There was a time when customers searched for products at a brick-and-mortar store, and when they found something to their liking, they bought it. And that was the end of the story.
Since Google’s inception, search engines enjoyed two-decades of monopoly over most of the product/service discovery.
However, now the buyer’s journey has taken a more convoluted form that no longer follows the straightforward “Awareness – Consideration – Action” approach.
Now is the time of social media searches, AI searches, ecommerce searches and many other personalized searches that give users a better search experience than just traditional search engines.
Some quick stats to justify this scenario would be:
58% of informational queries trigger AI Overviews, indicating a significant role of AI in search results.
24% of consumers now use social media to search and find answers to questions, with this number being even higher for Gen Z, where 46% use social media as their primary search engine to find information
This shift in search behavior is quite evident for both B2B and B2C markets.
And this means, Google is no longer the sole search engine that dominates.
While websites are still important for conversions and finding leads, the nature of search got fragmented across multiple platforms. More and more customers turn to platforms like YouTube, ChatGPT, TikTok, Meta, and eCommerce sites like Amazon for research and decision-making(with an aim to purchase a product or a service).
In this fractured search landscape, the question is as a brand what you must do to maintain visibility and stay competitive?
The simple answer is Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO), the new updated version of Search Engine Optimization or SEO.
Let’s start from the beginning.
What is Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO)?
A one sentence description would be, SEvO, also known as omnichannel SEO, is an expanded approach to traditional SEO.
It embraces a new way of enhancing a brand’s visibility across multiple search-driven platforms, including and beyond Google.
The goal is to build awareness, nurture engagement, and drive high-intent traffic by being available to consumers wherever they are.
Unlike traditional SEO, which primarily focuses on Google, SEvO ensures your brand is discoverable across every channel that influences purchase decisions. Be it a YouTube recommendation, an AI overview, or an Amazon product listing – an SEvO strategy puts you everywhere.
Let’s learn more on why you need to expand your optimization efforts across platforms.
Why Search Everywhere Optimization Matters
Search habits are changing fast. And the data speaks for itself:
- Over 50% of product searches start on platforms like Amazon
- 70% of millennials use social media to research products
- AI models like ChatGPT and Perplexity are influencing how people consume content, with referral traffic from ChatGPT directing users to over 30,000 unique domains daily in 2024
Your audience is scattered across platforms. So your visibility should be too. If a potential customer seeks recommendations on YouTube or asks Alexa a question, they expect your brand to appear there as well.
It’s a full engine consumer driven market now where your ICP(Ideal Customer Profile) decides where you should be.
So if your sole reliance still is on Google then maybe your website will land in a visibility vacuum. That’s why a strategic SEvO approach is crucial for ensuring your brand is visible, relevant, and competitive across multiple search-driven platforms.
Here are the key benefits of a well-executed SEvO strategy:
1. Increased Awareness:
Optimizing across multiple channels lets you discover new audiences who would not have known about your brand through Google alone.
For example, imagine a fitness brand that sells premium workout gear. A user scrolling through Instagram Reels sees a short, engaging video showcasing your resistance bands in action.
Curious, they visit your profile, check out more content, and eventually click the link to your store.
Meanwhile, a YouTube user watching a fitness influencer’s review of workout equipment sees your product in action and comes to know about your brand— all of these happening without the user ever visiting your website directly or searching for “premium workout gear” in Google searches.
Each platform is your opportunity to increase awareness and attract potential customers.
2. Improved Conversions Through Multi-Touchpoint Visibility
Building customers’ trust and influencing their purchase decision requires a more strategic approach or rather a more hyper personalized approach. The more frequently buyers encounter your brand across different channels, the more familiar you become – simply meaning increasing your brand recall.
For example, imagine a customer looking for high-quality skincare products. They first come across your brand when a beauty influencer on Instagram raves about your moisturizer in a story.
A few days later, while researching skincare routines, they find an in-depth review on your blog, explaining the product’s benefits in detail. Over the next week, they repeatedly see your product featured in Facebook ads and Instagram posts, reinforcing brand familiarity.
