Last week, I argued that habitual publisher traffic – direct and branded – has been eroding for years, and that the under-35s are leading the charge. Not directly provable, but a theory.
Recent data shows that 88% of marketers now use AI every day to guide their biggest decisions, and for good reason. Marketing automation has been shown to generate 80% more leads and drive 77% higher conversion rates. With global ad spend now topping $1 trillion, there’s simply too much data for even the most experienced teams to manage by hand anymore.
As any marketer or SEO knows, there’s a special satisfaction in seeing your hard work pay off in the form of snagging a top result on the SERPs. But in the age of answer engine optimization (AEO), search results don’t tell the full story. To gauge success, you need to learn how to track your brand’s presence in AI search — which introduces a new set of metrics, including mentions, citations, and share of voice.
SEO consultants handle audits, keyword research, on-page fixes, link building, and AI visibility across platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews.
Hire one when your traffic stalls, your rankings drop after a Google update, your in-house team is stretched, or you’re ready to scale.
Look for proven case studies, several years of experience, data-driven reporting, and a clear grasp of AI search.
Consultants cost less and work one-on-one. Agencies cost more but deliver faster with a full team behind your account.
In-house teams know your business best. Consultants bring deeper SEO expertise and faster results.
Need a little help improving your rankings? An SEO consultant could be the answer.
ChatGPT surpassed $100 million in annualized ad revenue in its first six weeks, generated from less than 20 percent of eligible users seeing ads daily.
Around 85 percent of free and Go tier users are eligible to see ads, meaning current revenue represents a small fraction of eventual ad capacity.
Self-serve access launched in May 2026, opening the platform beyond the initial group of managed pilot brands via a new OpenAI Ads Manager.
OpenAI removed the $50,000 minimum spend requirement entirely, opening the door for businesses of any size.
ChatGPT now reaches 800 million weekly active users, processing 2.5 billion prompts daily.
First-mover advantage is real, and it will not last long once self-serve competition normalizes pricing.
For the past several months, advertising on ChatGPT meant getting an invitation. A small group of brands had access. Everyone else waited.
