"We no longer search. We ask."
This semantic shift summarizes the biggest disruption of the web in 20 years. And it changes everything for your content strategy.
For two decades, we optimized to appear in search results. Position 1, featured snippets, rich results. The holy grail was to be visible.
This paradigm is crumbling. Today, millions of users no longer go through Google. They open ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity or Gemini. They ask their question. The assistant answers.
End of story? No. Beginning of a new era where your content no longer needs to impose itself in a result, but feed a model that cites or recommends you.
The observation: search is shifting
The old world
- • I type keywords into Google
- • I scan 10 blue links
- • I click, read, come back
- • I rephrase if needed
- • Average time: 5-15 minutes
The new world
- • I ask my question in natural language
- • The assistant synthesizes information
- • I receive a direct answer
- • I can dig deeper in conversation
- • Average time: 30 seconds
The shift in numbers
-25%
Google queries
among 18-24 year olds
200M
Active users
ChatGPT/week
40%
Gen Z uses TikTok
for searching
60%
"Zero-click" searches
on Google
The paradigm shift: from ranking to citation
In the old world, your goal was to rank. You optimized for keywords, built backlinks, improved your domain authority. The game was to beat your competitors in the SERPs.
In the new world, the rules change. The AI assistant doesn't put you in competition with other results. It synthesizes information from multiple sources and chooses to cite you... or not.
The question is no longer:
"How do I appear in position 1?"
But:
"How do I become a source that AI recommends?"
💡 Key insight
Your content no longer addresses the end user directly. It addresses an intermediary — the AI — that will decide if it deserves to be transmitted. This is a fundamental change in posture.
From Funnel to Feed: rethinking content marketing
Inbound Marketing (2010-2024)Obsolete
Awareness
Attract attention via SEO/Ads
Interest
Nurture with content
Decision
Convert to lead
Action
Sell
Capture logic: the user descends into a funnel you control.
FEED Framework (2025+)New
Feed the model
Feed AI with crawlable content
Establish authority
Build expertise and trust
Earn mentions
Win citations in AI responses
Deliver as recommendation
Be suggested as solution
Contribution logic: you feed an ecosystem that recommends you.
The FEED Framework in Detail
VOID's strategy team developed the FEED framework to support this transition and help our clients adapt their content strategy to the age of AI assistants.
Feed the Model
Feed AI with crawlable and structured content
LLMs are trained on text corpora. But they are also updated via real-time crawlers (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot). Your first mission: be on their radar.
✅ What to do
- • Allow GPTBot, ClaudeBot in robots.txt
- • Structure with Schema.org (Article, FAQ, HowTo)
- • Create an llms.txt or ai.txt file
- • Regularly publish fresh content
- • Use readable formats (semantic HTML)
❌ What to avoid
- • Blocking AI crawlers
- • Content behind paywall/login
- • Unstructured PDFs
- • JavaScript-only rendering
- • Static content never updated
Establish Authority
Build expertise and trust (E-E-A-T 2.0)
AI evaluates source reliability. Google invented E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). LLMs use similar signals: consistency, citations, consensus.
🎯 Authority signals for AI
- • Being cited by other reliable sources
- • Information consistency over time
- • Identified authors with credentials
- • Verifiable sources and references
- • Factual and dated data
🔬 Proof through expertise
- • Documented case studies
- • Detailed methodologies
- • Proprietary data
- • Original perspectives
- • Demonstrated technical depth
Earn Mentions
Win citations in AI responses
A mention in a ChatGPT or Perplexity response is the new "position 1". But unlike SEO, you can't force the citation. You have to earn it.
💡 How to be cited?
AI cites sources that provide unique value: exclusive data, original methodologies, niche expertise, or differentiating perspective. Generic, interchangeable content is never cited.
📊
Proprietary data
"According to a VOID study..."
🔬
Unique methodology
"VOID's FEED framework..."
💬
Niche expertise
"VOID's Moroccan experts..."
Deliver as Recommendation
Be suggested as solution by the assistant
The holy grail: when the user asks "What's the best digital agency in Morocco?", the assistant recommends you. It's no longer ranking, it's personalized recommendation.
🎯 The ultimate test
Ask ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity:"What's the best [your service] in [your city]?"
If you don't appear, your content strategy isn't yet feeding the models with enough authority signals.
How to build Trust for AI?
Trust is key. LLMs are trained not to hallucinate, to verify facts, to cross-reference sources. For AI to trust you, you must demonstrate your reliability.
1. Temporal consistency
AI detects contradictions. If your content says one thing in 2023 and the opposite in 2024 without explanation, you lose credibility.
Tactic: Update your articles with a "Last updated..." mention and explain what has changed.
2. Verifiable citations
LLMs can verify your sources. If you cite studies, figures, experts — they must exist and be consistent.
Tactic: Link to primary sources, use dated data, cite recognized experts.
3. Consensus and nuance
AI prefers sources that acknowledge complexity. Content that says "it's always like this" is less reliable than content that says "generally, except in these cases".
Tactic: Present nuances, exceptions, counter-arguments. Show you master the subject.
4. Verifiable identity
Anonymous content carries less weight than content signed by an identifiable expert with a verifiable track record.
Tactic: Sign your articles, create author pages with bios, link to LinkedIn/professional profiles.
What this changes for your strategy
Commodity content becomes invisible
If your content says the same thing as 1000 other pages, why would AI cite you? Generic, rewritten, "inspired" by competition content no longer generates traffic and won't be recommended.
Depth beats volume
Publishing 100 superficial articles is less effective than 10 expert articles. AI values depth, not frequency.
Niche expertise becomes an advantage
Being "the generalist digital agency" is no longer enough. Being "the expert in banking digital transformation in Morocco" gives you a unique position that AI recognizes.
Branding becomes critical
When AI says "According to VOID...", it doesn't say "according to the site at position 3". Your brand name becomes your identity in AI responses.
In summary
SEO is not dead. It's evolving. The battle is no longer in SERPs but in AI models.
Your content no longer needs to capture user attention. It must feed the models that will respond to them.
The FEED framework replaces inbound:
- Feed the model — Be crawlable
- Establish authority — Build trust
- Earn mentions — Deserve citations
- Deliver as recommendation — Become the answer
Ready to adapt your content strategy?
VOID supports Moroccan and international companies in this transition. From AEO audit to content strategy for AI assistants, we help you become a source that AI recommends.