By the time they’re ready to make a purchase, they head to Amazon—where they recognize your product instantly and choose it over competitors. The repeated exposure across different platforms builds trust and increases the likelihood of conversion.
3. More Resilient to Algorithm Changes
Let’s face it. Algorithms rule people’s perception, and those who win the algorithm, wins the customer.
A Google algorithm update can drastically impact your ranking overnight and we have seen that in multiple cases.
Suddenly, you lose traffic and revenue. However, if you have a strong presence on multiple channels – such as YouTube, social media, and eCommerce marketplaces, you manage to remain visible and accessible no matter the search fluctuations. Diversifying your traffic sources, thus, helps reduce dependency on any single channel.
Many businesses are already succeeding with SEvO. If a brand optimizes for YouTube, for example, it can benefit from video thumbnails prominently appearing in Google results. This can be an additional source of traffic and engagement.
David Sharpio, CMO of Unbated, reported that optimizing video content not only increased their YouTube following but also led to higher customer acquisition.
Similarly, businesses leveraging Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to enhance AI-driven visibility, are seeing tangible results. Some report that 5% of their overall leads come from ChatGPT recommendations alone.
These use cases show why SEvO is a must-adopt strategy. With more users adapting to the new search paradigm, optimizing for multiple channels has become all the more important than ever.
Now you have an idea of what SEvO is and why it matters today.
In the next section, let’s break down what exact components are involved, if you are thinking of making a Search Everywhere Optimization plan.
Key Components of a Successful SEvO Strategy
Considering you are now switching to SEvO campaigns for your website. And this needs a lot more effort than traditional SEO.
Here’s a strategic framework you can use to build a successful SEvO strategy:
1. Multi-Platform Keyword Strategy:
Multi-platform keyword optimization means targeting search terms that perfectly aligns with each platform’s user behavior. To maximize reach, you must go beyond Google keywords and include marketing platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, app stores, AI, and voice search platforms in your keyword research itinerary.
While doing multi-channel keyword research, you will realise that each platform has its own search behavior and ranking factors. Therefore, to find the most relevant search terms, use platform-specific, native keyword research tools.
For example, YouTube autocomplete for video topic ideas. Pinterest Trends for high-engagement topics, and Amazon autocomplete to optimize product listings.
Align keywords with user intent for each platform. For example, if you are a travel brand, target keywords like, “best hotels in X” on Google for search-driven traffic. Use hashtags like “#travelhacks” on Instagram to attract engagement and create a “Top hotels in X” YouTube video.
Bonus: Researching influencer content can help you uncover trending keywords and phrases that best resonate with platform users.
2. Content Adaptability and Repurposing:
Each platform has users of different demographics with varying behaviors and preferences. Content flexibility allows you to create content once, and then repurpose it into multiple formats to publish everywhere.
For example, you can create an in-depth blog post, and convert it into a YouTube tutorial video to increase exposure. Similarly, use that blog post to create an infographic for Pinterest, a summary article for LinkedIn. You may also use those key insights (from the original blog) to create a carousel post on Instagram. Make sure the tone, length, and style of your content suit each platform.
Not only does content flexibility and repurposing help expand reach but it also reduces content production effort.
3. Platform-Specific SEO Techniques
Each platform has unique algorithms and optimization tactics. What works for Google won’t necessarily work for Instagram, YouTube, or Amazon. They have different ranking factors, engagement signals, and SEO best practices.
For example, YouTube ranks content based on engagement metrics like watch time, likes, and comments. So, you need to optimize titles, descriptions, and tags to rank higher.
Instagram prioritizes hashtags, trending sounds, and user engagement. The more shares, saves, and interactions your posts generate, the greater the reach.
Meanwhile, Amazon SEO focuses on keyword-rich product titles, detailed bullet points, and customer reviews.
Businesses must implement native optimization strategies and stay up-to-date with the platform-specific SEO techniques and ranking factors. For example, if you are a local business, you should optimize your Google Business Profile by incorporating location-based keywords, reviews, and updated images to rank well.
