Train the Models: Your Guide to Winning in the New Age of Total Search

Media Minute is WPP Media's series, specifically crafted to empower our clients and marketers for their intelligence era.

Is your search strategy stuck in 2020? You’ve perfected the art of the keyword, celebrated rising click-through rates, and built a brand website as your single source of truth. But what if the game has fundamentally changed? 

It has. As our Global Head of Search, Katelyn Taylor, explained in our recent WPP webinar, consumers are no longer using "Google-ese." They're having full conversations with AI, seeking personalized advice. This new world of "Total Search" requires a new playbook. As our Global VP of SEO & GSO, Edward "Teddie" Cowell, put it, “You can't optimize for something you don't understand.” 

So, let's break down how to understand—and win—in this new landscape. 

1. Meet Your New Influencer: The LLM 

Imagine a world where people aren't just typing keywords into a search bar, but having full-blown conversations with AI, asking for personalized advice and recommendations. That's exactly what's happening. These Large Language Models are becoming incredibly trusted guides, shaping how consumers discover new things and even decide what to buy. It's a huge shift from just being a blue link on a search page; now, your brand needs to be part of the AI's trusted answer. 

2. Ditch Clicks for What Really Matters 

For ages, we've been obsessed with clicks, right? But in this new AI-powered world, that's just not cutting it anymore. People are getting their answers directly from AI, often without ever clicking through to a website.  We need to pivot our focus entirely, moving beyond just traffic to what truly impacts your business. Think about measuring things like how often your brand is mentioned in AI responses, where that information is coming from, and even the sentiment around those mentions. These are the real indicators of success now. 

3. Your Off-Site Strategy Is Now Mission-Critical 

Here's a big one: if your brand's story is only living on your own website, you're essentially not being heard. AI systems are very smart, but they learn from everywhere – from user-generated content on platforms like Reddit to detailed articles from trusted publishers. They're not just looking at your official site; they're getting a full picture of your brand from everywhere online. So, building a strong presence across these diverse platforms isn't just a good idea anymore; it's really important for AI to even know you exist and see you as important. 

4. Unify Your Teams for Integrated Success 

Let's be honest, no single team can win in this new AI world alone. It's really a team effort. Imagine your SEO, PR, social media, and paid media experts all working together. When everyone works together to create and share content that AI models and people both respond to, that's when things really take off. We've seen firsthand how powerful it is when teams collaborate to get your brand's message out there strategically, influencing LLMs and getting great results for your business. 

The Future is Now 

The age of agentic commerce and AI-guided journeys isn't on the horizon; it's here. As Katelyn Taylor posed, "Is your brand ready for the AI-guided consumer journeys of today? We know these things are live. They are happening...right now, as well as the no-click or low-click flows of the future."  

Cowell emphasized the urgency: "This ecosystem is about to explode, so you need to have it on your roadmap right now." We're here to help you navigate this exciting new landscape. 

Ready to find out where your brand stands? Contact your WPP Media team to get your visibility score and build your plan for the future of search.