Zero-click search is changing how small brands show up online — and spend

AI is on the cusp of upending the way people search and discover information online. For small to mid-sized brands, that means rethinking not just how they show up, but what teams (and what budgets) are responsible for the work.

Historically, paid search was a performance game, focused on keywords, page optimization and rankings. AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, however, have flipped the script. As people ask search engines conversational questions instead of keywords, the lines are blurring between search as a performance function and as an awareness channel, according to two marketing execs Digiday spoke with for this piece. 

“In my mind, the performance and brand world is really starting to intersect together and we have to start being more data-driven around: how is this meeting the overall goals of the business?” said Katya Constantine, CEO of performance marketing agency DigiShop Media. 

Continue reading this article on digiday.com. Sign up for Digiday newsletters to get the latest on media, marketing and the future of TV.