Dan Benton.
In the age of AI and LLMs, search is no longer a destination. It’s a journey – brands need to do more than be found – they need to be felt. Daniel Benton, Mindshare MD Digital Solutions explains what brands now must do to be understood, preferred, and actioned by both humans and machines.
Search is no longer a box. It’s a behaviour. And in 2025, that behaviour is evolving faster than ever.
For those of us who’ve spent decades in the trenches of SEM, SEO, and performance media, the shift we’re witnessing now is not just another algorithm update or platform tweak. It’s a fundamental redefinition of what search means, and what it demands from marketers.
The current state in Australia
While Google properties still own search in Australia with an estimated +95% share, the growth in LLM usage has been significant. As an example, Chat GPT is on track to attract 120 million monthly visits in this year. For context Google properties (.com, .com.au) receive a staggering 1.4 billion visits per month. Based on this trajectory we may see a similar ‘winner takes all’ scenario play out, where Google maintains dominance in “traditional search” and Chat GPT assumes a similar position within the LLM category.
The Fragmentation of Discovery
Based on these trends we’ve now hit a point where the traditional search engine is no longer the singular gateway to discovery. Today’s consumers searching fluidly across platforms; Google, TikTok, Amazon, Reddit (now one of the most visited properties in Australia), ChatGPT, and Woolworths. This is what we call “Total Search” at WPP Media: a multi-platform, multi-modal, AI-powered ecosystem where discovery happens everywhere.
In this new landscape, search is:
- Cross-platform: spanning engines, social, retail, and conversational interfaces
- Generative: powered by LLMs that summarise, suggest, and act
- Personalised: increasingly delegated to AI assistants like Google Mariner, OpenAI Operator, and Amazon Rufus
- Agentic: increasingly delegated to AI assistants like Google Mariner, OpenAI Operator, and Amazon Rufus
The implication? Brands must be discoverable not just in search engines, but equally understood by the platforms and models that increasingly mediate consumer intent.
The Rise of AI Agents
One of the most profound shifts is the emergence of AI agents – tools that don’t just retrieve information, but act on our behalf. We’re envisaging these agents will soon handle tasks like “get 3 car insurance quotes for my 2024 Ford Ranger”.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s already happening. And while the short-term impact may be modest, the long-term implications are seismic. Marketers must now optimise not just for human users, but for the bots, crawlers, and agents that represent them.
Aligning web and app technology is the starting point
LLMs use crawlers just like traditional search to retrieve information and inform the “understanding” of a brand, website, app or piece of content. This means it’s now more important than ever to ensure a brand’s web technology, technical presentation, content, UX and underlying data are orchestrated to maximise visibility. It also means in its simplest form it’s likely impossible for a brand to get displayed in an LLM result or preferenced by an agent for a specific query like “What is the most nutritious dog food for my labrador puppy” without content assets addressing the topic.
Search as a Brand Channel
Search has always been a performance channel. But in 2025, it’s also a brand channel. Why? Because discovery is happening upstream on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, Within Reddit, and through voice assistants. And these platforms reward relevance, resonance, and originality.
This involves producing content that not only addresses existing inquiries but also encourages further exploration. It requires engaging with intention, rather than merely being present.
Measurement Must Evolve
If search is everywhere, then measurement must follow. Traditional attribution models (last click, linear, even data-driven) are struggling to keep up with the fragmented, multi-touch reality of modern search.
The future-facing frameworks we’ve developed at WPP Media call for new metrics: attention, engagement, and experience quality.
We must move beyond clicks and conversions to measure total value creation across platforms, formats, and moments.
What This Means for Australian Marketers
In Australia, we’ve always punched above our weight in digital innovation. But the next era of search will test our agility, creativity, and strategic depth.
Here’s what we must do:
- Embrace Total Search: Break down silos between SEO, SEM, social, and retail media. Think holistically about discoverability.
- Optimise for AI: Track and tailor content for new user agents; LLMs, bots, and assistants.
- Design for Emotion: Inject friction, character, and brand essence into every touchpoint.
- Rethink Measurement: Build frameworks that capture attention, not just action.
- Invest in Talent: Equip teams with the skills to navigate this complexity from prompt engineering to AI ethics.
The Bottom Line
Search is no longer a destination. It’s a journey – fluid, fragmented, and full of possibility.
As marketers, our job is not just to be found, but to be felt. To show up with relevance, resonance, and responsibility. To meet consumers not just where they are, but where they’re going.
The future of search is here. And it’s ours to shape.