AI Is Eating Search: What Every Business Should Do Next | GaryVee Interview

Summary

The GaryVee Audio Experience: "AI Is Eating Search: What Every Business Should Do Next" | Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: The GaryVee Audio Experience
• Host/Author: Gary Vaynerchuk
• Episode: AI Is Eating Search: What Every Business Should Do Next | GaryVee Interview
• Release Date: May 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this insightful episode, entrepreneur and marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk delves into the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the landscape of search and marketing. Recorded during his appearance on Bloomberg's "The Close," Gary addresses critical shifts that businesses must navigate to stay competitive in an AI-driven era.

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AI's Impact on Search and Marketing

Gary opens the discussion by highlighting the profound changes AI is bringing to search engines and, by extension, marketing strategies. He emphasizes that traditional platforms like Google are no longer the sole gatekeepers of search and advertising.

Gary Vaynerchuk [00:49]: "Google AdWords is intent-based marketing. It's not like you become aware of something and now you want to buy it. You're typing something into a search engine... But there are a lot of companies watching right now in the Fortune 5000 set that are in big trouble."

Gary asserts that many businesses heavily reliant on Google AdWords may find themselves vulnerable as AI reshapes how consumers discover and engage with brands.

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Replacement or Evolution of Search Engines

The conversation shifts to the potential successors of Google in the AI search ecosystem. Gary predicts a fragmented landscape dominated by multiple conglomerates rather than a single entity.

Gary Vaynerchuk [01:35]: "What replaces it is probably a conglomerate. Whether it's OpenAI, whether it's Meta, whether it's TikTok, whether it's Google or Apple, it's probably going to be fragmented."

He underscores that even if companies like Google advance their AI capabilities (e.g., with products like Perplexity), they won't maintain exclusive control over AI-driven search, leading to a diverse and competitive environment.

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Strategies for Businesses to Adapt

Gary advises businesses to pivot from overreliance on traditional search engines to embracing AI optimization. He warns that without adapting, companies may face declining customer acquisition and lifetime value metrics.

Gary Vaynerchuk [02:36]: "AI optimization is about to be a whole new game. We're looking at a lot of startups in my fund and with agencies of like, what happens when you go to OpenAI right now and say, I wanna buy wine? How do I get the search engines in this? How do we get the new AI, these chat bots to actually answer that?"

He encourages businesses to proactively engage with AI platforms to ensure their brands are visible and accessible through new search paradigms.

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VaynerMedia’s Unique Approach

When questioned about how VaynerMedia assists companies in this transition, Gary highlights the firm's entrepreneurial spirit and practical approach to emerging marketing trends.

Gary Vaynerchuk [03:24]: "We have a 15-year track record of being a leader in what's emerging in marketing... Our pitch has been sold through. People know that we're more advanced than the holding company agency ecosystem."

Gary emphasizes execution over mere strategy, positioning VaynerMedia as a hands-on partner committed to mastering both social media and AI-driven marketing landscapes.

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Live Social Shopping Insights

The discussion transitions to the burgeoning trend of live social shopping, particularly prominent in Asia, and its relative infancy in Western markets. Gary attributes this disparity to execution and market readiness.

Gary Vaynerchuk [04:41]: "TikTok shop is a monster. There's a startup called Whatnot that you might be familiar with that is a leader as an independent."

He points out that while platforms like TikTok are aggressively expanding their live shopping features, Western companies are still catching up, presenting a significant opportunity for growth and innovation.

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Conclusion

Gary Vaynerchuk wraps up the conversation by reiterating the inevitability of AI's substantial impact on search and marketing. He urges businesses to recognize the magnitude of this shift and adapt accordingly to harness new opportunities and maintain competitive advantage.

Gary Vaynerchuk [05:16]: "It's human behavior. It's a massive space and a huge opportunity."

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Key Takeaways

1. AI is Redefining Search: Traditional search engines like Google are being supplemented—and potentially replaced—by AI-driven conglomerates, leading to a fragmented search ecosystem.
2. Shift from Search to AI Optimization: Businesses must move beyond reliance on intent-based marketing (e.g., Google AdWords) to optimize their presence within AI platforms and chatbots.
3. VaynerMedia’s Role: With a proven track record, VaynerMedia focuses on practical execution in emerging marketing trends, positioning itself as a leader in both social media and AI optimization.
4. Live Social Shopping Opportunities: There's a significant growth potential in live social shopping, especially as Western markets start emulating the success seen in Asia through platforms like TikTok.

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This episode serves as a crucial guide for businesses aiming to navigate the evolving terrain of AI in search and marketing. Gary Vaynerchuk provides actionable insights and underscores the importance of adaptability in leveraging AI to drive brand visibility and consumer engagement in 2025 and beyond.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

Hey everyone. Today's episode of the Gary Vee Audio Experience is a segment from Gary's recent appearance on Bloomberg's the Close, where he discusses the future of marketing in the age of AI. This conversation dives into what this tech could mean for brands, how AI is changing SEO forever, and what businesses need to do to stay ahead. If you're running ads, building a brand, or trying to capture attention in 2025, this one's a must. Listen, let's get right into it here.

