I just watched a fascinating conversation between Kipp Bodnar and Neil Patel at HubSpot’s Inbound 2025, and the data they shared about AI Engine Optimization (AEO) versus traditional SEO blew me away. As someone who’s been in digital marketing for years, I’m always looking for the next big shift, and this might be it.
Neil shared that while AEO traffic currently makes up less than 1% of total website traffic for both B2B and B2C companies, it converts at a rate that’s at least 50% of what traditional organic search delivers. Even more striking, HubSpot’s own data shows that a visit from an AI platform like ChatGPT or Perplexity converts into a customer at 13 times the rate of traditional Google search.
This makes perfect sense when you think about it. When someone uses an AI search tool, they’re doing all their research within the platform itself. They only click through to a website when they’re ready to take action. It’s a fundamental shift from “getting answers” to “taking action based on answers.”
Don’t Abandon Your Blog Just Yet
One concerning trend I’ve noticed is companies pulling back on blogging because they think it doesn’t drive as much Google traffic anymore. This is a mistake. Neil’s data shows that blogs remain the top source that LLMs pull from when generating responses.
The key difference now is that content needs to be created for humans but packaged for AI. This means:
- Focusing on citations rather than just backlinks
- Paying attention to how content is structured
- Using comparison data that AI loves to reference
- Implementing structured data to make it easier for AI to parse
I’ve found that creating comparison content that breaks down total cost of ownership has become particularly effective in the AI era. When you create detailed breakdowns comparing your solution to competitors, AI platforms love to reference this data—potentially driving high-intent traffic your way.
The Sales Cycle Is Getting Longer
Another fascinating insight from Neil’s research is that the sales cycle is dragging out. The old “rule of seven” touchpoints before conversion has now expanded to around 11 touchpoints. This is happening because:
- There are more competitors in every space
- Technology has reduced barriers to entry
- Products and services are becoming less differentiated
- Economic pressures are making buyers more price-sensitive
For marketers, this means we need to design longer nurture sequences and provide more value at each stage of the buyer journey. The companies winning today understand that cheap alternatives often come with hidden costs in terms of support, integration, and functionality.
What’s Old Is New Again
Perhaps the most surprising takeaway from Neil’s presentation was his emphasis on returning to marketing fundamentals. While everyone’s been obsessed with AI, the channels that continue to drive revenue are the “boring” ones:
- Email marketing (converting at 11x the rate of social media)
- Traditional SEO (Google search volume is still growing)
- Paid advertising
I’ve seen this in my own business too. When we get caught up chasing the next shiny object, we often neglect the proven channels that consistently deliver results. The key is to maintain a strong foundation while strategically innovating.
The Fragmented Search Landscape
One final insight that caught my attention was the fragmentation of search. Google only accounts for about 27% of daily searches (13.7 billion out of more than 50 billion). The rest are happening on platforms like Instagram (6.5 billion daily searches), YouTube, LinkedIn, and Amazon Business.
This presents a huge opportunity for marketers willing to optimize for these “secondary” search engines. Even B2B companies should consider platforms like Instagram, where Neil’s research shows about 6% of searches are for B2B content.
My advice? Don’t ignore AI—it’s clearly the future. But while you’re building your AEO strategy, make sure you’re still investing in the proven channels that drive revenue today. Create high-quality content for humans, structure it for AI, and distribute it across the full spectrum of search platforms where your audience spends time.
The marketing landscape is changing rapidly, but some fundamentals remain constant. The winners will be those who can balance innovation with execution on the basics.
