For decades, online discoverability was driven exclusively by search engines. Website owners chased ever-changing algorithms by curating keywords, strategically structuring their site and building quality backlinks.
Now consumers are searching for brands on other platforms – TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, ChatGPT, Perplexity – and search engines are no longer the gatekeepers of the internet. Social- and AI-driven search functions are shaping the consumer journey in ways we’re just beginning to understand.
So, where does that leave us? Do we learn how to game social algorithms? Can we influence what AI says about us? How do we create a holistic discoverability strategy that ensures we are found by the right people at the right time and in the right context?
To explore these questions, Lisa Graves, EVP of Integrated Marketing, Americas, at MMGY, brought together a panel of global experts who live at the intersection of search, social and AI. Joining the conversation are:
- Robert Patterson, SVP of Marketing Technology, MMGY – AI and emerging tech expert
- Tara Schroetter, VP of Social, Influencer & Digital Marketing, Wagstaff – Social media strategist
- Craig Paddock, VP of Search, MMGY – SEO specialist
- Sam Hancock, Deputy Managing Director, SVP of Media and Creative, EMEA, MMGY – Integrated discoverability expert
Together they’ll break down the shifting landscape of brand discoverability and help you understand where your brand should focus to stay ahead in a world where search engines are just one piece of the discoverability puzzle.
Lisa:
Thank you for joining me today to discuss a topic that impacts every travel brand and is currently in the midst of a fast-paced evolution.
With internet users actively searching for brands on social media and with AI tools, like ChatGPT, it’s not enough anymore to rely solely on search engine marketing for online discoverability.
How do you think the concept of discoverability has evolved with the rise of social media and AI?
Tara:
I love that we’re kicking off with this question!
It really made me step back and think about how much has changed in such a short period of time. It was only in the early 2000s that most U.S. consumers even had the internet! Brand discovery used to be all about search engines, but now, platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest act as their own search engines. Instead of just relying on keywords, search algorithms now prioritize engagement and relevance, so brands need to focus on creating content that resonates and isn’t just “searchable.”
Consumers also have more ways than ever to find what they’re looking for. With tools like ChatGPT answering questions we used to look to social or search engines for, brands need to figure out how to harness these tactics and keep users engaged within their own networks.
Robert:
I agree. Discoverability is becoming more fragmented and challenging. Being so early in the traveler journey process, discoverability is essential for travel brands, and we are going to have to pivot to optimize our tactics. We continue to find and develop solutions that are helping our clients address these challenges.
Lisa:
What consumer trends are you seeing in search behavior, Craig?
Craig:
We’re seeing the Google Search market share decline to under 90% for the first time in 10 years. It’s a slight decline, but very rare to see. Google search volume hasn’t actually dropped, we’re just seeing more searches occur on other platforms now, including new AI chatbots. Although the numbers are small but growing, referral traffic from AI chatbots is of higher quality than traffic from Google Search.
Lisa:
With that in mind, what strategies can brands employ to balance efforts across search engines, social media and AI-driven channels?
Craig:
Even if you perform well on a single channel, you have to remember that for most types of travel it’s not realistic to convert from a single touch point.
Robert:
We always move to be in front of our audiences, so it is going to require more attention to performance measurement, testing and making adjustments as the landscape shifts.
Also adopting new business intelligence tools, like our exclusive partnership with Bonafide, to measure travel brand performance in LLMs (large language models, a type of AI) and the ability to push content updates to the LLMs through intermediaries.
Sam:
Content flexibility will also be important to ensure it works across multiple platforms.
Tara:
I think one point to make here is to ensure your teams are talking to each other about how to work together and amplify each channel. We’re lucky to have teams sitting right next to each other, from search to social, which makes this a more seamless integration. It’s obvious from afar if a brand is using separate teams who are not sharing strategy together—especially when you look at paid vs organic social.
Sam:
That’s a good point, knowing how our audience moves between platforms and ensuring your strategy allows for that across the channels used.
Lisa:
So efforts need to be maximized with a holistic approach without competing across channels?
Tara:
Exactly!
Lisa:
Let’s dig in a bit and look at how users are utilizing AI to search for internet content, and the differences between AI search and typical search engines, like Google and Yahoo.
Craig:
AI search is receiving more informational and conversational queries vs the commercial and transactional queries directed to traditional search engines. So as a result, AI search is seeing much longer queries.
Robert:
AI search tools can interpret user intent and deliver direct, context-aware responses instead of just lists of links. Typical search engines, like Google and Bing, receive short queries that trigger results that rely primarily on algorithms to rank pages based on keywords and inbound links.
So AI is allowing the user to go deeper.
Lisa:
Richer information, basically.
Robert:
Yes. Consolidated from multiple sources and presented in a compelling and personalized way.
Lisa:
Any insights on the algorithms fueling AI-driven discoverability?
