Ep 21 Found in AI: AI Search Is Exposing Lazy SEO
In today’s episode of Found in AI, I sit down with Pat Reinhart of Conductor to unpack why AI search isn’t just changing SEO — it’s revealing which strategies were never built to last in the first place.
We talk about why “ranking in ChatGPT” isn’t a real concept, how AI search actually evaluates trust and authority, and what marketers need to rethink as visibility shifts from keywords to share of voice.
We cover:
- Why AI search isn’t SEO in disguise — and where the fundamentals truly diverge
- Why share of voice matters more than rankings in LLM-driven search
- How brand mentions, citations, and sentiment influence AI visibility
- Why gaming the system works less — and reputation works more
- How marketers should think about ChatGPT, Gemini, and other models without chasing every engine
- What signals actually help brands earn trust inside AI-generated answers
If you’re questioning old SEO playbooks, seeing traffic patterns change, or trying to plan a durable strategy for 2026, this episode will help you separate what still works from what AI is actively devaluing.
Transcript: AI Search is Exposing Lazy SEO: What still works (and what no longer does) in AI search
Opening Context: Why AI Search Isn’t SEO in Disguise
Cassie Clark
If you’re still thinking about AI search in terms of rankings, keywords, or maybe even gaming the algorithm, today’s episode might make you a little uncomfortable — in a good way.
This conversation is about why AI search isn’t SEO in disguise, why “ranking in ChatGPT” isn’t actually a thing (even though I’ve used that phrase myself), and why brand trust, reputation, and real-world conversation now matter more than ever.
I’m Cassie Clark, a fractional content strategist and host of the Found in AI podcast, where I help marketers and founders understand AI search so we don’t get lost in it.
Today I’m joined by Pat Reinhart from Conductor — someone who’s been in SEO long enough to see every so-called meteor come and go.
Before we jump in, one quick note: this episode was recorded before Gemini 3 Flash rolled out globally. Since then, I’ve tested it, and it’s excellent. My thinking around ChatGPT versus Gemini has evolved — but the fundamentals we discuss here are exactly what will still matter in 2026 and beyond.
With that said, let’s get into it.
Pat’s Background: Two Decades Inside SEO, AEO, and Everything in Between
Pat Reinhart
Thanks for having me on. My name is Pat Reinhart. I lead professional services and thought leadership at Conductor, a technology company that helps teams create content and understand their visibility across AI search and traditional search.
I’ve been there for about ten years. Before that, I was a customer for five. Altogether, it’s been a big part of my 22-year career in SEO, GEO, AEO — whatever acronym we’re using this week.
SEO vs AEO: What’s Actually Different (and What Isn’t)
Cassie Clark
Which one are we calling it today? I want to make sure I’m aligned.
Pat Reinhart
Most people are saying AEO right now. But honestly, I’m fine with whatever people want to call it.
Cassie Clark
Lindsay connected us and mentioned you’ve been doing this for nearly three decades. I want to start by addressing a big myth: is AI search really just SEO in disguise?
Pat Reinhart
It’s very closely related — but it’s not the same.
Most of the fundamentals still apply: creating content, building entities around your brand and products, using schema, establishing trust and topical authority. None of that is new.
Where things start to diverge is measurement and scale.
The real difference comes from how content is produced and evaluated in an AI-driven world. AI isn’t just generating articles — it’s creating social posts, videos, images, and more. It’s permeating everything.
The smartest teams recognize AI as one of the greatest productivity tools ever created. The people who struggle are the ones waiting for the wave to knock them over instead of learning how to ride it.
Why “Ranking in ChatGPT” Isn’t a Real Concept
Cassie Clark
So what would you say are the biggest fundamental differences between SEO and AEO?
Pat Reinhart
Measurement is a big one.
Traditional search engines retrieve results from an index. LLMs operate on probabilistic models. If they don’t know something or feel an answer is incomplete, they’ll fetch information in real time.
There’s no stable ranking. You can’t rank inside an LLM response. You can ask the same prompt twice and get different outputs.
That’s why tools claiming to “rank you in ChatGPT” are misleading. It doesn’t work that way.
AI Share of Voice: How Visibility Is Actually Measured
Cassie Clark
So what is the right term?
Pat Reinhart
Share of voice.
In AI search, it’s about how often your brand is mentioned and cited when relevant conversations happen.
There’s no master prompt index. Instead, you track a controlled set of prompts over time and measure how often your brand appears.
People aren’t typing queries anymore — they’re having conversations. The average Google query is three or four words. The average ChatGPT prompt is over twenty.
AI looks at places where real people talk: Reddit, Quora, Wikipedia. It’s a brand-building exercise more than a link-building one.
Which SEO Tactics Matter Less in AI Search
Cassie Clark
What SEO practices do you think matter less now?
Pat Reinhart
Traditional link buying matters less.
Buying links can still work at the margins, but AI is getting very good at identifying what’s artificial.
Reputation beats manipulation.
Guest posting, low-effort tactics, anything designed purely to game the system — AI devalues that quickly.
Do Brands Need a Different Strategy for Every AI Model?
Cassie Clark
Do brands need a multi-engine optimization strategy?
Pat Reinhart
Focus where the volume is.
ChatGPT isn’t a search engine, but it’s where most users are — just like Google dominated traditional search.
Brand trust, clear answers, and authority translate across models. If you show up well in one, you’ll usually show up well in others.
How Ads Are Likely to Work in AI Search
Cassie Clark
How do you see ads fitting into AI search?
Pat Reinhart
It’ll resemble product listing ads.
Sponsored placements will appear contextually inside answers — not disruptive, but integrated. History tends to repeat itself.
Is the SEO Industry Underestimating AI Search?
Cassie Clark
Is the industry underestimating how disruptive this is?
Pat Reinhart
Not anymore.
There was panic early on, but experienced practitioners leaned back and watched the data.
This doesn’t make SEO irrelevant — it makes it more visible. Every executive now cares about search.
That’s an opportunity.
Final Takeaways: Visibility Systems, Not Tactics
Cassie Clark
AI search isn’t killing SEO. There are no murders — just exposure.
You can’t game your way into AI answers. What shows up instead is credibility.
As we move into 2026, marketers need to think in terms of visibility systems, not isolated tactics:
- Are you earning consistent mentions and citations?
- Do AI bots return to your site for answers?
- Is sentiment working for or against you in communities like Reddit?
- Does your authority translate across models?
That’s the shift.
If you want to go deeper, I publish ongoing resources on AI search visibility, share of voice, and how LLMs decide which brands to trust.
And if you want a clear, practical view of where your brand stands inside AI-generated answers, I’m currently offering a limited number of AI Search Visibility Audits.
Thanks for listening — and I’ll see you in the next episode.
If we haven’t met yet….
Hi, I’m Cassie, a fractional content strategist for early-stage startups who focuses on AI search optimization.
If AI-generated answers are already influencing your buyers, your content strategy needs to account for that. I build content programs that connect strategy with execution: clear positioning, systems, and content that actually drive revenue. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, here’s how we can work together.
