In a recent LinkedIn post, Ross Simmonds discusses a significant shift in the digital marketing landscape, emphasizing the growing importance of influence over traditional metrics like clicks. Simmonds argues that brands failing to adapt to the rise of AI-powered search engines may be effectively disappearing from the modern buyer’s journey.
The Diminishing Relevance of Clicks
Simmonds highlights a fundamental change in how consumers discover and interact with brands. He posits that the traditional focus on driving clicks may be becoming less effective as AI search tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Perplexity become primary discovery engines. According to Simmonds:
“If your brand isn’t showing up in ChatGPT, Grok or Perplexity… It might not exist in the new buyer journey.”
This statement underscores a critical challenge for businesses: their visibility is increasingly dependent on how well they are represented and understood by artificial intelligence. Simmonds suggests that if a brand’s information and expertise are not being surfaced by these new platforms, it is akin to not existing for a significant portion of potential customers.
Rethinking Metrics and ROI
The implications of this shift, as outlined by Simmonds, extend to how marketing success is measured. He asserts that optimizing for search and large language models (LLMs) is no longer an optional strategy but a necessity. This requires a re-evaluation of existing metrics and a new approach to calculating return on investment (ROI).
Simmonds notes the need for a strategic pivot:
“Optimizing for search & LLMs isn’t a nice to have… But it does require us to rethink metrics.”
This implies that traditional performance indicators might not accurately reflect a brand’s true reach and impact in an AI-driven environment. The focus needs to move from immediate, quantifiable actions like clicks to more nuanced measures of influence, authority, and presence within AI knowledge bases. Simmonds points towards a future where brand existence is measured by its utility and accessibility through AI, rather than just its ability to attract immediate user attention.
The Future of Brand Visibility
Ross Simmonds’s insights suggest that brands must proactively ensure their content and expertise are discoverable and valuable to AI search algorithms. This involves not only understanding SEO but also developing strategies for AI optimization, ensuring that their information is accurate, comprehensive, and presented in a way that AI can easily process and relay to users.
The core message from Simmonds is a call to action for businesses to adapt their strategies. As he puts it:
“Clicks are down. Influence is up.”
This succinct observation encapsulates the paradigm shift. While clicks remain a relevant metric, their dominance is waning. True influence, built on authority, expertise, and discoverability across all platforms—including emerging AI tools—is becoming the more critical factor for sustained business growth and relevance in the evolving digital marketplace. Simmonds’s analysis provides a valuable framework for marketers and business leaders navigating this complex transition.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Ross Simmonds on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on January 14, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →