04/10/2026
We’re starting to see a shift from “Google it” to “Ask AI" and it's happening in all age groups. Are we ready for it?
The other day I was at my daughters swim class and I started to pick up on one common thing: the parents and guardians around me were telling one another to "Ask " when they had a problem. One family was searching for plumbers near them, averages on quotes, and ideas for bathroom layouts - all in AI. My own parents have started to adopt hashtag when searching for an analysis of lab results and uncommon medical phrases.
Instead of scrolling through pages of links and sponsored ads, the average person is now asking tools like for recommendations, trusting in the outcome that is delivered back to them.
Say you're a restaurant, how does this impact you? Well, think about how a user might search and whether you will appear for it:
• “Best restaurants for a fancy date in Boston”
• “Where can I get the best steak near me"
• “What wine pairs best with the surf & turf?”
• "Find a place near [restaurant] for dinner and drinks"
Here is why people trust the output:
AI doesn’t give you endless pages of options. Instead, it gives you a few curated answers with ideas and suggestions for refinement.
You may not be thinking this way yet, but you will have to start. Because, the fact of the matter is, if your brand isn’t showing up in these answers, you are not just ranking lower… you are becoming irrelevant and invisible in search.
Bottom line: Marketing strategies need to expand to include both SEO and AI visibility.
