As AI transforms search, relationships become your most important asset

SEO helps people find your content. Email marketing helps you build on that relationship. As more and more people get answers directly from AI instead of clicking through from Google, Bing, or other search engines, it becomes more important to capture visitors and build a direct relationship. That’s why SEO and email marketing need to work together, with SEO driving discovery while email builds long-term customer relationships.

For a long time, marketers have focused on driving traffic to their websites through SEO, content, and advertising. That logic still holds true, but the playing field is changing rapidly.

When we search for information today, we’re increasingly getting answers directly from LLMs like Google’s Gemini, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants. Being visible in the right context will therefore continue to be important, but a good search result no longer automatically leads to a click or a visit to your website.

This makes every visitor who actually finds their way to you significantly more valuable. The question is no longer just how people discover your content, but how you get them to stay, return, and build a relationship with your brand.

The real value begins after the visit

As AI answers more questions directly within large language models (LLMs), it becomes increasingly important to engage the visitors who find their way to your website. SEO remains one of the most effective ways to be discovered. But the real value only emerges when a visitor decides to take the next step.

This could involve subscribing to a newsletter, downloading a guide, registering for an event, or making a first purchase. When that happens, something important occurs: the relationship shifts from a channel you’re borrowing to one you own.

That is why email marketing is taking on a more central role—not just to reach an audience, but to build long-term relationships that create value over time.

Think about how easy it is for a visitor to:

Subscribe to a newsletter

Download a guide or checklist

Register for an event or webinar

Create an account or become a member

Start a relevant customer journey

The easier it is to go from an anonymous visitor to an identified contact, the more value you can derive from the traffic you actually receive.

That's Why SEO and Email Should Work Together

SEO helps people discover your brand. Email helps you build on that relationship.

At the same time, email provides valuable insights into which topics engage your target audience, which questions come up repeatedly, and what content creates value. That knowledge makes it easier to create content that feels relevant to the recipient, while also boosting your visibility in search engines and AI searches.

When SEO and email work together, they create a virtuous cycle in which better content leads to more visitors, more subscribers, and a deeper understanding of what the target audience wants.

Relevant content builds valuable relationships

As AI makes it easier to find information, it becomes even more important to give visitors a reason to stay. The real competitive advantage lies not in getting a single click, but in building relationships through relevant communication and experiences that continue long after the visitor has left the website.

The companies that will be most successful in the future aren’t necessarily the ones that get the most traffic. The biggest winners are the companies that are best at turning casual visitors into subscribers, customers, and long-term advocates.

As AI takes over a larger share of search, it becomes even more important to own the next step in the customer journey. And that’s exactly where SEO and email marketing come together.