"Consider That as Part of Your Strategy": Garrett Sussman on Adapting to AI
Natalia Toth
In this episode, Ranking Raccoon talks to Garrett Sussman, Director of Marketing at iPullRank and an SEO veteran with over 14 years of experience.
What’s the meaning of conversational search? How can SaaS tools stand out in a world of AI chatbots? Can small businesses really compete with big brands in AI search? And how can e-commerce brands leverage AI to boost their visibility and sales?
You'll know by the end of this article. Let's dive in!
On Conversational Search and Why it Matters
Ranking Raccoon: Hi Garrett, thanks for joining us today! One concept that we're seeing more often today is the so called conversational search. Can you explain it to us, please?
Garrett Sussman: It's the idea that search is changing. We're used to seeing 10 blue links on Google, but they've been adding more features over the decades—snippets, and now AI overviews.
"Conversational search is where people use AI chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini to find personalized answers. These chatbots use human language processing to give more human-like answers based on web content."
RR: So search engines are adapting to how we naturally search on the web?
Garrett: Yeah, exactly. We want personalized results, not something generic. We all have so much context when we search, and we want specific answers to our needs. These chatbots are more effective at that than us having to go through tons of articles.
The interesting thing is that these chatbots originally used static training data. But now they use "retrieval augmented generation" to find the latest information on the web and give you more up-to-date answers.
How SaaS Tools Can Stand Out in AI Search
RR: Let's imagine I'm a new SaaS tool wanting to get to the first page of search results. Since many users are searching on AI chatbots, how can I stand out in this environment?
Garrett: That's what everyone's trying to figure out! Even traditional SEO is changing.
We do know that ChatGPT relies more on Bing's index, while Google's Gemini uses Google's index. So, visibility on Bing might be more important for ChatGPT.
It really depends on the platform. A lot of it comes down to the relevancy of your content, and SEOs are doing a lot of experimentation right now.
Read more: Link-Building for SaaS: The Big Guide for 2025
On How Small Businesses Can Gain Visibility
RR: I have an impression that chatbots mostly quote sources that are already well-known and authoritative. So if I'm a small business, how can I be featured?
Garrett: Honestly, it's going to be really difficult. All search engines have a bias towards larger brands, especially for competitive queries.
For small businesses, there's a difference between local SEO and general SEO. If you're a local business, you have a better chance of showing up for local SEO questions tied to location.
"However, the best chance you have as a small business is to focus on long-tail queries. People aren't just searching for "email marketing" anymore. They're searching for things like, "How can I build links for my animal hospital based on our holiday campaigns?" You have a better chance of showing up for those niche searches."
The only problem is the low search volume. You're not going to see a thousand people searching for that. So, it's a catch.
On eCommerce Brands Adapting to AI Search
RR: Let's speak about eCommerce websites. I hear from many SEO experts that eCommerce is one of the niches that doesn't have to worry about AI, but rather be happy about its development. What's your take on it?
Garrett: It depends on the ecosystem. When it comes to eCommerce, Google is, in many ways, competing with Amazon, which has its own ecosystem that people trust.
However, Google has been developing more AI functionality for product searches. They've completely revamped Google Shopping, which pulls from the product graph, reviews, merchant feeds, forums, and websites to give you AI-organized search results. This is the future of ecommerce search!
RR: If I'm a small FMCG brand that sells, for example, organic cosmetics, how can I make sure that my products get featured in AI overviews?
Garrett: The key is understanding Google's "shopping graph" and how it gets information about your products.
What you can do:
- Use Google Merchant Center (you don't have to pay for ads to use it)
- Optimize your product pages
- Have great visuals
- Get mentioned in other blog posts and product roundups.
Basically, get your brand and product information everywhere!
Read more: E-commerce Link-Building: How do You Make it Work? [A 2025 Guide]
On Best Link-Building Strategies for Growth
RR: Because you said that you need to be mentioned by other websites, can we touch upon link-building in this context? How important are backlinks for an e-commerce brand versus technical SEO and on-page SEO?
Garrett: It's not just about the links. Of course, if you're getting backlinks, that helps your site's authority.
But if you're also mentioned positively on other blogs and articles, then there's a better chance you'll show up in Google's product search results and in the chatbots.
Chatbots love to throw out brand names, and they're getting those names from everywhere. So, digital PR and influencer marketing are important.
RR: So of all link-building tactics, digital PR and work with influencers should be our priorities?
Garrett: Absolutely.
"There's value when an influencer mentions your product, and people go to your website. That sends brand signals to Google, whether they click the link or search for your brand. The more people who go to your site, the stronger the signal to Google that you're an authority."
Even if your site isn't seeing significant traffic from LLMs yet, we're moving in that direction. As more people realize they get better answers from ChatGPT or Gemini, you need to consider that as part of your marketing strategy.
RR: Does it also apply to tech companies?
Garrett: Yes, it works with any type of service and content. You might not see as much traffic from the top of the funnel for informational queries, but if you focus on middle- to bottom-of-the-funnel content where people are comparing solutions, and you have those answers both on your site and other sites, then you're more likely to be recommended by ChatGPT or Gemini.
On Best Types of Content for E-commerce Brands
RR: One last question before we round up. What are the types of content that eCommerce brands should invest more in this year to stand out in search?
Garrett: It depends on your audience and how best to explain your product. If it's a demo video, that's great for a SaaS business. If it's a review video, that might be better for a physical product. Written content will also be successful for different searches.
Think about what makes the most sense for your audience. Obviously, you have to make choices based on your budget and time.
But the answer is always that it's a pay-to-play world. The more you can invest strategically in visibility, the more recognition you'll have, and the more sales you'll make.
RR: Thank you so much for sharing these insights with us, Garrett! Here's to making the most out of AI progress in search.
Natalia Toth
Head of Marketing