The Digital Marketing Podcast by Exposure Ninja

Why "AI Search is Just SEO" is a Dangerous Lie

Sep 1, 2025

A dangerous myth is holding back businesses in the AI era. With millions relying on AI tools for searches, the belief that AI optimization is just SEO is misleading. Discover why traditional SEO fails in this new landscape, and learn about the unexpected opportunities for smart marketers. Explore how AI tools prioritize certain sources over others, reshaping recommendations. It's crucial for companies to adapt their strategies or risk losing their competitive edge as they navigate the evolving digital marketplace.

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INSIGHT

Top Google Rank Doesn't Guarantee AI Visibility

AI search visibility does not map directly to top Google rankings because many high-ranking sites are omitted from AI overviews.
Being strong in traditional SEO alone won't guarantee presence in AI-generated answers.

ANECDOTE

Real Example: SERP Leaders Missing In AI Panel

Tim gives an example where the top Google results for a query were mostly absent from the AI overview panel.
The most prominent website on the SERP became the least prominent in the AI references.

ANECDOTE

Commerce Example: Shops Ignored While Reddit Ranks

Tim recounts a commercial search where top-ranking shops were invisible to AI overviews while Reddit ranked high.
Good SEO on those shop sites did not translate into AI recommendations.

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A dangerous misconception is spreading through marketing circles that's holding businesses back while competitors master an entirely new game — and believing it could cost them their competitive edge.

With 800 million people now using ChatGPT to find information and make purchasing decisions, and 55% of searches resulting in AI answers, the message for marketers should be clear. Yet a pervasive myth persists: "AI Optimisation is just SEO. Nothing has changed."

This couldn't be further from the truth — and the evidence is indisputable.

For businesses targeting decision-makers who increasingly rely on AI tools for research and purchasing decisions, understanding these critical differences isn't just smart, it's becoming essential for survival.

In this episode, I reveal:

The three pieces of indisputable proof that AI Search Optimisation operates by completely different rules than traditional SEO (including why 40% of sites in AI Overviews don't even rank on Google's first page)
Why top-ranking websites frequently get ignored by AI tools, whilst lesser-ranked sites leapfrog into AI recommendations — creating unexpected opportunities for smart marketers
The hidden mechanics behind how AI tools decide what to recommend, including when they skip web searches entirely and why they prefer third-party sources over brand websites
Exactly why traditional SEO strategies fail when AI tools draw recommendations from Reddit, TripAdvisor, Forbes, and authority publications instead of your carefully optimised website
The specific types of digital PR and earned media strategies that influence AI recommendations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude

I'll share real-world examples from almost three years of helping clients increase their AI visibility, including specific case studies of brands that have successfully navigated this new landscape, whilst their competitors remain stuck in traditional SEO thinking.

As I explain in the episode:

"Saying GEO is just SEO, nothing has changed, is like an archer on the battlefields of World War I looking at the first tank coming towards them and saying, 'Well, tank warfare is just like medieval warfare.' Good luck with that."

If you're ready to move beyond the dangerous misconception that's holding back your competition and implement strategies that actually work in the age of AI Search, this episode provides your complete roadmap for dominating this critical new landscape.

Get the show notes:

https://exposureninja.com/podcast/364/

Listen to these episodes next:

What is AI Search Optimisation (and How To Do It)

https://exposureninja.com/podcast/358/

How To Create and Optimise Your Content for AI Search

https://exposureninja.com/podcast/363/

9 Reasons Why Your Traffic Is DOWN This Year

https://exposureninja.com/podcast/361/