How smart businesses are winning customers by showing up everywhere decisions are made
Let's be honest—things have changed. A lot.
If you're still optimizing for Google and hoping to win new customers, it's time for a wake-up call.
Today's buyers aren't "searching" the way they used to. They're deciding. And they're doing it in weird places—like a TikTok comment, a Reddit thread, or even a ChatGPT answer.
That's right. Your audience is making choices before they even see your website.
If you're a business leader still focused on ranking #1 on Google, this post is for you.
We're about to explore how buying decisions really happen now—and what you can do to show up in the moments that matter most.
Let's start with a hard truth:
Most companies are stuck playing the Google game that ended three years ago.
You're tweaking meta descriptions, writing blogs, chasing backlinks—all hoping to land that sweet #1 Google spot.
But even if you win on Google, you might still be losing your customers.
Here's why:
Google processes about 13.7 billion searches a day.
That sounds like a lot, right?
Sure—but it's only 27% of total search activity happening online. The other 73% happens on platforms like:
These platforms are now decision engines. People aren't searching in the old way. They're browsing, discovering, validating—and buying.
And if you're not there? You're invisible.
In the past, marketing used to follow a clear funnel:
But now, the funnel has exploded.
Today's customer journey looks more like a constellation of tiny decisions, happening across multiple platforms—often in minutes.
Here's what that might look like:
The truth? If you're only optimizing for Google, you're missing 70% of the action.
Remember when customer journeys were simple and linear? Those days are gone. Modern consumers make decisions through what experts call "micro-moments"—quick, intent-driven decisions that happen throughout their day across different platforms.
These micro-moments don't follow your marketing funnel. They happen when your customer is bored on TikTok, stuck in traffic asking Siri a question, or scrolling Reddit at midnight. Each moment is a chance to influence their decision—or lose them forever.
You don't need to be on every platform. You just need to show up in the places your audience actually makes decisions.
This is called Search Everywhere Optimization—and it's how modern businesses grow in the AI-powered decade.
|
Old SEO (Traditional) |
New SEO (Search Everywhere Optimization) |
|
Rank on Google |
Get chosen across platforms |
|
Focus on keywords |
Focus on decision moments |
|
Website-first |
Multi-platform presence |
|
Create blogs |
Earn trust signals |
|
Meta tags + backlinks |
Reviews, mentions, citations |
In short: SEO isn't dead. It just got a lot bigger.
Think of it this way: traditional SEO is like having the best billboard on one highway. Search Everywhere Optimization is like having helpful signs wherever your customers are actually driving.
Let's look at how people make decisions on different platforms—and how you can show up the right way.
People ask AI for product recommendations now. When someone types "What's the best CRM for small businesses?" into ChatGPT, will your brand come up?
What does ChatGPT care about?
If your brand isn't mentioned in blogs, wikis, reviews, or expert lists, you won't be recommended. Period.
What to do: Create content that's clear, cited, and sharable by others—so AI knows you're legit. Think comprehensive guides, detailed case studies, and data-backed reports that other sites want to reference.
Buyers head to YouTube to learn and evaluate. They want long-form, proof-rich content. YouTube is where people go when they're serious about understanding something.
What to do: Publish videos that teach, explain, and compare. Use customer stories, demos, and product deep-dives. Show your expertise through educational content, not sales pitches.
Reddit users sniff out marketing speak instantly. What they want is real talk from real people who've actually used your product or service.
What to do: Encourage happy customers to mention your brand in relevant subreddits. Don't fake it. Don't post spam. Be genuinely helpful when you participate in discussions. Authenticity is everything here.
On TikTok, people act on feeling, not logic. They're scrolling for entertainment and stumble into purchase decisions.
What to do: Make short, punchy videos that spark curiosity, humor, or emotion. Show your product solving problems in creative ways. Don't overthink it—just be relatable and human.
People don't read your product descriptions. They go straight to the reviews. Even if you don't sell on Amazon, people often check there for social proof.
What to do: Encourage reviews from real customers. Highlight them in your marketing. Monitor your reputation closely. If you don't sell on Amazon, make sure satisfied customers are talking about you elsewhere online.
Instagram isn't just about your product—it's about who your buyer wants to be. It's the aspirational platform where people discover brands that fit their desired identity.
What to do: Use aspirational imagery and storytelling. Show how your product fits into the lifestyle they dream about. Make your brand feel like a natural part of their best life.
Here's something most businesses get wrong:
You can post on TikTok all day. But if no one's mentioning you in comments, sharing your content, or tagging friends, you're not part of the real conversation.
Same with ChatGPT—if it doesn't cite you when people ask relevant questions, you're invisible in AI-powered search.
Validation is what powers trust signals—and trust is the real key to conversions in 2025 and beyond.
Think about it: when you're considering a restaurant, do you trust the restaurant's own Instagram posts, or do you trust your friend's story about their amazing meal there? That's the difference between visibility and validation.
You might be wondering, "Do I really need to be on TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, Amazon, LinkedIn, Instagram, and ChatGPT?"
You just need to pick 2-3 platforms that matter most to your customers.
Use the RICE method to figure it out:
Score each factor from 1 to 10. Multiply the scores. The highest-scoring platforms win. That's your starting point.
For example, if you're a B2B software company, LinkedIn and YouTube might score higher than TikTok. If you're a consumer brand targeting Gen Z, TikTok and Instagram might be your winners.
Let's say you're a skincare brand targeting women aged 25-40.
Your customers might:
If you only focus on your Google blog and skip all those other platforms—you're out of the decision journey entirely.
But if you show up authentically on Reddit, encourage Amazon reviews, create educational YouTube content, and optimize for AI citations, you're everywhere they need you to be.
Here's where it gets exciting: success on one platform amplifies your success on others.
When you build authority on YouTube, people mention you more on Reddit. When you're frequently cited across the web, AI tools recommend you more often. When TikTok videos about your brand go viral, your Google rankings improve.
It's like compound interest, but for brand awareness. Each platform feeds the others, creating a snowball effect that traditional SEO alone can't match.
You don't need to boil the ocean.
Start by answering these 3 questions:
From there, pick one platform and build a validation strategy, not just a content strategy.
Focus on earning mentions, citations, and genuine recommendations. Create content that people actually want to share and reference.
Because in today's market, being found is nice—but being chosen is everything.
Ready to get started? Here's your step-by-step approach:
Here's the kicker:
Most of your competitors are still stuck in the Google trap. They're chasing rankings while ignoring where real decisions are being made.
That gives you the advantage—if you move now.
While they're fighting over the same Google keywords, you can own the conversation on platforms where your customers actually spend their time.
Show up where decisions are made. Build trust across platforms. Focus on validation, not just visibility.
That's how you win in the era of Search Everywhere Optimization.
The businesses that adapt to this new reality first will capture customers during the moments that matter most. Those that stick to traditional SEO alone will find themselves competing for an increasingly smaller slice of the attention pie.
At Inbouncy, we specialize in helping businesses show up and stand out—on Google, TikTok, Reddit, Amazon, ChatGPT, and beyond. Our team of 50+ experts understands how to build comprehensive Search Everywhere Optimization strategies that drive real results.
We've helped over 300 businesses across North America and Europe transform their digital presence and capture customers at every decision point.
📅 Book your free strategy session today
Let's help your brand get chosen—not just found.