Craig:
The goal of the AI platform is to retrieve high-quality content from an authority. AI pulls from multiple sources to help determine accuracy and consistency, and brand search volume correlates highly with visibility on AI search.
Robert:
We are learning more about this everyday through the use of tools like Bonafide. The biggest insight, I believe, is that 99% of content is still being written for humans and not LLMs. We need to pivot to think about how we create and structure content for both humans and machines to digest.
Lisa:
Satisfying both sources uniquely – yes!
Sam:
Is it that AI is also learning, so it’s trying to understand what information we are really looking for vs what just matches our search?
Robert:
I tried switching my default browser search engine to ChatGPT, but it felt weird and I had to switch back to Google quickly. They provide a different value for the same challenges. Over time, we will see more convergence of the two.
Lisa:
Should brands be concerned about any potential pitfalls of focusing on one channel of discoverability at the expense of others?
Tara:
The short answer is yes. The landscape is constantly evolving. Algorithms change, platform policies evolve and consumer behaviors adapt. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, and brands that put all their focus into one avenue risk losing visibility when those shifts happen.
Discoverability isn’t one-size-fits-all. As Craig mentioned earlier, people discover brands in different ways as a natural part of consumer behavior and aren’t likely to convert from a single touch point. Relying too much on one channel means missing out on potential customers who are looking elsewhere. The goal isn’t to be everywhere just for the sake of it, but to be intentional about meeting your audience where they are.
Robert:
Absolutely. Look at the rise of social as a vehicle for discovery and inspiration.
Sam:
I would say similar – relying on one channel could get more costly the more crowded it gets. We miss new opportunities, and different people prefer finding information in different ways. Lastly, we have seen certain platforms change their rules, which could have lasting impacts on a singular strategy.
Lisa:
Let’s talk about how we can approach this with intentional strategies.
What are some effective strategies for integrating AI into social media to enhance discoverability?
Tara:
Predictive analytics is a game-changer for social strategy, even on the organic side. AI looks at past performance to spot trends and predict what’s going to hit next—giving your social team a serious edge. It’s all about staying ahead of the curve and making sure your content is timely and relevant. Most platforms already bake this into their tools, like those “best time to post” suggestions that help brands catch their audience at just the right moment.
Samuel:
For me, on a very simple level, it is the personalisation. Allowing a brand to really resonate with an individual so that almost feels tailor-made to them is really effective.
Lisa:
Absolutely.
Robert:
Find opportunities to integrate across channels. Through our partnership with Mindtrip, we are able to deliver an AI travel-planning experience to website visitors, but we can go further and have the AI index content within any video, like an influencer’s blog, and generate an itinerary based on it. So we can feature the video on the website, and the user will also have the ability to activate the content of the video in their own travel planning.
Integration is key.
Sam:
The power of that on a B2B level is also game-changing when educating travel advisors on how to sell.
Tara:
It really blows my mind how powerful that integration can be.
Lisa:
Are there ways brands can use AI to further understand their audiences on social platforms?
Tara:
One approachable way that comes to mind for social is the power of sentiment analysis. This gives you real-time insights, so you can adjust your strategy on the fly—whether it’s addressing concerns, amplifying positive buzz or tweaking your messaging/ads on the paid side. It’s a way to stay in tune with your audience and make sure your content is always on point. It’s not a new concept, but it has continued to become increasingly impressive with just how deep we can get.
Lisa:
Real “hands on keys” work!
Robert:
The research capabilities of AI are getting more and more impressive, but they are only as good as the datasets that are available to them. They are great for indication or direction, but we are still going to rely on channel-specific tools and proprietary industry research to be best informed.
It is supplemental.
Lisa:
Clearly, the impact of discoverability is a powerful driver of business success.
How do you foresee the roles of search, social media and AI evolving over the next five years? Big question, I know.
Craig:
Google’s revenue is primarily ad revenue from commercial queries where ads are prominently featured. Don’t expect those to be replaced by AI results; instead, it’s likely that Google Ads will be integrated directly into those AI results.
Robert:
My hope is that convergence and integration along with automated systems managed by humans working hand in hand with AI to deliver more unified customer experiences becomes the norm.
And more competition for Google in search/AI PPC space.
Tara:
If the past few years are any testament to what we can expect, I can imagine everything happening faster and faster. Policies will catch up to evolution, and then new ways of integration will be discovered and fine-tuned. I love Robert’s vision and think we’re well on our way.
Sam:
Again, me with a more simplified approach. I feel search will involve more images and voice, social will become more defined and break into smaller communities, and AI will possibly be helping to create content rather than recommending.
Lisa:
Last question, is there anything specific that brands can do to prepare for the changes ahead?
Robert:
Build an organization that embraces AI and testing and has an adaptive mindset. Those refusing to evolve will go extinct.
Craig:
Diversify where your content resides, and make video content a priority. Publish informative content, not just commercial/marketing content. And brand consistency at every touch point.
Lisa:
This has been great and so insightful. Thank you for sharing your perspectives.
