Google just rewrote the rules of search, changing SEO forever.

At Google I/O 2025, the company unveiled its latest move into AI-powered search — now officially rolling out for users in the U.S. AI Search Mode is now live. This is more than a UI change. It marks the beginning of a personalized, contextual, and memory-driven search experience that fundamentally challenges how brands — especially small-medium sized websites — are discovered and engaged with online.

Let’s break down what’s changing for SEO, and more importantly, how marketing teams should respond and adapt.

From Query-Based to Context-Based Search

Google’s new AI Overviews mean that search results are no longer static or shared. Every user sees a uniquely personalized result, based on:

  • Search history
  • Location
  • Gmail content
  • Calendar events
  • Shopping behavior
  • Even preferences like food dislikes or fitness routines

In other words, Google is building a memory layer into search.

If you regularly run at night, you’ll see running gear designed for low-light use.
If you don’t like the dry taste of chardonnay white wine, Google won’t show you recipes with chardonnay. If you’ve never bought from a brand, it might not show up at all.

The implications for B2B are massive:
Search is no longer a public stage — it’s a private, personalized conversation.

The Funnel Has Flipped, Done a Cartwheel, and Collapsed. Moments Now Matter.

The traditional B2B marketing funnel — awareness, consideration, decision — just became modular. AI-generated results collapse those stages into intent-driven moments.

This means:

  • Ranking at each funnel stage no longer guarantees discovery
  • New or unknown brands will struggle to surface
  • Google will favor familiar brands that the user has previously engaged with

For B2B, this makes brand visibility and intent mapping more critical than ever.

What B2B and B2C Marketers Must Do Now

Here’s how forward-thinking teams can adapt:

1. Rethink Content Mapping

Every piece of content should be connected to a real-world scenario:

  • "How to select an MDR provider before your next audit"
  • "Best XDR tools for companies going through SOC2 certification"
  • "What cybersecurity teams need to report to boards in 2025"

Content must align with life triggers, not just keywords.

2. Invest in Deep Audience Intelligence

SEO can’t start with keywords anymore — it has to start with humans:

  • What are their pain points?
  • What moments trigger action?
  • Who do they trust?

Translate this to key events, segmentation, and beyond.

An example of how we are working with this, is we’re now conducting audience x platform x intent audits for every website before content is even planned. Content isn’t static, its moving. 

3. Shift SEO Metrics

Ranking is practically dead. Instead, track:

  • Share of SERP
  • Impression quality
  • On-SERP recommendations
  • Organic-assisted conversions

4. Build Brand Authority Through Ecosystems

AI search surfaces what it trusts — and trust is built through:

  • EEAT signals (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust)
  • Brand mentions
  • Link networks
  • Associated content from creators, partners, and media outlets

Brands need to borrow visibility until they own it.

5. Expand Discovery Outside Google

Relying solely on Google is short-sighted. With AI search narrowing visibility, TikTok, YouTube, and even Pinterest become essential for early discovery.

This isn’t just Gen Z behavior — it’s cross-channel SEO.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Fix the Old System + Dominate a Niche

If your traffic is dipping, don’t waste energy trying to reverse-engineer what’s broken. Instead, focus on being relevant, trusted, and visible in the new system. Expose your niche, focus on your target customer, and build content to their specific buyer journey vs being random and wide. 

That means:

  • Intent-layered content
  • Emotional mapping
  • Smart audience segmentation
  • Strategic ecosystem building
  • Niche-first vs talking to all