There’s something you realise after doing content long enough: keywords don’t drive strategy, behaviour does.

Lately, I’ve seen the same patterns across client data: unpredictable drops, surprise wins, ghost traffic that’s hard to explain.

It’s not just Google acting up.

It’s a shift in how people discover things in the first place.

They’re asking Alexa while cooking. Watching TikToks instead of reading. Trusting what gets pinned or stitched over what’s “ranked.”

And increasingly, they’re turning to AI tools (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google’s Overviews) for complete answers without ever clicking a link.

Here’s the kicker: some of the best-performing content I’ve worked on? It never even hit a Google SERP.

But it blew up on Instagram.

Or surfaced through voice.

Or landed in an AI summary box that leapfrogged everyone else.

This isn’t a trend piece. It’s a reality check. If you’re still creating content just for Google, you’re missing where your audience actually is.

Social, voice, and AI search are now core discovery channels. If your content can’t show up there, it’s not really working.

Short on time? Here are the key takeaways

Search is now multi-modal: when producing content, think social, voice, and AI, not just Google. Each of these channels has its own rules, behaviours, and expectations that need unique content considerations.
Visibility depends on how (and where) your content shows up, not just how it ranks. Success today means being discoverable in the moment, whether it’s through a swipe, a voice command, or an AI-generated summary.
One strong asset can be repurposed across all discovery surfaces. With smart formatting and a modular approach, a single article can fuel your reach across multiple platforms without extra bloat.
Smart structure, clarity, and adaptability now matter more than keywords. The content that wins is clear, concise, and built to travel between formats, even if it never gets clicked.

What “Search” Actually Means in 2025

Search used to be about queries. Now it’s about context.

We’ve moved from keyword-driven intent to moment-driven discovery. People no longer search because they’re curious; they search because they need something right now, in a format that fits the moment they’re in.

That moment might be a voice command while driving. Or a TikTok scroll before bed. Or a question typed into an AI tool that answers without showing sources.

This matters because each of these contexts has its own rules. What works in Google won’t necessarily work in ChatGPT. A how-to article doesn’t translate to a Shorts clip. A product page won’t be pulled into a voice assistant unless it’s structured a certain way.

The big shift? Discovery is no longer platform-specific. It's multi-surface, multi-format, and deeply tied to convenience. That means your content strategy can’t rely on a single channel to do the heavy lifting. It also means that the services an SEO consultant provides must also shift accordingly.

If you want to be found in 2025, you need to build for where and how people are actually looking.

Social Search Is Its Own Ecosystem

Let’s be clear: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube aren’t just content platforms; they’re search engines in disguise.

According to Adobe’s Using TikTok As a Search Engine:

41% of Americans said they have used TikTok as a search engine
Over 2 in 5 Americans use TikTok as a search engine.
Nearly 1 in 10 Gen Zers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine.

To some traditional content marketers, those results might be surprising, but when you dive into it from a consumer perspective, it makes a lot of sense.

When people want quick answers, real recommendations, or a visual breakdown of how something works, they’re not opening Google. They’re swiping. Scrolling. Tapping into what other people are actually doing, saying, and saving.

Especially for younger audiences, TikTok is where searches start. Looking for a recipe? They want to see someone make it. Researching a product? They want to see it unboxed, tested, and reviewed by someone they trust, or at least someone relatable.

The social algorithm isn’t trying to rank the “best” answer. It’s trying to surface the most engaging one. That changes everything.

Forget backlinks and H1 tags, what matters here is:

Watch time
Saves and shares
Comments and remix potential
Native metadata (titles, captions, hashtags that actually help people find you)

If your content isn’t designed for discovery inside social platforms, you’re invisible to a huge chunk of potential customers. And that visibility gap is only getting wider.

Social isn’t just where people kill time. It’s where they search, compare, and decide.

Voice Search: The Most Invisible Channel in the Game

Voice search is tricky.

