For years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was the cornerstone of digital marketing. Entire content strategies revolved around keyword research, backlinks, and on-page optimisation. The goal was simple: rank on Google and watch the traffic flow in.
The game has changed. If your strategy still starts and ends with “let’s rank for these keywords”, you are already falling behind.
The New Reality of Search
Google’s AI Overviews now answers many queries directly on the search page. If a question is not highly nuanced, users get their answer without ever clicking through to a website. This “zero-click” trend has been building for years, but AI has accelerated it significantly.
Conversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are becoming the preferred sources for information. More people are bypassing Google and posing their questions directly to these models. This means fewer organic visits and less control over how your brand appears in search results.
The SEO-first approach is losing its power. Ranking number one on Google means less than it used to, and in some cases, it does not matter at all.
From Capturing Demand to Creating It
If SEO is about capturing existing demand, demand generation content is about creating it.
Demand generation content is designed to:
- Spark awareness and interest before a search ever happens.
- Address real-world pain points and internal debates your buyers are having.
- Position your brand as a trusted resource people want to follow.
Instead of asking “How do we rank for this keyword?”, the question becomes: “How do we become the brand people think of first when they have this problem?”
The Five Shifts You Need to Make Now
If you are still planning content solely around search volume, here is how to pivot towards a buyer-centric demand generation approach:
- Go Beyond Keywords
Keywords still matter, but they are no longer the starting point. Speak to customers. Identify their biggest friction points, objections, and the “silly questions” they hesitate to ask. That is where the real opportunities lie.
- Mine Your First-Party Data
Your own analytics are a goldmine. Review Google Analytics, Search Console, CRM data, and social engagement metrics. Which topics get the most attention? Which posts drive the most conversations? Use these insights to shape your editorial calendar.
- Support the Sales Process
Content should work alongside your sales efforts. Create assets that help your sales team close deals such as case studies, competitor comparison guides, tutorial videos, and ROI calculators. These are tools that directly enable revenue.
- Build a Unique Brand Voice
Generic content gets lost in the AI-generated noise. Stand out by developing a consistent tone, perspective, and style. Lavender is a good example, taking common topics and making them distinctive through personality and positioning.
- Focus on the Right Channels
You do not need to be present everywhere. Identify where your audience spends time—LinkedIn, YouTube, niche forums, or Reddit—and concentrate your efforts there.
Why This Matters for Singapore and APAC Businesses
In our region, many companies still take an SEO-first approach. It is common for B2B, technology, healthcare, or financial services brands to invest heavily in keyword-driven blog posts while neglecting sales enablement content or brand voice development.
This is risky. In 12 to 24 months, demand-generation-led content strategies will be the global standard. Companies that do not pivot will become invisible both in Google search and in AI-powered results that increasingly shape buying journeys.
Starting now gives a competitive advantage. This approach ensures visibility in traditional search, in AI-generated responses, in industry conversations, and in the minds of target buyers.
The LLM Optimisation Opportunity
Just as SEOs learned to optimise for Google, marketers will need to optimise for Large Language Models (LLMs).
Consider how ChatGPT or Gemini chooses which companies to reference when answering a question. Keyword density is not the deciding factor. The key drivers are:
- Consistency of expertise across multiple channels.
- Clear brand associations with specific problems and solutions.
- Authoritative, trusted content that others cite and link to.
To be “top of mind” for AI, create content that AI can find and consider worthy of inclusion.
The Bottom Line
SEO is not dead. SEO-first is. The brands that will succeed in the next era of digital marketing will:
- Create demand before search.
- Use first-party insights to shape strategy.
- Build content that bridges marketing and sales.
- Develop a distinctive brand voice.
- Focus on the platforms where their audience is active.
This is a challenging pivot in the short term. It may cost more and disrupt established processes, but the reward is worth it: market leadership in a world where both humans and machines determine who gets attention.
At IMPACT, this is the opportunity to move ahead while others are still playing by last decade’s rules.
About the Author
Donald Chan is the Founder of IMPACT! Brand Communications, a digital and content marketing agency headquartered in Singapore. With over 12 years of agency leadership and 20 years of marketing experience, he helps brands in B2B, technology, and emerging industries achieve real marketing impact.