As AI-led discovery reshapes referral patterns and unsettles SEO assumptions, agency leaders say the response is not to chase shortcuts but to focus on relevance, credibility and core marketing fundamentals.
Traditional search is becoming less predictable, while AI-driven discovery is growing from a relatively small base. At the same time, the volume of discussion around what it means for brands is increasing.
That was one of the themes discussed at Prolific North’s recent partners news conference, where agency leaders suggested the biggest immediate challenge may not be the technology itself, but the level of uncertainty surrounding it.
READ MORE: Why tighter budgets are pushing brands to experiment more, not less
Rob Shaw, CEO of Leeds-based integrated agency HUB, said the current market was being shaped by anxiety-led conversations.
“I think the biggest challenge we’ve got at the moment is that lots and lots of people are using it as a way of getting a foot in the door with clients by scaring them about how much is changing or how the old models are all broken,” he said.
“I think at the moment, it’s just a constant theme of not really quite understanding what the changes mean, but lots and lots of people making an awful lot of noise about it.”
Rob said AI-driven discovery is already influencing behaviour, with HUB seeing leads from prospects using tools such as ChatGPT to search for agency recommendations. However, he described the shift as “evolution, not revolution” and said brands should focus on understanding where their leads and revenue are actually coming from.
Sara Donnelly, founder of Beyond Echo, said the rise of AI search should sharpen, rather than replace, existing content strategies.
Speaking from a PR and content perspective, she said the shift strengthens the case for higher-quality thought leadership and original content.
“It’s less about quantity and more about quality,” she said. “It’s thought leadership, it’s credibility.”
Sara said clients are increasingly asking how they can appear in AI-generated results, but warned against producing large volumes of similar content. Instead, she said brands should focus on clearly aligning with key topics, developing proprietary insight and building authority.
“What are people talking about? What are their pain points?” she said. “So when they go to AI search, they’re saying, ‘How can I overcome this problem?’”
The importance of credibility was a consistent theme throughout the discussion.
Rob said that while some businesses may attempt to “game” AI discovery in the same way they previously targeted search algorithms, the long-term advantage is likely to sit with brands that build genuine authority.
“The brands that were doing it right, building their brands, building their presence, putting out unique content that hasn’t been done before, are the ones that are going to start winning,” he said.
“If you’re going to produce something that’s just a rehash of what’s already been out there, they’re not going to consider you. They’ve got to have something new to read, to consume, to associate the brand with.”
He also referenced IKEA’s early position in search, noting that the retailer focused on brand-building rather than SEO.
“IKEA wasn’t doing SEO,” he said. “They were just building a really good brand, and eventually the algorithm caught up with them.”
Shaw said the same dynamic is likely to apply as AI-driven discovery develops.
“You can game the algorithm and you’ll get some short-term benefits, but it will catch up,” he said. “AI is catching up faster than Google used to catch up.”
