Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast The impact of AI Search on search behavior
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Apr 27, 2026 Garrett Sussman, Director of Marketing at iPullRank and relevance engineering expert, shares enterprise insights from clickstream analysis. He explores why 53% of users abandon AI search, a three-tier measurement approach for AI discovery, a five-pillar relevance engineering framework, and strategies for audience segmentation and optimizing across AI systems.
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AI Search Hype Versus Actual Behavior
- AI search hype outpaces real user adoption, with 53% of users not returning to Google AI mode after first use.
- Garrett Sussman cites iPullRank clickstream data showing initial trials often don't convert to habitual use, signaling a messy transition.
From Third Grade Classroom To SEO Practitioner
- Garrett Sussman began as a third-grade teacher, moved into early live streaming, then SaaS marketing, and finally local SEO before joining iPullRank in 2020.
- His path from teaching to marketing shaped his emphasis on education and making complex SEO topics accessible.
Use Three Tiers To Measure AI Discovery
- Measure AI discovery using three tiers: input metrics, channel metrics, and performance metrics.
- Track content inputs (creation, bot activity), share of voice/mentions/citations, then ROI like traffic, leads, and revenue.