It’s one of the fastest-growing discovery methods used constantly, especially in kitchens, cars, and on-the-go moments. But for most businesses? It’s a black box.

People aren’t typing anymore. They’re asking. “What’s the best budget projector?” “How long should chicken rest after roasting?” “Can dogs eat grapes?” (Please say no.)

And they expect one answer. Not a list. Not ten blue links. Just whatever Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant decides is most trustworthy.

Here’s the catch: if your content isn’t optimised for that “position zero” spot, clear, structured, and voice-friendly, it’s not even in the running. And unlike Google, voice doesn’t tell you when you’ve won. There’s no dashboard. No click-through. Just silence or success.

What actually matters in voice discovery:

Concise, conversational content (answering how people ask)
Structured data and schema markup
Page speed and crawlability
Authority signals like E-E-A-T that voice assistants can trust

Most brands ignore voice because it doesn’t show up in analytics. But here’s the truth: if people are hearing about you, and your competitors are the ones getting spoken aloud you won’t know you’re losing.

But you are.

AI Search: The Answer Engine That Skips the Middleman

Here’s the part no one wants to admit: AI search is cutting the queue.

When someone types a question into ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s new AI Overviews, they’re not looking to browse. They’re looking for the answer. And more often than not, AI gives it to them, summarised, rewritten, and detached from the source.

That means your beautifully written blog post? It might power someone else’s answer, without ever sending you the organic traffic.

This isn’t some fringe behaviour. AI search is quickly becoming a default for decision-makers, researchers, and people who want speed over exploration. It's fast. It's personalised. And it doesn’t always lead to a click.

According to SearchEngineLand, AI search is gaining traction, but it isn’t replacing Google, with the biggest usage coming from Gen Z.

But what you have to bear in mind that every year that passes, Gen Z and younger come into the market, and Baby Boomers and above leave the market (what a great way to describe death, by the way!).

Not only that, but the increase in AI Overviews, and Google’s AI Mode, mean that the influence of AI Search is only going to increase.

So, how do you stay visible in this environment?

Be unmissable as a source. That means strong E-E-A-T, clear authorship, and citation-worthy content.
Write with structure. Lists, tables, definitions, and well-labelled sections help AI pull the right bits.
Anticipate intent. If you can pre-answer the next question someone might ask, you’re more likely to get surfaced.
Don’t just rely on traffic. Your content might show up in responses, summaries, or even third-party AI apps, but its visibility still matters, even if the click doesn’t come.

This is the exact approach I took with Connecteam, which helped them gain a significant volume of backlinks and citations within ChatGPT Deep Research.

AI isn’t just another channel. It’s becoming the layer between your content and your audience. If you’re not optimising for that, you’re building great work that never gets seen.

Search Has Split: Here’s What You’re Actually Optimising For

If you’re like me, sometimes it’s easier to see what we’re talking about here, rather than reading about.

Here’s a quick side-by-side breakdown:

Each of these channels demands its own content lens. Trying to optimise for all four with a one-size-fits-all strategy? That’s how you end up invisible everywhere.

The Multi‑Modal Playbook (What’s Actually Working Right Now)

Here's how I build content that shows up in social, voice, AI, and traditional search without writing four different pieces for every topic.

Start with intent: Ask these three questions first

Before you write anything, answer:

Who’s this for? (A distracted exec? A curious student? A parent multitasking with a smart speaker?)
How are they searching? (Typing, talking, scrolling?)
What do they want right now? (To skim? To be shown? To ask follow-up questions?)

Pro tip: Open a blank doc and answer those three questions at the top. It’ll guide your format, length, and structure.

Create one core piece, Then break it into four

Write one high-quality, clear, useful page of content (not fluff). Then:

Turn the intro into a TikTok/Reel script (60 seconds, 3 takeaways)
Rephrase the H2s into questions and answers for voice & FAQ blocks
Use the summary for AI-friendly TL;DRs at the top of the page
Apply basic schema markup using a free tool like Merkle’s Schema Generator

Pro tip: Start every project with a Google Doc titled: “Master Asset – [Topic]”. Then label sections: For Social, For Voice, For AI, For Traditional SEO.

