There has never been a noisier time to work in search.
Every week brings a new platform update, a new acronym, a new claim about what brands need to do right now or risk being left behind.
The temptation is to react to everything… But we’ve chosen a different approach.
Nobody has a complete picture of how AI search will settle, but we’ve found that the agencies and brands navigating this well share a common trait: they’ve taken the time to decide what they believe before deciding what to do.
We’ve spent the past year testing, auditing, and learning; working with our clients across SEO, content, Digital PR and technical search to understand what’s actually changing, what still holds true, and where attention is genuinely needed.
The result is ten core beliefs that underpin everything we do in AI search.
These aren’t predictions. They’re working principles that are informed by evidence, shaped by practice, and open to revision.
We don’t claim to have all the answers; the landscape is moving too fast for that. But we’ve found that having a clear, considered set of beliefs makes us better at evaluating new information, prioritising the right work, and giving our clients honest advice rather than reactive recommendations.
We’re committed to a culture of experimentation… running structured tests, publishing what we find, and updating our thinking when the data demands it. Everything we do starts with these beliefs.
We publish them openly because we think the industry benefits from more signal and less noise. If you disagree with any of them, we’d welcome the conversation.
What's Changed?
These three beliefs address the structural changes that AI search has introduced and why they demand new thinking.
1. The Zero-Click Shift Is Real
Demand hasn’t disappeared; it’s moved upstream into the AI conversation layer.
2. AI Is Not One Channel
Each platform has different retrieval, trust dynamics, and access rules; optimise and plan accordingly.
3. Prompts ≠ Keywords
No volume data, multi-turn conversations, and hyper-specific context mean strategy starts with audience understanding.
What Still Holds True?
The fundamentals haven’t gone away. In many cases, AI search has made them more important, not less.
4. AI Search and SEO Are Complementary
Strong technical SEO, content, and Digital PR remain the foundation; GEO is a layer on top.
5. E-E-A-T Is as Important as Ever
AI systems select sources they can confidently cite; demonstrate expertise everywhere you might be evaluated.
6. Start With Humans
Adoption is uneven, trust is task-dependent, and attitudes vary; start with who is using AI and how.
Where Next?
These three beliefs address where to direct attention now and what to build for next.
7. Reputation = Visibility
Being cited negatively is worse than not being cited at all; manage what’s being said about you across the web.
8. The Measurement Gap Requires Honest Frameworks
Track what’s reliable, use what’s directional, ignore what misleads.
9. Agentic AI Is The Next Frontier
The immediate opportunity is the gap between AI-assisted research and the human final decision.
Underpinning everything
10. A Culture of Experimentation is Essential
AI search is moving faster than any framework can fully capture. The only honest response to that is to keep testing.