4. EEAT and Brand Authority Everywhere
Your content is more likely to get recommended by AI models, and rank well, if it demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT) across platforms. To demonstrate EEAT:
- Make sure your content is well-researched, accurate, and supported by expert quotes, citations from reliable sources. This increases your chances of appearing in AI-powered answers.
- Conduct digital PR to secure mentions in major news outlets to improve authority in the eyes of algorithms and AI models.
- Maintain consistency in messaging, branding, and content across platforms to build recognition and reinforce credibility.
- Brands with positive reviews, a Wikipedia page, high authority backlinks, and active social profiles are more likely to be referenced by AI search engines and voice assistants.
High EEAT content is no longer a Google-centric strategy but is an essential component of a successful SEvO strategy. Brands prioritizing credibility and authoritative presence will dominate everywhere.
5. Consistent Brand Experience (Cross-Platform Cohesion)
A strong SEvO strategy means maintaining cohesion across platforms. The idea is to create a seamless brand experience everywhere your audience finds you.
While scrolling through Instagram, imagine a potential customer discovers you. Later they might search for your brand on Google or LinkedIn. If your messaging, tone, and visuals feel disconnected across these touchpoints, they might feel a little hesitated to further engage.
Brand recognition and trust strengthens when every interaction feels like part of the same story. While you may want to tailor content to each platform, keeping the core brand voice, visual identity, and messaging intact is what matters most. It deepens the connection and reinforces your brand recognition.
Cross-platform cohesion is all the more important during product launches and campaigns. If your website, social media, and search presence tell different versions of the same story, potential customers might find it confusing, which affects engagement and builds confusion.
Implementing this strategy, however, is challenging in mid-sized companies or enterprises. SEO, content, social media, and PR teams often work in silos, which results in fragmented messaging. Effective collaboration between these teams can help make your brand stronger across all digital channels. It’s all about sharing insights, aligning strategies, and working for one, unified goal.
How to Build a Search Everywhere Optimization Strategy
Executing SEvO demands a multi-platform search optimization strategy that goes hand in hand with your business goals and audience behaviour. Here’s a step-by-step framework to get you started with the implementation and execution of SEvO strategy:
Step 1: Audit Your Audience and Current Presence
It’s essential to determine where your target audience spends time online. What are their demographics? For example, Gen Zs are more into TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. LinkedIn and Quora are for professionals. Shoppers prefer Pinterest and Amazon.
A simple gap analysis of your content SEO or SMO presence can help identify which platforms you should prioritize.
Step 2: Set Goals and KPIs
Is generating brand awareness your aim? You might also be after direct conversions, lead generation, or a boost in traffic. Define measurable goals for each platform to measure the effectiveness of your efforts and calculate ROI.
Step 3: Allocate Resources (70/20/10 Rule)
It’s impossible to optimize every platform at once. Allocate 70% to proven traffic sources (like SEO and primary social platforms), 20% to promising emerging channels, and 10% to experimental platforms (such as optimizing for AI-driven search).
Step 4: Develop a Cross-Platform Content Plan
Repurpose your content effectively across platforms. For example, if you are launching a product, make sure that you create:
- A blog post (SEO)
- YouTube demo video
- Instagram or TikTok teasers
- Forum announcements
- Optimized Amazon listings
To ensure consistent messaging across all platforms, develop an editorial calendar.
Step 5: Optimize Natively on Each Channel
Each platform has distinct SEO and engagement practices. Adapt content according to them. Avoid blind cross-posting. Customize content according to each platform’s requirements while maintaining a unified brand message.
Step 6: Foster Cross-Team Collaboration
Collaboration among SEO, social media, and PR teams is a must. Make sure that every department has access to all keyword research insights. Cross-team meetings can enhance synergy and collaboration.
