Turn Google Into a Discovery Layer - Not Your Main Funnel

cathtidd
2 hours ago
3 min read

Key Takeaways

Treat Google as a discovery tool, not your primary funnel - its job is visibility, while nurturing happens on your owned channels.
Shift focus to email lists, lead magnets, tools, and webinars to move prospects off “rented land” and into your ecosystem.

If zero-click searches are the new normal (and they are), then it’s time to rethink how Google actually fits into your marketing strategy. For years, SEO was the engine: get found → get the click → get the lead. But with AI Overviews answering questions directly on the search page, that tidy little funnel is gone.

And honestly? That’s not a bad thing.

It just means your approach needs to evolve.

Google’s Job Has Changed

According to Adapex, "Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is significantly altering user interaction with search results by providing AI-generated answers directly on the search page. This reduces the need for users to visit publisher websites, leading to a notable decline in organic search traffic. According to Search Engine Land, estimates suggest this could result in a 20% to 60% decline, potentially causing up to $2 billion in lost digital ad revenue annually."

In other words, Google's job has changed. Now we need to change with it.

In a zero-click world, search isn’t the finish line; it’s the handshake. It’s where people discover you, not where they necessarily convert.

Your goal isn’t to convince Google to send you traffic you can’t rely on. Your goal is to make the most of the small windows of visibility you do get. That means shifting Google from being “your main marketing pipeline” to being your top-of-funnel discovery layer.

Instead of obsessing over how many sessions you got from organic search, start thinking like this:

Let Google introduce you. Then move people somewhere you actually control.

Stop Building Your Entire Business on Rented Land

If Google gives people the answer right away, you need other ways to deepen the relationship. The most successful advisors and small businesses are doing exactly that - using search as an intro, not a conversion engine.

Once someone lands on your site (or sees you cited in an AI Overview), your job is to offer something that makes them stick around.

Shift your strategy toward owned assets like:

Email newsletters that build trust over time
Lead magnets with real value (checklists, guides, calculators)
Interactive tools that help people understand their situation
Webinars and workshops that get people face-to-face with your expertise
Quizzes that give personalized results and get people engaged
Downloadable eBooks, templates, and flowcharts (a Social Seed Marketing specialty!)

These are the things Google can’t flatten into a snippet. These are the things that keep people in YOUR ecosystem.

Your SEO Strategy Isn’t Dying, It’s Maturing

SEO isn’t obsolete; it’s simply evolving. Google may control the search results page, but it doesn’t control the things that truly set you apart: your brand voice, your perspective, your community, the tools and systems you’ve built, the stories you tell, your email list, your expertise, and your real-world experience. These are the assets AI can’t flatten or replicate, and they’re the pieces of your business that zero-click answers will never be able to replace.