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by The Notified Team on Oct 23, 2025 2:03:16 PM
Everyone is feeling it. The internet hasn’t changed, but how people find and trust information absolutely has.
At Profound’s Zero Click Summit in New York City, we saw that change unfold in real time. The event brought together some of the brightest minds in AI, SEO, PR and digital strategy, all asking one big question:
“What happens when search goes from clicks to conversations?”
From Profound’s exclusive research to insights from Reddit, iPullRank, Amsive, Edelman and others, one thing was clear: the age of "zero click" discovery has arrived, and it's rewriting the rules of visibility.
Here are five of the biggest takeaways from this important event.
1. How AI Became the New Gatekeeper of Discovery
Profound’s Co-Founder and CEO, James Cadwallader, kicked off the day by explaining how AI is changing the way we all connect online.
“The front door of the internet hasn’t changed, but who’s walking through it has.”
For the first time, it’s not just people navigating the web. AI systems like ChatGPT and Perplexity now crawl, read and summarize information to decide what reaches audiences first.
For communicators, that means visibility is no longer just about human readers. It is about earning the trust of the algorithms that inform them.
When we publish a press release, post a blog, or share data, we are not only writing for people. We are also writing for the machines that shape what people see and believe.
2. Why Structure and Clarity Drive AI Visibility
Profound’s team shared powerful research that puts numbers behind what we’re all sensing:
- 240 million AI searches happen daily.
- 46% of consumers trust AI recommendations more than friends.
- Only 19% of ChatGPT’s answers overlap with Google’s top results.
That’s a huge shift and it’s happening fast. So, what does that mean for you?
It’s time to think like a machine (without losing your human voice). To show up in AI-driven search, you need to rethink the basics:
- Lead with your answers, not your introduction.
- Keep content structured with descriptive URLs and use clear subheads, lists and short paragraphs.
- Update often since AI rewards freshness more than authority.
- Prioritize data, comparisons and clarity over corporate speak.
As Profound’s Sartaj Rajpal said: “If you fail to provide value, you might as well not exist.”
As an industry, we have spent years optimizing for clicks. Now, it’s about optimizing for understanding so that when AI goes looking for answers, it finds yours.
3. How Real Conversations Build Brand Visibility in AI Search
Rob Gaige, Global Head of Insights at Reddit, shared one of the most eye-opening insights of the day. Reddit is now the number one source for Perplexity and the number two source for ChatGPT citations.
Why? Because large language models (LLMs) trust authentic human conversations more than polished marketing copy.
The takeaway is simple but powerful.
If you want to influence what AI says about your brand, you need to show up in the communities where those insights originate.
That means listening to your audience, engaging in honest dialogue and encouraging debate. AI does not reward perfection. It rewards participation and perspective.
As Gaige said: “Human conversation isn’t being replaced by AI. It is becoming more important.”
For communicators, that is a reminder that authenticity still wins, just on a much bigger stage.
4. SEO Still Matters: The Shift to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
The Inside AI Search panel, featuring Lily Ray (Amsive) and Mike King (iPullRank), tackled the question on everyone’s mind: Is SEO still relevant?
The short answer is: Yes, SEO still matters but it’s not enough on its own.
We’re now entering the era of AEO: Answer Engine Optimization, where content must be built for both humans and machines to understand.
Instead of optimizing for clicks, we’re optimizing for understanding.
Here’s how we can all evolve our approach:
- Break down silos between PR, SEO and social.
- Repurpose your best stories across video, text and audio.
- Be transparent and explicit in your content - AI can’t infer nuance.
- Don’t just compete for clicks. Compete to be the option AI recommends.
That’s the new visibility.
5. The Future of PR: Writing for People and Machines
In the closing Agencies on the Front Lines of AI Search panel, leaders from Edelman, Omnicom, Dentsu and WPP shared how they are adapting to this new landscape.
Erin Lanuti, Chief Innovation Officer at Omnicom PR Group, said it best: “We’re architecting how our clients become the answers to the questions they want to own.”
That is the new mandate for communicators. Blend creativity with technical precision.
Press releases, FAQs, blogs and brand pages all need to speak two languages:
- Human: emotionally resonant, credible, clear.
- Machine: structured, factual, unambiguous.
We are moving from visibility to verifiability, where credibility is earned not only through storytelling but also through structure.
What Does This Mean for You?
We've entered an era where AI intermediates nearly every discovery journey. That might sound intimidating, but it's also an incredible opportunity.
Here’s where to begin:
- Write content that is both human and machine-readable.
- Use data and authenticity to build real trust.
- Think beyond clicks and focus on being cited, referenced and recommended.
The story has not changed, but the medium has. Communicators have always shaped perception. Now, it’s about shaping what AI understands to be true.
The Notified x Profound Partnership
See how GlobeNewswire press releases are cited by chatbots, answer engines and AI search summaries.
About Notified
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Notified is an affiliate of Equiniti Group Limited (EQ)
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