HomeAI is fundamentally changing how people find and trust information. Search engines are becoming answer engines, and visibility is no longer about ranking first. It’s about being credible enough to be cited, trusted, and surfaced in conversational results.
As Diane Knudson, Director of Web Development at CUSG, explained, “We’re going from keywords to conversation.” This shift requires marketers to think less about clicks and more about clarity, context, and credibility.
Traditional SEO rewarded keywords, backlinks, and volume. Today, AI-powered search prioritizes quality and intent. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are changing user behavior; people want direct, contextual answers, not ten links to sift through.
“Marketers need to think about how their brand shows up when there isn’t a click,” Diane shared during CUSG’s AI Content Creation webinar. “It’s not about chasing algorithms anymore. It’s about writing content that’s worth quoting.”
In today’s buying journey, people are influenced long before they ever click. Marketers need to rethink what they’re optimizing for and shift the focus from traffic to awareness. “AI mentions indicate whether your story is spreading and your brand is becoming the default choice before a consumer is ever ready to act,” Diane said. “Content should be easily quotable, shareable, and memorable, optimized for recall, not just results.”
AI now interprets meaning, tone, and intent, not just exact matches. This means content must answer the why behind the question, not just the what. “People are searching in full sentences now,” Diane noted. “They’re asking questions like they would ask a person, and your content needs to respond that way.”
Instead of optimizing one keyword at a time, Diane recommends building layered content that supports every stage of search intent, including conversational, informational, local, navigational, and transactional.
Recent research from the Pew Research Center analyzed more than 68,000 search queries, found that when AI-generated summaries appeared in search results, users clicked through only 8 percent of the time compared to 15 percent when they did not appear. That 47 percent drop in click-through rates underscores how audiences increasingly rely on AI summaries rather than traditional search listings.
“The shift toward natural language means we stop creating content based only on clicks,” Diane explained. “We need to write for humans first, structure for AI second, and build authority through credible, conversational answers.”
Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) guidelines are now the foundation of online credibility, especially for financial institutions classified as “Your Money, Your Life” sites.
“If you want to appear in AI-generated results, your content has to show real expertise,” Diane said. “That means having human bios, citing reputable sources, and maintaining visible trust signals like privacy policies and security badges.”
One of the most overlooked credibility signals, she added, is proof of outcomes. “Show real, visible evidence that your products or guidance improve people’s financial lives, including testimonials, benchmarked results, and how-to guides. Proof of outcomes takes your message from ‘trust us, we care’ to ‘trust us, we’ve done this and here is the evidence.’”
That focus on credibility isn’t just best practice, it’s measurable. A Search Engine Journal study analyzing more than 768,000 AI-generated citations found that between 46 and 70 percent of cited content came from product-related pages that clearly demonstrated authority and real-world outcomes. The takeaway for marketers is clear: when content is transparent and backed by evidence, it is far more likely to be recognized and cited by AI systems.
As AI-generated summaries become the norm, brand recall depends less on search position and more on recognizable human voice. “Your brand may appear in an AI answer without a link,” Diane explained. “That means your tone, consistency, and reputation matter more than ever.”
To stay visible, she recommends focusing on visibility that extends beyond clicks: schema markup, consistent naming conventions, and active review management. “Show proof of outcomes,” Diane added. “Replace generic banner copy with real statistics or stories. Add bios and photos of your staff and members. Keep your reviews fresh and your rates pages updated. People want proof, not promises.”
AI can dramatically accelerate research, ideation, and structure, but it should not replace human judgment. Diane outlined her workflow:
“AI can do 80 percent of the work,” Diane said, “but the last 20 percent, your brand, your expertise, your trust, that’s what makes it yours.”
She also encourages teams to define roles clearly. “Decide early what AI does and what you do. Measure efficiency gains alongside increases in brand mentions. Adjust your strategy based on results, not assumptions.”
As AI evolves, traditional metrics like organic sessions and pageviews tell an incomplete story. Instead, Diane recommends tracking:
“With zero-click search, it’s not just about who visits your site. It’s about who recognizes your brand because of AI-driven visibility,” she said. “Shift your measurement from keyword rankings to share of voice, mentions, conversions, and predictive metrics. The brands that understand that shift will own the future of visibility.”
Predictive analytics, she noted, are already redefining how marketers plan for growth. “We’re seeing more focus on forecasting member churn, cross-sell opportunities, and engagement trends. The data is there; you just need to align it with what members really value.”