Step 7: Utilize Tools and Automation
It takes significant effort to manage multiple platforms. Using automation tools can help. Consider:
- Buffer/Hootsuite for social media scheduling
- SEO analytics tool for tracking AI search mentions
- Business intelligence dashboards for consolidated reporting
Invest in all-in-one SEvO tracking platforms. Structured spreadsheets are fine, too.
Step 8: Stay Educated and Adaptable
SEvO is a dynamic process. Staying on top of Google algorithm updates, current social media trends and new AI-driven search tools helps optimize your search optimization strategy. Allocate 10% of resources for experimentation, testing new optimization tactics, and refining existing strategies.
Even with an effective SEvO strategy, you might face challenges while implementing it. The following section offers solutions to overcome these challenges.
Challenges & How to Overcome Them
No matter how solid your SEvO plan is, there will be roadblocks during implementation. Let’s list those unforeseen challenges along with solutions to help you navigate them effectively:
Challenge 1: Organizational Silos
Teams in large organizations often operate in silos. SEO, social media, content, and PR teams tend to work toward different goals with minimal overlap. This disconnect makes rooms for friction where SEO teams may struggle to integrate with social media teams who think that their input interferes with their strategy.
Kai Blum, International SEO Manager at Intuit Mailchimp also pointed out this roadblock and said that SEO insights can:
- Amplify social reach
- Drive referral traffic
- And secure valuable search real estate
Despite this, in many companies, SEO and social teams have separate planning, budget. And execution cycles.
The solution: Leadership must play an active role in breaking silos by setting the tone. When management establishes that SEvO is a priority of the entire organization, the mindset of the teams can change. They may start to seek collaboration instead of competing.
For example, creating a dedicated SEO and Social Task Force can help optimize video content for search or leverage trending topics for organic search.
Challenge 2: Keeping Content Consistent vs. Platform-Specific
An Instagram user scrolling through catchy videos does not have the same mindset as someone browsing industry insights on LinkedIn. Every platform has different goals and practices.
Businesses often struggle to strike the right balance between tailoring content to each platform and maintaining a unified brand messaging. The goal is to ensure adaptability without fragmentation. Because no matter where your audience encounters your brand, they should still feel that it’s unmistakably you.
SEO expert Neil Patel emphasizes brand consistency. He recommends integrating signature colors, maintaining a recognizable spokesperson in videos, and establishing a unified tone of voice.
It’s an art of carefully building and maintaining your brand identity in every touchpoint while respecting each platform’s unique engagement style.
Solution: To establish consistency, you might want to develop a content style that best suits your brand’s tone, voice, and key messaging.
Adapt the same voice to each platform’s unique nature. For example your TikTok content might be playful and trend-driven, whereas a LinkedIn post that’s professional and insight-driven (considering both reflects the same brand essence).
Challenge 3: Keeping up with Changing Algorithms
It’s yet another challenge that keeps businesses always on their toes. The algorithms change just when you think you gained mastery in the system. Google changes its algorithms, TikTok reconfigures video rankings, Facebook reshuffles its feed. The digital arena is in constant motion, a big challenge for brands looking to maintain visibility and engagement.
Solution: Instead of reacting to every change, develop resilience into your strategy. Stay informed about the industry updates from sources like Search Engine Land and platform blogs.
Knowledge alone is not enough though. How you respond to the change is key. Continue testing, analyzing, and quickly adapting to the shift to ensure that new updates don’t steal your magic.
No matter how many changes you encounter, keep in touch with the basics if you want to stay longer in the game. Focus on high-quality, user-first content that remains valuable no matter the change in algorithms. Keep updating older content, changing metadata for relevance, and optimizing social posts according to the best practices of each platform.
Conclusion & Final Takeaways
People are searching everywhere now. Alexa, TikTok, Amazon – you name it. The thing is if you are not showing up on those other platforms, you are missing out big time.
Think beyond Google SEO and implement a multi-platform strategy. That way, you are not only keeping up with the future of search, but you are also basically calling the shots.
So why not take the first step today? Pick one platform at a time and start optimizing. Start with little things like updating a profile or repurposing content. The brands that embrace SEvO now will be the ones shaping the new era of search.
