Thoughts from our CEO - Brennen Bliss
A quick note on timing: This post reflects the state of things at the time of writing. In this fast-paced field, new developments are always emerging.
March 1st, 2025
Last week I attended ITB Berlin:
"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵?" was the question I kept hearing in every conversation.
Here's my unfiltered take:
- Traditional SEO isn't going anywhere immediately - it'll continue driving business performance for the next 3-7 years. But we're witnessing the beginning of a significant shift in user behavior.
As the younger portions of Gen Alpha reaches buying age, expect a gradual evolution: decreasing usage of traditional search engines and accelerating adoption of conversational AI interfaces. This isn't happening overnight, but the trajectory is clear.
Also, keep in mind that ChatGPT, the most used chatbot, surfaces Bing results - just in a different interface.
What does this mean for travel brands?
- Don't abandon your SEO strategy - it remains crucial for near and mid-term success
- Start experimenting with optimization for conversational AI
- Build brand recognition that transcends platform-specific visibility
- Invest in content that delivers value beyond what can be summarized
The travel brands that will thrive in this transition are those preparing for both worlds simultaneously - maintaining search excellence while developing the foundations for AI visibility.
The winners won't be those who jump ship on traditional search too early or those who ignore the AI revolution entirely - but those who thoughtfully bridge both worlds.
Drop your comments here.
Brennen Bliss, CEO at Propellic
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