AI Discovery Is Changing Fast

Not long ago, building online growth meant one thing: focus on search engines, especially Google. You wanted to climb the rankings, optimize your pages, and show up when people searched for what you offer. But in 2025, the game’s changed. People aren’t just searching, they’re chatting.

Platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are becoming part of daily life. They answer questions using natural language, summarize information, offer recommendations, and, for many users, replace those classic ten blue links. As this shift accelerates, marketing and growth teams everywhere are wondering: stick with tried-and-true SEO, or double down on Large Language Model (LLM) visibility?

Let’s break down what’s changing and why it could reshape your next big decision.

Google Search and LLMs: Volume, Influence, and Control

Sure, the numbers are tempting. Google still serves up billions of searches every single day, and a prime search listing can drive results. But with the rise of AI chat, it’s not just about raw traffic anymore; you have to look at the bigger picture.

Here’s how search and LLM channels compare:

  • Volume: Search engines still bring in huge audiences, but AI chat platforms are catching up, and engagement on those platforms tends to run deeper and be more direct.
  • Influence: When someone asks ChatGPT for a recommendation, they get one clear answer, not a pile of links. Being that answer carries more weight than a traditional search result. With generative AI, your brand can show up as the authority, not just one choice among many.
  • Control: Google gives you levers for keywords, on-page tweaks, and rank-tracking. LLMs look at a different set of signals: overall content quality, consistency across the web, and how models interpret your brand. Influencing this new ecosystem calls for a fresh approach.
  • Trackability: SEO platforms tell you what’s working in search, but LLMs have been a black box until recently. Now, tools like Murmur reveal how your brand really shows up in AI chats, not just in search results.

Bottom line? Volume matters, but the influence of being “the answer” inside LLMs is growing fast. The brands that get out in front will own the conversation. Those that drag their feet risk getting filtered out by the algorithms and by customers.

How This Impacts Customer Acquisition and Pipeline

Let’s get real about the numbers. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) keeps creeping upward as every channel grows more crowded. Overlooking the places where buyers start their search for answers can cost you, not just money, but momentum.

As more people turn to chat instead of search, here’s how your prospects and pipeline might shift:

  • Faster Decisions: LLMs shrink the research cycle. Instead of browsing five different sites, users ask a question and trust the answer they get. When your brand isn’t offered as an option, you’re out of the conversation entirely.
  • New Pipeline Realities: You might notice fewer organic leads from classic web search, even if search impressions hold steady. That’s because some would-be buyers now start (and finish) with ChatGPT or Gemini, never hitting Google at all.
  • Lower CAC for Early Movers: When your brand consistently gets mentioned by LLMs, trust builds faster. Being the go-to answer means less need for expensive retargeting, and it makes for warmer, more qualified leads.
  • Smarter Budget Allocation: Instead of fighting over pricey PPC clicks or tiny SEO gains, investing in LLM visibility puts your brand at the start of the conversation, where organic discovery is already happening.

Don’t just count clicks. Ask yourself: are we present wherever the next wave of potential customers is asking their first questions?

The Real Risk: Ignoring LLMs

Letting competitors make the first move might feel safe, but this is unlike previous shifts (think when social media first exploded). With LLMs, every answer that goes out today shapes the AI’s memory and future responses. Miss out now, and it could be even tougher to break in later.

What’s actually at stake?

  • Lost Organic Share: As more users turn to AI chat for discovery, the brands that show up as “answer authority” tend to stick. If your competition is recommended by ChatGPT and you’re nowhere in sight, your pipeline takes a hit.
  • Brand Voice Left Unchecked: LLMs pull from the full spectrum of public information, not just your website. If you’re not paying attention to your LLM presence, outdated or off-brand info can end up being used by default.
  • Missed Messaging Control: AI platforms summarize and reshape messaging based on user intent. If you’re out of the loop, your product or mission might get misrepresented, and you won’t know until someone tells you (which is often too late).
  • Invisible Competition: Unlike Google, most marketing teams have no idea who’s being recommended in AI chat. Making decisions in the dark isn’t an option, especially when budgets get tight.

There’s a real upside, though: early action means you can help shape how the story gets told in your industry.

Rebalancing Budgets for Search and LLMs in 2025

So where should you put your money and energy? No one’s suggesting you ditch search entirely. But if you want to lead in 2025, your strategy should reflect the way people actually look for answers now.

  • Keep SEO strong: Search isn’t dead; it’s just part of a bigger puzzle. Make SEO one piece of your overall visibility plan.
  • Start tracking your LLM presence: Get actionable insight into how (and whether) your brand appears when users ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini about your industry.
  • Cover both branded and unbranded queries: LLMs answer questions about topics as well as specific brands. Make sure your expertise shows up, not just your company’s name.
  • Set goals for answer engine optimization (AEO): AEO is the next evolution of SEO, training LLMs to see your brand as the answer, not just another mention.
  • Measure and adjust as you go: Use real performance data, not guesses, to spot shifts early and course-correct before competitors get ahead.

The savviest growth teams won’t see this as an either/or situation. Invest in both search and LLM visibility, but pay close attention to where the major gains start emerging.

Murmur: The AI Brand Visibility Platform for Modern Marketers

That’s where Murmur steps in. Murmur is the first platform designed to show you exactly how people see your brand in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and other LLM-powered channels, right alongside your presence in traditional search.

With Murmur, you can:

  • See both branded and unbranded queries across the major LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and more).
  • Get a clear health score for your AI visibility and know exactly how you stack up against the competition.
  • Spot emerging risks and opportunities right away, no manual tracking or guesswork needed.
  • Take control over your brand’s narrative in LLMs by seeing what’s working and where your messaging could use a tweak.
  • Skip the heavy lifting, just enter your brand to get started. We handle the details for you.

If you want to truly understand how your brand will be discovered and represented in 2025, it’s time to see the whole picture.

Use Murmur to find out where you should focus your marketing efforts in the age of AI chat bots.