Podcast Summary: From Google to GPT – How Search Actually Works in 2025

Experts of Experience – Mission.org
Episode Date: October 22, 2025
Guest: Heather Physioc (Chief Discoverability Officer, VML)
Host: Lacey Peace

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, host Lacey Peace sits down with Heather Physioc, Chief Discoverability Officer at VML, to demystify the rapidly-shifting landscape of search. From the legacy dominance of Google to the advent of AI-powered search platforms like ChatGPT and the evolving psychology of human search behavior, the discussion tackles what every customer experience (CX) and marketing leader needs to understand about discoverability in 2025. The duo explores why search is no longer just synonymous with SEO, how human needs underpin all search activity, and what brands must do to remain both visible and credible as AI transforms how customers find and trust information.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Does SEO Still Matter? (00:00–02:00)

• The panel discusses the persistent debate over SEO’s relevance in the era of AI search.
• Heather: “We’ve defaulted to Google for 20 years...but we have to fundamentally rethink where and how we do that.” (00:01)
• Emphasis that "search is like human psychology" — it's about understanding the evolving needs and channels customers use to find information.

2. Expanding the Idea of Discoverability (04:16–07:00)

• Heather explains why VML shifted from “SEO” to “Discoverability,” embracing a more holistic, human-centric approach.
• Quote: “It’s rooted instead of in a single platform, it’s rooted in real human behavior, which is that desire or that need to search just feels right.” (04:28)
• The concept of discoverability now spans Google, social platforms (TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit), AI chatbots, and beyond.
• Discoverability is relevant at every step of the customer journey—not just awareness.

3. The Fragmented Search Landscape (14:02–19:30)

• Then vs. now: The early days of search were linear (desktop → search engine → blue links), now it’s fragmented across devices, platforms, multimedia formats, and AI-generated summaries.
• Lacey (17:42): “Marketers got better, the algorithm got better and users got better.”
• Users today expect contextualized, synthesized answers—often provided by AI-powered overviews.

4. AI Search & The Death (or Evolution) of the Website (20:23–24:29)

• ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and similar AI tools are closing the gap between query and actionable information.
• Is this the death of the website?
  • Heather: “I don’t know if the website is going to be the medium forever, but I do know that that information is coming from somewhere...it just got way more important.” (24:29)
• Synthesizing accurate, up-to-date, and well-structured content is critical as AI references brand data.

5. Data, Measurement, and Content Creation in the AI Era (25:12–29:50)

• Search practitioners are struggling to fully track what’s searched on AI and social platforms; most rely on a patchwork of data sources and manual analysis.
• There’s a shift from focusing purely on traffic/conversion metrics to more nuanced proxies for brand discoverability and customer intent.
• Heather’s take on SEO: “SEO...feels like 1% of 1% of what we actually do in discoverability...search is never going to die.” (27:35)

6. Strategic Recommendations for Brands (30:20–33:17)

• Invest 5–15% of your search budget into optimizing for AI search engines and LLMs—test, learn, iterate.
• Prioritize content that signals authority, trustworthiness, and credibility.
  • “The next big competitive front of this AI search war is which of those will deliver the best, most trustworthy results.” (31:19)
• Combat the urge to churn out mass, low-quality ‘AI slop’; invest in structured, high-quality, interconnected content.

7. Connecting Content Across Silos (36:31–39:49)

• True omnichannel discoverability requires connecting content assets and data points across teams and platforms—a complex but crucial task.
• Heather: “Everybody thinks they own content and no one has the same definition of it...Competitive advantage is doing the things that your competitors can’t, won’t, or don’t do.” (37:06)

8. Rethinking Metrics (40:27–41:59)

• Traditional measures like clicks and impressions still matter, but brands must customize metrics to what signals “success” for their unique context.
• Ultimately, “whatever keeps [a brand] in business...that is the core metric.” (41:22)

9. Monetization and the Future of Paid Search (41:59–44:36)

• Ads aren’t vanishing, but integrating sponsored content into AI search remains a work-in-progress—expect experimentation and eventual convergence.
• LLMs like ChatGPT may find ways to monetize, but unclear if sponsored content will be central soon.

10. Looking Forward: AI Assistants, Agentic AI, and the Human Element (45:02–52:17)

• Next shift: agentic AI, where personal AI assistants can act on the user’s behalf, further raising the bar for personalized, trustworthy, structured content discoverable by both humans and machines.
• Businesses must prepare content for both human and AI “buyers.”
• Through all changes, one thing remains:
  • Heather: “There is a human who is searching...their need to search has existed since the dawn of time, and it will exist indefinitely into the future.” (51:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Does SEO still matter?” (00:00, 27:33)
  • “I think yes. I just hate the word SEO...it feels like 1% of 1% of what we actually do in discoverability.”
• “Search is like human psychology.” (00:27)
  • Understanding the search mindset is more important than ever.
• “Strategy is not just choosing what you will do, it’s choosing what you won’t do.” (00:56, echoed theme)
• “We have to stop piling more things on that we’re going to do poorly, and instead do the hard work of finding those wins at those intersections.” (11:40)
• On the changing nature of trust with AI summaries:
  • “When AI overviews initially came out, I was skeptical...But now I don’t do that, so there is a change in behavior even in the last six months.” (19:06)
• On agentic AI and AI assistants:
  • “Compound queries have long been the desire...it closes the gap between idea and action. We need our time back...and in part it was the mess created by the web.” (47:36)
• On the timeless human factor:
  • “There is a human who is searching, and they are in a search mindset... The human desire to search does not go away.” (51:22)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01–02:00 — The SEO vs AI Search debate
• 04:13–07:00 — Chief Discoverability Officer: title and philosophy shift
• 14:02–19:30 — The evolution of search journeys: past, present, future
• 20:23–25:12 — AI, LLMs, and the death(?) of the website
• 27:33–29:58 — Does SEO still matter? Rethinking the definition
• 30:20–33:17 — Recommendations: Where to focus & how to build trust
• 36:31–39:49 — Breaking silos to connect the content supply chain
• 41:59–44:36 — Paid search, monetization, and AI search blending
• 45:02–46:55 — Agentic AI and personalized AI assistants
• 51:22–52:17 — Timeless fundamentals: The innate human search instinct

Final Takeaways

• Discoverability is broader than SEO: it’s omni-platform, cross-disciplinary, and rooted in real human behavior.
• AI is changing not just how search works, but how people think about searching — and what they trust.
• Brands must invest strategically in content that is authoritative, interconnected, and ready for both human and AI “searchers.”
• The urge for instant, reliable answers is universal and timeless—even as the means of delivering those answers continuously evolves.

Where to follow Heather Physioc:

• LinkedIn and Blue Sky: [@HeatherPhysioc] (52:41)

This summary was crafted to capture the depth and dynamism of the conversation, highlighting both strategic imperatives and enduring human truths at the heart of search and customer experience in 2025.