[Bloomberg Host]

Now to discuss marketing and advertising in the age of AI as Gary Vaynerchuk. He is CEO of VaynerMedia, the influencer, the original influence that so many of us know. Gary, always a pleasure. Thank you for joining us.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thanks for having me. Ladies.

[Bloomberg Host]

What does the rise of AI search providers and their possible replacement of Google in iPhones and iPads really mean for brands? I mean, how would you begin to think about advising companies on how to navigate that?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Not only have I begun to think about it, we're actively talking to most of our Fortune 500. Companies who rely overly rely on Google AdWords as a driver. Now, Google AdWords is intent based marketing. It's not like you become aware of something and now you want to buy it. You're typing something into a search engine. I've always argued that it's more sales than it even is marketing. But there are a lot of companies watching right now in the Fortune 5000 set that are in big trouble. A huge percentage of their business comes from search. They've got their CAC and LTV numbers down, customer acquisition cost, lifetime value. And we are in the early stages of the search engine looking like the Yellow Pages. And it's real. Right.

[Bloomberg Host]

So what replaces that and what's the business up?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Well, what replaces it? And listen, Google Inc. Alphabet is trying to do that with their perplexity. But like what? There's no scenario where Google can control as much of the AI chat search ecosystem like they have on search. What replaces it is probably a conglomerate. Whether it's OpenAI, whether it's Meta, whether it's TikTok, whether it's Google or Apple, it's probably going to be fragmented. Even if Google crushes it with perplexity, they're not gonna be able to have the same stance. And so what does it mean? It means that a lot of people that have been really lazy and overpaying for their brand value on search need to understand that they're in trouble and need to start to create demand and other variables, plus start to Learn how to win the SEO game in the AI game. AI optimization is about to be a whole new game. We're looking at a lot of startups in my fund and with agencies of like, what happens when you go to OpenAI right now and say, I wanna buy wine? Well, I want you to buy winetext.com cause that's my. That business. How do I get the search engines in this? How do we get the new AI, these chat bots to actually answer that?

[Bloomberg Host]

So how do you optimize for AI versus optimize for search engines?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Your AI is still taking from the web, but if you look like AI, all the different AI agents are taken from different places. Reddit seems to be quite strong. Other platforms are getting justified. When I look at the search, if I'm looking for wine terms, food and wine. Kudos to food and wine out there. They're getting scraped. So the landscape, landscape is changing and it always changes. But we are, this is a very big. No matter how much this great program covers it, no matter how many people like me talk about it collectively, everybody's underestimating how big of a shift is coming.

[Bloomberg Host]

Okay, so I'm a company.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yep.

[Bloomberg Host]

How do I then use you guys to help me figure this out? Like, what's your pitch?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I mean, you know, we, as a market, you know, Vayner is a unique company. We're an entrepreneurial driven company that I'm building for myself to build a private equity firm on top of. So my, my pitch is pretty easy. I'm like, hey, I'm incentivized for this stuff to work because my economics are not actually in being a service provider for you. I actually want to do what you're doing for a living ultimately. And I'm refining my machine while I have clients. That tends to work because it becomes true. You can measure it. We have a 15 year track record of being a leader in what's emerging in marketing. Right. When I was yelling that social media is going to be important as the original influencer, people poofed at that. They're like, no, it's commercials. It's, it's, it's search. It's. So we have, our pitch has been sold through. People know that we're more advanced than the holding company agency ecosystem. I think what's more important, I don't worry about our pitch because we have unlimited business development. I'm worried about executing. And so what we're spending our time on is actually being practitioners and in the trenches of being best in class in social or AI.

[Bloomberg Host]

So let's talk about execution, because there's a big thing with live social shopping, and that is huge in parts of Asia, China in particular. Not so much here. What do you think is the reason behind that? Is it just a matter of we're kind of behind and like, you know, it takes the right product and the right person to make it all blow up? Yep, that's it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's it. Zucks was Zucks. Mark Zuckerberg.

[Bloomberg Host]

Oh, Zuckerberg.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I don't refer to him as you. What is that? I think. I think met has been slow to it. They're such a leader, right? TikTok's forcing the issue. TikTok shop is a monster. There's a startup called Whatnot that you might be familiar with that is a leader as an independent. I think Ebay, I'm sensing, is starting to get its act together a little bit. Shopify, you know, could get in that game. Google, YouTube. YouTube is crushing with TV and proper YouTube, but YouTube, live shopping, the QBC ification of social media is here. It's here. Meaning. You're absolutely right. I'm not. When I was talking about this a year ago, I wasn't predicting anything. This has happened in China for a decade. The apps are adapting to that model. It will work. It's human behavior. It's a massive space and a huge opportunity.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you so much, everybody, for listening to another episode of the Gary Vee Audio Experience. Be sure to tune in Monday for another incredible episode. We will see you soon.