for businesses to adapt their content strategies for AI, noting impressive conversion rates that surpass traditional methods. The conversation also highlights innovative ad formats emerging from AI technology and the critical need for marketers to embrace these changes for enhanced engagement.
28:37
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
AI Search Replaces Browsing
AI search replaces browsing by providing direct, personalized answers instead of biased links.
This shift offers a simpler, more effective, and delightful consumer experience, improving how we get information.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Personal Shift to AI Search
Chris Andrew stopped visiting websites almost completely, relying on AI for synthesized, less biased answers.
His customer journey changed as AI informed and prepared him to transact without multiple website visits early.
insights INSIGHT
SEO's Evolution with AI
SEO is not dead but has evolved; it now serves as the foundation for AI models to select relevant content.
AI evaluates content based on human intent rather than just keywords and backlinks.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Mark Fidelman and Chris Andrew discuss the shift from traditional SEO to AI-driven search. Chris, co-founder and CEO of Scrunch AI, emphasizes that AI search is becoming more prevalent, offering personalized and less biased answers.
He highlights the importance of optimizing for AI models by focusing on text-based content and understanding customer personas. Chris notes that AI search is driving significant conversion rates, often outperforming traditional SEO.
Scrunch AI helps businesses monitor and improve their AI search presence, with an average 40% growth in AI referral traffic. They also discuss the potential for AI to introduce new ad formats and the need for marketers to adapt to these changes.
Introduction and Participant Backgrounds
Mark Fidelman introduces the topic of AI marketing and expresses his preference for AI search over traditional SEO.
Chris Andrew introduces himself as the co-founder and CEO of Scrunch AI, emphasizing the shift towards AI-first customer journeys.
Mark Fidelman shares his personal experience of using AI for searches, noting the custom and direct answers provided by AI.
Chris Andrew mentions his favorite AI tools for marketing and sales, including Google's LM product, Granola note-taking app, and various GPT models.
The Shift from Traditional Search to AI Search
Chris Andrew explains why he believes search will be replaced by AI, highlighting the simplicity and personalization AI offers.
He discusses the limitations of traditional browsing and the advantages of AI in providing direct answers and understanding user intent.
Chris Andrew shares his personal experience of relying on AI for research and how it has changed his customer journey.
He emphasizes that AI is better for humans as it provides less biased and more accurate information.
Impact of AI on SEO and Customer Journey
Chris Andrew clarifies that SEO is not dead but has evolved with AI, which now evaluates content based on human intent.
He explains the importance of text-based content like FAQs, knowledge bases, and glossaries for optimizing AI models.
Chris Andrew discusses the role of large language models in evaluating content and the need for organizations to bring new data sets online.
He highlights the importance of understanding customer personas and how AI can provide personalized results based on user background and sophistication.
Optimizing for AI Models and Privacy Considerations
Chris Andrew explains how AI models rely on traditional search indices to determine credibility and relevance.
He discusses the role of Google's index and the introduction of OpenAI's own index in the AI search landscape.
Chris Andrew emphasizes the need for organizations to bring up-to-date and relevant data sets online to improve their AI presence.
He addresses privacy concerns by focusing on non-confidential internal data sets that can enrich AI models' understanding of brands and products.
The Role of AI in Customer Journey Mapping
Chris Andrew discusses the importance of understanding customer personas and how AI can provide personalized results based on user background.
He shares examples of how AI models can cater to different user needs, such as high-end fashion shoppers versus budget-conscious consumers.
Chris Andrew highlights the potential for AI to create deeply personalized experiences and the need for organizations to map their customer journeys accordingly.
He mentions his participation in a panel on neurodiversity in AI, which explores how models can help people with different thinking styles.
Marketing Strategies for AI-First Customer Journeys
Chris Andrew advises marketers to monitor and understand AI search trends, including the frequency of AI agent visits to their websites.
He emphasizes the importance of tracking referral visits, conversion rates, and citations in AI search results.
Chris Andrew suggests that marketers should focus on providing content that aligns with AI models' language-based processing.
He highlights the need for organizations to adapt their content strategies to cater to AI models and improve their AI presence.
Introduction of Scrunch AI and Its Value Proposition
Chris Andrew introduces Scrunch AI, a platform that helps organizations optimize for AI-first customer journeys.
He explains how Scrunch AI provides deep monitoring, insights, and recommendations to improve AI presence.
Chris Andrew shares that Scrunch AI's average customer sees a 40% growth in AI referral traffic and a 3-4x improvement in overall AI presence.
He encourages marketers to book a meeting with Scrunch AI to understand their AI search performance and receive actionable recommendations.
Final Thoughts and Future Trends
Mark Fidelman and Chris Andrew discuss the potential for AI models to introduce ads and the importance of maintaining neutrality.
Chris Andrew shares his thoughts on the future of AI search, including the potential for micro-transactions for referral visits.
Mark Fidelman emphasizes the need for marketers to start thinking about AI optimization and the potential impact on customer journeys.
Chris Andrew concludes by expressing his excitement about the future of AI in marketing and the importance of understanding and adapting to AI search trends.
AI Marketing 