For decades, marketers built strategies around a simple belief: people move through a funnel. Awareness → consideration → decision. If you could map the steps, you could intercept them with content.
But AI broke that model.
Search engines no longer hand off a neat series of clicks. They collapse steps into answers. They satisfy curiosity before a prospect even reaches your site. And the “linear funnel” we used to optimize against? It’s now a messy, discontinuous journey with critical stages missing.
This 3-part series looks at what’s happening — and how to adapt:
Part 1: When the Funnel Collapses – Why AI Broke the Searcher Continuum
AI short-circuits the traditional funnel by collapsing search intent into a single step. What looks like a drop in traffic isn’t random — it’s the disappearance of entire stages of discovery.
Part 2: AI Answers Are Signposts, Not Destinations
While visibility in AI results can feel like a win, a citation alone is not success. A signpost is only helpful if it moves someone forward. Otherwise, it’s just digital wallpaper.
Part 3: From Zero-Click to Next Click – The Core Arc
- The funnel collapses.
- AI provides signposts.
- Your job is to build the roads — intent connectors — that turn visibility into measurable outcomes.
This series is both a warning and a playbook: don’t confuse being seen with being chosen. The winners in the AI era will be the brands that create pathways, not just placements.
Bonus Thoughts – From Curated to Computed
If you want to see this shift in action, my latest Signal & Friction Substack — The Big Shift: From Curated to Computed — breaks down how Google and ChatGPT now mechanically decide what “best” or any other superlative adjective means.
Traditionally, making it onto a curated “Best Of” list (like Bankrate or PCMag) meant you were in the game. Editors smoothed over gaps, and visibility equaled eligibility.
But in the AI era, “best” is computed in real time against hidden criteria. In my CD rate test, Google and ChatGPT both applied filters like APY thresholds, insurance status, liquidity, and freshness of data. Miss one, and you were invisible — no matter how strong your offer looked in isolation.
That’s the bridge to this 3-part series:
- The funnel collapses.
- AI offers signposts.
- Only brands that pass the eligibility gates and build intent connectors will turn visibility into action.
