Creating a Funnel Strategy in AI Search
This article was published on February 19, 2026
Categorized in: SEO, AI Marketing
When it comes to the digital marketing funnel, you may have noticed a subtle shift in the way the funnel operates. The character of most of our funnels is changing, and we have AI to thank for being the catalyst. This isn’t a bad thing, but the characteristics of the marketing funnel are operating a little differently than we may be used to. Some of the changes are so subtle, they may pass you by without you taking action. It may not be a big deal now, but it could be an even bigger one as time goes on.
What needs to happen? We need to keep our eyes open and be willing to shift our strategies slightly so that we can remain competitive in this shifting landscape. Here’s a look at how to navigate any changes you may have noticed concerning the marketing funnel as a whole.
Understanding Today’s Digital Marketing Funnel
For the most part, the marketing funnel is behaving similarly now as it was before. What’s changing is at which point of the funnel will prospects make their first point of contact? With traditional search engines leading the pack for information gathering, that left prospects to find information about you specifically on their website.
Well, thanks to AI, this has changed. Prospects tend to gather information outside of the website if AI was involved, and when they do get in touch, it is likely going to be further along int he sales cycle. If your brand is referenced or cited inside an AI-generated response, you’ve achieved awareness even without a site visit. This means that your top-of-funnel strategy now depends less on traditional rankings and more on whether AI systems view your content as trustworthy, structured, and authoritative enough to pull from.
Get to Know the Middle of the Funnel
The middle of the funnel is shifting slightly because of AI. Referred to as the consideration stage, this is where your prospects compare options, weigh features, and narrow down the list. This is where AI search creates the biggest shift. These tools are built for synthesis. They pull together pricing, feature comparisons, use cases, and reviews faster than any human researcher could.
If your content is clear, well-structured, and genuinely useful to your audience or the person performing the query, it will likely surface in these moments. If it isn’t deemed to be helpful, it won’t surface. This is why content matters so much.
Your Bottom of Funnel Runs on Trust
Despite how AI appears to be changing the other layers of the digital marketing funnel, the bottom of the funnel remains fundamentally intact (or rather, human). People use AI to research and shortlist, but they still want a conversation before signing a contract or committing to a significant investment. What’s changed is the path that gets them there. Your prospect may arrive ready to buy without ever having clicked a single organic result from your site.
That reality demands that you rethink how you bridge AI-assisted discovery and direct engagement. Your calls to action, landing pages, and sales responsiveness all need to account for a buyer who has done extensive research before you ever knew they existed.
The funnel still works, it’s just changing. Understanding how the changes affect the funnel, and then adapting to the changes, is where we are at.
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About the Author: Brick Marketing President, Nick Stamoulis
Nick Stamoulis is President of Brick Marketing and has over 25 years of digital marketing experience. He works directly with clients on strategy and implementation, helping solve complex mariketing, lead generation and sales challenges. Nick Stamoulis is a strategist and expert with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), AI Search or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), content marketing, social media, pay per click advertising, and conversion improvement. Nick Stamoulis has worked with over 500 companies in many industries and also provides digital marketing consulting and training classes, helping companies improve performance and achieve desired outcomes.
