The rules of digital engagement and SEO are changing fast. As Generative AI platforms and large language models (LLMs) become the go-to tools for information and decision-making, traditional SEO strategies are being upended. Search engines are no longer the only gateway to brand discovery. Increasingly, consumers are turning to AI-powered assistants to ask questions, compare products, and make decisions without ever having to click a link.
For marketing leaders, this shift presents a strategic dilemma: Should we focus on defending the audiences we already own, or invest in optimizing for AI-driven discovery?
The Disruption: Defend What You Own
According to Gartner’s 2025 Marketing Predictions, as AI continues to disrupt traditional search and social channels, CMOs must prioritize owned media and direct customer relationships. The report emphasizes that brands can no longer rely solely on third-party platforms to drive traffic and engagement. Instead, marketers should double down on email, CRM, and loyalty programs to build resilience and maintain control over their customer connections.
This “defend” strategy is about protecting what you’ve already built, a.k.a. your audience, your data, and your brand equity. By investing in personalized content, lifecycle marketing, and community engagement, brands can create meaningful experiences that are not dependent on search engine rankings or social media algorithms.
The Opportunity: LLMs as the New Front Door
On the other side of the spectrum, Adobe recently introduced its LLM Optimizer, a powerful tool designed to help brands surface more effectively in AI-generated responses. Adobe’s perspective is clear: LLMs are not just a threat, they’re a massive opportunity for brand discovery.
As consumers increasingly rely on AI to answer questions like “What’s the best CRM for small businesses?” or “Which skincare brands are sustainable?”, the brands that show up in those answers will win. But showing up requires a new kind of optimization. One that goes beyond keywords and backlinks. It means structuring content in a way that LLMs can understand, contextualize, and trust.
Adobe’s LLM Optimizer helps marketers do just that. By analyzing how your brand is represented across AI platforms and providing actionable insights to improve visibility, it empowers marketing teams to stay ahead of the curve.
The Strategic Dilemma: Defend or Discover?
So, which path should marketing leaders take?
Defend
Focus on retention, loyalty, and lifetime value. Strengthen your email strategy, build community, and personalize every touchpoint.
Discover
Embrace the AI frontier. Optimize your content for LLMs, monitor how your brand appears in AI-generated answers, and adapt your strategy accordingly.
The truth is, this isn’t an either/or decision. It’s a both/and.
The Hybrid Approach: Rethinking SEO for the AI Era
Modern SEO is no longer just about ranking on Google. It’s about being the best answer in an AI-generated conversation. That means:
- Auditing your content to ensure it’s structured, factual, and authoritative
- Leveraging tools like Adobe’s LLM Optimizer to understand and improve your brand’s AI visibility
- Doubling down on owned channels to build lasting relationships with your audience
The New Front Door Is Open
Generative AI isn’t just changing how people search. It’s changing how they discover, evaluate, and engage with brands. As marketing leaders, we must evolve our strategies to meet this moment.
So, ask yourself: Is your brand ready for the new front door?
Let Perficient Be Your Key to the New Front Door
At Perficient, we help brands unlock the full potential of this new era in digital marketing. By combining Adobe’s cutting-edge technology with our strategic marketing expertise, we empower organizations to not only protect their existing audiences but also pioneer new paths to discovery through AI-driven experiences.
Whether you’re looking to reinforce your foundation or step confidently into the future, we’ll help you build a strategy that’s not just future-ready, but future-proof.
