In this episode of Simulated Reality, Chris Andrew, CEO of Scrunch AI unpacks the disruptive impact of AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity on traditional SEO and digital brand presence. He explains how user behavior is shifting away from keyword-driven Google searches toward natural language queries in AI interfaces, essentially altering how brands are discovered and represented. As Chris puts it, “Brands are no longer what they say they are, they’re what AI says they are.”
He breaks down how his company helps enterprises adapt to this shift by monitoring how they appear in AI-generated answers, identifying gaps in content representation, and optimizing infrastructure to be better understood by AI crawlers. This highlights how AI search now values human-like, intent-driven content over gamified SEO tactics like backlinking. He also shares amazing anecdotes from Fortune 500 companies finding outdated content influencing AI responses, to AI models picking up on biased internal searches, emphasizing the need for brands to stay proactive and intentional in this new search paradigm.
Scrunch AI helps brands monitor and optimize their presence across AI search platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. It tracks how these AI models interpret brand content, identifies misinformation, and reveals gaps between owned, third-party, and AI-generated data. The platform also audits websites for AI crawler accessibility and maps AI-driven customer interactions, helping businesses improve visibility and align content with AI behavior.
