The New Rules of Authority When AI Answers the Query

About This Episode

When AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity start answering search queries directly, ranking #1 on Google is no longer enough.

In this episode of SEO On Air, host Koa Kauwe sits down with Tom Malesic and Gilad Bechar to unpack how authority, trust, and visibility are being redefined in an AI-driven search landscape.

They break down the difference between using AI and operating with AI, why content volume alone is no longer a competitive advantage, and how brands and agencies must rethink authority across PR, reviews, social platforms, podcasts, and AI answer engines.

This conversation goes deep into:

• Why most content today is already AI-generated
• How agencies are rebuilding workflows with AI agents
• Why mentions matter more than backlinks in AI answers
• How small agencies can still compete in an AI-first world
• What actually builds authority when AI decides who gets recommended

If you’re an agency owner, SEO professional, or marketer trying to stay relevant as AI reshapes search, this episode will change how you think about authority, content, and growth.

Key Timestamps:

00:00 – Introdution to the podcast

02:15– Guest Introductions and Agency Details

05:12 – Using AI vs operating with AI inside agencies

08:31 – AI agents and self-building content systems

09:30 – AI content vs human content: performance debate

15:16 – Industries where human-written content still matters

17:05 – Prompt engineering and fixing “obviously AI” content

21:00 – AI as survival: agencies that don’t adapt fall behind

23:36 – The real cost of AI adoption and margin impact

28:26 – Who owns AI inside an agency organization

31:16 – How AI is changing small vs large agency dynamics

34:00 –  Can small agencies compete when AI enables content at scale?

35:41 – “Most content in 2025 is written by AI”

36:50 – Measuring ROI beyond rankings and traffic

39:53 – What authority means when AI answers the query

42:12 – How AI engines evaluate authority signals

45:42 – Authority as a 360° trust score across the web

47:01 – Final Thoughts