Decoding Discovery: How AI is Reshaping Search and SEO
July 2025
When it comes to SEO, AI has changed everything—but not in the way most brands expect.
In the first episode of Brave Talk’s two-part series Decoding Discovery, Geoff Griffiths, Harry Clarke, and Ashleigh Noad break down how AI is shifting search behaviour, reshaping user journeys, and exposing strategic gaps. From AI Overviews to LLM visibility, here's what brands need to know now to keep up.
Search is changing fast. Here’s what we’re seeing
"Brands are worried about disappearing traffic," said Ash. AI Overviews are increasingly serving users the answers they need without ever sending them to a website. But it’s not all bad news. While traffic might dip, conversions aren’t necessarily taking a hit. The new SEO KPI? Share of real estate in search.
Rather than fixating on clicks, forward-thinking brands are shifting mindset. Visibility is the win. And for marketers, that means reframing success around awareness and brand presence in the new AI-powered SERP.
The smart way to build AI visibility
"If you've got a really robust SEO strategy, you've already done most of the work," Ash shared. LLMs and AI tools don’t require a completely new strategy, just a better understanding of where your users are, what they search, and how.
Use tools to see where your brand is being cited in LLMs. Track prompts. Monitor topics. And focus on relevance: "We need to move beyond keywords," said Harry. Instead, brands should aim to build topical authority and create content that solves real user problems.
Using AI to get more out of your SEO
AI isn’t replacing SEOs, it’s levelling up how we work. Ash described how AI helped automate technical SEO tasks like generating hreflang sitemaps, giving her back time to spend on more strategic initiatives. For agencies, that means scaled impact. For brands, it means resourceful in-house teams who can bridge skill gaps and build smarter processes.
"It’s like having a developer sat next to me all the time," said Ash.
Don't just scale. Add value
Google doesn’t hate AI-generated content. It hates bad content. “Launching a million AI pages? That should be a red flag,” Harry warned. Instead, brands should be using AI for deep research, data synthesis and content auditing.
Vector embeddings – used in Spotify recommendations and YouTube sidebars – are now helping SEOs understand how content is interpreted by machines. "Are you deviating from your topic?" Harry asked. “These tools can help us audit and refine content more intelligently."
Final word? Start now.
Whether you're chasing citations in ChatGPT or just trying to keep pace with Gemini's influence on Google, the takeaway is clear:
"Get your head around your user journey before doing anything," said Ash.
Know your customer. Know how they search. And build a strategy that aligns with that behaviour. SEO is still SEO. But the brands that adapt early will lead the next wave of discoverability.
Watch episode one in full below.
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