Early evidence of leads from AI search

Shawn Busse has never been an AI evangelist. If anything, he’s been wary of the hype. But lately, his thinking has started to shift. While it’s still early, Shawn sees AI pushing marketing away from the soul-deadening world of SEO hacks and keyword stuffing—and toward something far more human: real storytelling and authentic brand building. In this week’s Dashboard, he explains what he’s seeing in his own business and with clients, and what it may mean for owners trying to figure out where to focus next.