MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The way Australians search for information online is changing, and businesses are being encouraged to look beyond traditional search rankings as artificial intelligence becomes a more visible part of the customer journey.

Melbourne based digital marketing consultant Sagar Sethi is highlighting the growing importance of AI search and the need for Australian businesses to understand how platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity can influence the way potential customers discover businesses, services and products online.

For many years, digital marketing strategies have focused heavily on appearing in conventional search engine results. Businesses have invested in search engine optimisation, Google Ads, content marketing and social media to reach customers when they search for products and services.

The emergence of AI powered search is adding another layer to that process.

Instead of presenting users with a traditional list of websites, AI search platforms can provide direct answers to questions and may reference information from websites, business directories, industry publications and other online sources.

This means a potential customer may now research a business without initially visiting Google or going directly to a company website.

Sagar Sethi, who works with businesses across Australia, believes this change makes it increasingly important for businesses to understand how their online presence is represented across different search environments.

From search rankings to search visibility

Traditional SEO remains an important part of online marketing. However, the customer journey is becoming more complicated as search engines and AI platforms increasingly provide answers directly within the search experience.

A person looking for a service might ask an AI assistant to explain the options available, compare providers or identify businesses that operate in a particular location.

The answer may contain references to websites and other sources that influence the customer's next step.

Sethi's AI visibility services focus on helping businesses improve their presence across AI search environments. The approach includes building a consistent online presence, improving website content and ensuring that important business information can be understood by both people and search systems.

According to Sethi's website, AI visibility is closely connected with generative engine optimisation, commonly referred to as GEO. The focus is not simply on getting a website ranked for a keyword but on improving the likelihood that a business is represented when an AI system answers relevant questions.

Why Australian businesses need to pay attention

Australian businesses operate in an increasingly competitive online environment. A company may have a well designed website, strong products and positive customer reviews, yet still struggle to appear when potential customers search for its services.

AI search introduces another point where businesses can either be represented or overlooked.

For professional services firms, trades businesses, retailers and other service providers, appearing in an AI generated answer can become part of the research process that takes place before a customer contacts a business.

The important distinction is that AI visibility does not replace conventional SEO.

Sethi's approach is to treat traditional SEO as a foundation while building additional signals that can support visibility in AI generated answers.

This includes maintaining accurate business information, producing useful content, developing authoritative references and ensuring that website pages clearly explain what a business does.

Content remains central to online visibility

The rise of AI search does not make content less important. In many cases, it makes useful and specific content more valuable.

AI systems need information that can be interpreted and summarised. Customers also need information that answers their questions before they make a purchasing decision.

Sethi's content marketing approach starts with understanding the audience and the questions customers ask throughout the buying process. This includes identifying the pages that should exist on a website, the topics that deserve supporting content and the way articles and guides connect with important commercial pages.

Rather than producing large volumes of generic blog posts, the strategy focuses on creating content with a clear purpose.

A service page should explain the service.

A guide should answer a useful question.

A case study should provide evidence.

An article should address a genuine customer concern.

This approach can benefit both traditional search and emerging AI search environments.

Measuring the change

One of the challenges associated with AI search is measurement.

A business may receive a mention or citation within an AI answer without receiving a website visit. A separate user may read an AI generated response and then search for the business independently.

This makes it important for businesses to distinguish between visibility, citations, referral traffic, organic traffic and actual enquiries.

Sethi's recent commentary on AI search highlights this distinction and argues that businesses should examine their own analytics rather than relying solely on broad industry headlines. His analysis also notes that AI referral traffic remains relatively small compared with traditional channels in the data discussed.

The practical implication is that businesses should establish a baseline and monitor changes over time.

A broader approach to digital marketing

AI search is only one part of a wider digital marketing strategy.

Sethi provides consulting across SEO, Google Ads, content marketing, analytics, marketing audits, strategy and ROI analysis.

This broader approach is designed to connect individual marketing channels rather than treating them as completely separate activities.

For example, a business investing in Google Ads needs accurate conversion tracking to understand whether the advertising is generating enquiries.

A business investing in SEO needs useful content and technically sound pages.

A business investing in content needs a distribution strategy and a way to measure whether the content is contributing to traffic and leads.

The same principle applies to AI visibility.

Businesses need to understand where customers are finding them and what happens after that initial discovery.

Looking ahead

The shift towards AI assisted search is still developing, and businesses should be cautious about treating every new AI marketing trend as a guaranteed source of leads.

Instead, Sethi recommends a measured approach based on strong digital marketing fundamentals.

That means maintaining a technically sound website, creating useful content, tracking conversions accurately and building a credible online presence.

AI search can then be considered as an additional part of the wider customer journey.

For Australian businesses, the immediate opportunity is not necessarily to abandon existing marketing channels. It is to understand how those channels contribute to visibility across an increasingly diverse search environment.

As search continues to evolve, businesses that understand where customers are looking and how information is presented will be better positioned to make informed decisions about their digital marketing activity.

Sagar Sethi is a Melbourne based digital marketing consultant working with businesses across Australia. His services include SEO consulting, Google Ads management, content marketing, AI visibility and GEO, Google Analytics consulting, marketing audits, strategy and ROI analysis.

For more information about digital marketing consulting and AI visibility services, visit Sagar Sethi online.