There was a time not so long ago when marketers knelt before Google as if it were Olympus itself, praying for that first-page ranking. Well, those prayers may now be answered by a different deity: artificial intelligence. And, like any new god, it’s rewriting the rules with little concern for who gets left behind.
Into this shifting arena strides Primal, armed with a solution called ElevateSEO, a contraption designed not to please the old gods of keywords and click-throughs, but to charm the algorithms of ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and even Google’s new AI mode.
The reason? Gartner has foretold a 25% collapse in traditional search traffic by 2026. And, in a revelation that should make brand managers choke on their lattes, 90% of companies don’t even appear in AI-generated recommendations. It’s as if a vast dinner party is underway, and nine out of ten brands are left standing at the door.
McDowell’s Wake-Up Call
Mark McDowell, CEO of Primal, sounds very much like a man ringing a church bell at midnight:
“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how people make decisions online. Consumers are turning to AI search not just to find information, but to receive recommendations and complete purchase journeys. The key for brands is to be present during those moments.”
In other words, stop counting clicks like it’s 2010. The battlefield has moved.
CEO, Mark-McDowell
ElevateSEO’s Four-Part Armour
McDowell’s team has built ElevateSEO around four modules that read like weapons for the digital frontline:
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Content Authority Engine – building structures that AI treats as gospel.
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Natural Language Optimisation – because speaking like a robot to robots is no longer fashionable.
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Multi-Platform Integration – ensuring your brand whispers sweet nothings into every AI ear at once.
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AI Visibility Analytics – the closest thing to night-vision goggles in the fog of attribution.
It’s clever, calculated, and somewhat audacious, precisely what the moment requires.
The Clock Is Ticking
Consider this: IDC projects global AI spending will surge to USD 632 billion by 2028. Meanwhile, AI search advertising alone is expected to swell to USD 25.9 billion by 2029. And while you’re digesting those figures, remember that ChatGPT handles over a billion messages daily, while Perplexity racked up 780 million queries in May 2025 alone.
Investors aren’t snoozing either: more than USD 100 million has been funnelled into AI search optimisation tools this year. When venture capitalists stampede, it’s usually wise to at least glance in the direction they’re running.
Beyond the Click – Into the Conversation
Clicks? So last decade. Today, the action happens in the conversation itself. Consumers don’t browse; they often chat, compare, and decide without visiting a website. That means if your brand isn’t present in that whispered exchange between user and AI, you don’t exist.
ElevateSEO promises to insert brands into those conversations, so when someone asks, “What’s the best option?” Your name will not only be in the hat but also at the top.
Final Curtain
For brands, the choice is stark. Fade quietly into obscurity, or embrace the messy, conversational, AI-driven marketplace where presence counts more than page views. Primal’s ElevateSEO isn’t pitching itself as an upgrade; it’s more of a life raft.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s that those who resist the tide usually end up drowned by it.
Full details of the new platform can be found at www.primal.co.th/elevateseo.
By Kanda Limw
