Did You Feel the Shift?
At B3 Media Solutions, we firmly felt the change. We believe this shift is the most impactful change in digital marketing since Google launched in 1998. Yes, it’s that important. Every brand, from wellness studios to retail chains, now stand at the crossroads of opportunity—and potential invisibility—as search is completely moving away from the old world to the AI-powered new world.
Here’s what every brand leader needs to know—and, even more crucially, exactly how to position your brand at the front of this wave.
AI Is Changing How Customers Discover Brands—In Two Big Ways
Let’s bring this into focus:
- It’s not about which AI—but rather, how people are now using AI (Large Language Models, or LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity) to find their next favorite studio, service, or shop.
- This is not theoretical anymore. We have already been seeing brands that win at AI search attracting more leads, more foot or web traffic, and more attention while slower competitors drop off the radar. And I’ve to the data to back it up.
1. Research After Recommendation Just Got Smarter
Referrals and word of mouth are still king. But the next step—when someone Googles, “Should I try [Insert Brand Name Here] near me?”—is evolving. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity now respond with tailored recommendations, not just lists of businesses. They do this by analyzing and synthesizing a wide range of factors: up-to-date reviews, ratings, images, testimonials, videos, podcasts, and evidence of expertise and real customer experiences across the web.
2025’s New Playbook:
- Instead of just hunting for a phone number, today’s customers ask AI richer, more personalized questions: “Is [Brand X] a fit for busy moms in San Mateo?” or “Which Pilates studio is best for post-injury recovery?”
- LLMs respond with answers, comparisons, and recommendations based on your visible expertise, real-user reviews, and proof-of-experience across the web.
What This Means For Brands & Local Businesses
- Your Reputation is More Visible – and More Important Than Ever (check out this article to understand how)
- Brand Discovery is Now About Trust & Proof
- Proactive Brand Management is Non-Negotiable
- Competitive Differentiation Happens In Real Time
The Bottom Line: Brands and local businesses must now manage digital proof and reputation as actively as traditional marketing. It’s about consistently showcasing competence, approachability, and real customer satisfaction—across every relevant online touchpoint. Those who invest in visible, verifiable excellence are the ones AIs (and the people using them) will find and choose first.
2. Shifting from Google Service Searches to Direct AI Queries
The old “music school near me” or “best florist in Oakland” isn’t just a Google query anymore:
- People are increasingly querying AI chatbots directly—and their answers cut through ads and outdated info by surfacing businesses with highly-rated reviews, compelling visuals, and a strong narrative of trust.
- AI doesn’t just repeat what it finds; it evaluates your brand’s breadth of content, credibility, and social proof.
And, if you’ve been on Google the past two months or so, you’ve seen first hand how Google is increasingly curating an AI overview at the top of the search page results. Those search ads you’ve been paying for have been pushed down the page in favor instant answers. So if you’re relying only on SEO and PPC to drive traffic to your website, you’ve already lost the game. Here’s an example of a recent search I did to illustrate this:
Where are the Sponsored ads? Tucked neatly under the AI Overview. But who needs to see them now, when I just got a list of options I can easily click on and go directly to your competitors website. See why it is so important now?
How Quickly Is This Change Happening? (And Should You Worry?)
- Of course, Google still matters—but its dominance is slipping as AI-generated answers and overviews leap to the top of the results.
- Our B3 analytics show double-digit traffic declines to some client websites from traditional search—even among top-ranked businesses.
- Brands showing up in AI answers, meanwhile, are seeing measurable upticks in discovery, leads, and engagement.
Nobody knows the precise pace—but it’s already underway, and accelerating.
Here’s How We Are Working With Our Clients to Prepare
Don’t let your brand get left behind! B3 Media Solutions helps brands future-proof and seize new growth by:
1. Building Your “Source Authority”—Everywhere AI Looks
- We help you produce, optimize, and distribute high-quality content that answers real questions: through the use of blogs, guides, videos, social posts, community management and more.
- Our expert team ensures your expertise is visible and up-to-date across your site and third-party platforms, so LLMs source you in their recommendations.
2. Powering Up Your Social Proof
- We coach your team to generate genuine 5-star reviews everywhere that matters (Google, Yelp, Facebook, industry directories).
- We elevate and publicize awards, certifications, and glowing testimonials—making your leadership in your niche unmistakable.
- We create compelling photo and video content that puts your unique offerings front and center.
We’re helping our brands make review generation part of the customer journey to help fuel visual proof, which is prioritized by AI-driven platforms.
3. Spreading Your Story Across the Digital Landscape
- B3 syndicates your best content, reviews, and proof points where AI and search engines gather their intel—from Google Business to specialty directories to social media.
- We claim, complete, and optimize every profile so everywhere a potential client lands, your story is consistent, attractive, and proven.
If you want to understand how consumers are migrating to online communities that represent their ideals, interests, and ideaologies, check out this article.
4. Continuous Monitoring—And Fast Pivots
- With robust analytics, we constantly track where you’re winning, where you’re dropping, and guide fast adjustments as AI search evolves almost monthly.
Why these 4 actions?
AI search rewards the brands with the richest, widest footprint of credible information, proof, and presence. Brands that master content, social proof, and omni-channel visibility aren’t just found by AIs—they’re recommended, trusted, and chosen first.
The Bottom Line
Change is always a bit daunting—especially when it comes dressed as artificial intelligence. But for prepared brands, especially those partnered with B3, it’s a launchpad, not a threat.
AI is only scary if you’re invisible. We make it our job to make sure you’re not just visible; you’re irresistible.
Ready to make AI work for your brand, not against it?
If you need help with the marketing fundamentals in this new AI-driven world, let’s schedule a strategy session and ensure you own the future—wherever clients search.
