From Google to GPT: How Search Actually Works in 2025

Discoverability isn’t “just SEO” anymore. It’s the entire customer journey.

VML’s Chief Discoverability Officer, Heather Physioc, joins host Lacey Peace to unpack how AI search, LLM overviews, social media channels, and agentic assistants are rewriting how customers find, trust, and choose brands.

We cover: the rise of zero-click results and GEO (generative engine optimization), why trust + authority beat content volume, connecting your content supply chain, and where to invest next. Practical, human-centered—and way beyond keyword stuffing.

Key Moments

00:00Meet Heather Physioc, VML’s Chief Discoverability Officer

7:33 What Is a Chief Discoverability Officer?

10:07Discoverability’s Role in the Modern Customer Journey

13:00The Biggest Gaps in Marketing and CX Today

17:00From 10 Blue Links to AI Overviews: The Timeline of Discoverability

22:00How AI Overviews Are Changing Search Behavior

23:45Three Shifts Defining the AI Search Revolution

27:45Is This the Death of the Website?

28:40Can We Track What People Search on LLMs?

30:53Does SEO Still Matter in an AI-First World?

33:17What Platforms Actually Matter Most Right Now

37:00Building Trust and Authority in the Age of AI Content

40:30The Content Supply Chain: Why Brands Struggle to Connect the Dots

43:33The New Metrics That Actually Matter for Discoverability

45:26Ad Buying and Sponsored Content in LLM Search

48:05The Next Challenges Every Brand Should Prepare For

50:00AI Assistants and the Rise of the AI Buyer

54:25The One Fundamental Truth About Human Search Behavior

–

Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

 

Mission.orgis a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.