Use AI tools (tactically)

Don’t let AI write everything. Use it to convert and enhance.

Use ChatGPT to:

Rewrite content in a voice-optimised format (“make this sound like a voice assistant response”)
Summarise for social captions or carousel copy
Identify missing schema opportunities (e.g. FAQPage, HowTo, Product)

Pro tip: Paste your article into ChatGPT and prompt:
“Turn this into a voice assistant response that answers in under 45 seconds.”
Then: “Create a social caption with 3 hooks and 1 CTA.”

Follow the visibility checklist

Before publishing anything, run through:

Can this be read aloud and still make sense?
Are answers front-loaded in the first 2–3 lines?
Is there a 60-second social script baked in?
Is the summary clear enough to be cited by AI?
Did I add schema markup?

Pro tip: Build this checklist into your CMS so you use it every time.

Stop Measuring Traffic. Start Measuring Reach.

Here's the part nobody talks about enough: clicks are just one signal.

And in 2025, they're not even the most important one!

You can be massively influential without driving a single visit. Why? Because your content doesn’t need to live on your site to work anymore. It just needs to show up where people are actually paying attention.

That Instagram Reel that goes viral? It builds brand awareness.
The snippet Google reads out loud? It positions you as the authority.
The AI summary that cites your stat? It boosts trust, even if the user never clicks.

So if you’re still only measuring success through GA4 traffic charts, you're missing the bigger picture.

Start tracking:

Where your brand is being mentioned or cited (social, AI tools, voice assistants)
How often your content is shared or bookmarked
What surfaces your assets are being pulled into (even if attribution is messy)
Engagement patterns across platforms, not just one funnel

The future of content isn’t just about who visits. It’s about who sees you, hears you, or learns from you, no matter where that happens.

Go Where Others Aren’t Looking

Here’s the good news: all of this isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity.

Search hasn’t broken. It’s just evolved. The ways people discover content today are more natural, more intuitive, and honestly? More human. They’re asking questions the way they speak. They’re looking for content that’s useful now, not later. And they’re trusting creators, not just publishers.

That’s a win for users. And it can be a win for us, too.

Because marketing has always been about adapting. Seeing the shift before it’s mainstream. Going left when everyone’s still obsessing over what’s right. While others are chasing traffic charts and keywords from five years ago, you can be building real visibility on the platforms and in the formats that actually matter.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing smarter. Structuring content so it travels. Writing with clarity so it speaks. Showing up where others haven’t thought to look.

The tools are better. The reach is wider. And the upside? Massive.

So no, the game isn’t over. It’s just moved. And if you’re willing to meet your audience where they actually are, you won’t just stay relevant.

You’ll lead.

Interested in ensuring the future success of your content? Get in touch with me today to discuss how I can help you take your brand to the next level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a multi-modal content strategy, and why does it matter now?

A multi-modal content strategy means creating content that works across different discovery channels—like social platforms, voice assistants, and AI tools, not just traditional Google search. It matters because audiences today don't just type queries; they swipe, scroll, speak, and prompt. To stay visible, your content needs to adapt to these behaviours.

How does E-E-A-T impact AI and voice search visibility?

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) helps search engines and AI tools determine whether your content is a reliable source. For voice search and AI search, strong E-E-A-T signals increase the chances your content is cited, read aloud, or pulled into summaries—especially when clear authorship and structured data are also present.

What does content modularity mean in this context?

Content modularity refers to structuring your content so parts of it, like takeaways, FAQs, or intros, can be easily adapted for other formats (e.g., TikToks, AI snippets, voice responses). It’s about building a core asset once and then formatting slices of it to meet the specific rules of each channel. That’s how you get maximum reach without writing four versions of everything.

Social Search, Voice Search, and AI Search: The Multi‑Modal Modern Content Strategy