Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
A decade ago, a strong company could grow on referrals, relationships, and a great product. Today, that’s still possible, though many observers note that the ways companies build and demonstrate trust online are evolving.
Search is changing, with artificial intelligence tools increasingly influencing how information is surfaced and summarized online.
According to a study by digital marketing firm Seer Interactive, when Google’s AI Overviews appear, organic click-through rates can drop sharply. The study reported a decline from 1.76% to 0.61% for affected queries, while paid click-through rates also fell significantly. As Search Engine Land reported, even on queries without AI Overviews, organic CTRs fell 41%. In plain terms, even if you “rank” fewer people click.
At the same time, AI assistants are increasingly used as an early step in online research for buyers, candidates, investors and partners. A Yale Insights analysis noted that the share of ChatGPT messages classified as “seeking information” rose from 18% to 24% between mid-2024 and mid-2025, highlighting an ongoing shift from traditional web search toward AI-assisted research. Giuliano Gonzalez believes these tools may shorten or reshape parts of the traditional online research process, which can affect how companies are discovered online.
Within this broader shift, Giuliano Gonzalez, founder of Trustline Advisory Group, has focused his firm’s work on helping companies evaluate how their digital reputation and visibility appear across online sources.
What inspired you to start Trustline Advisory Group?
“I was born in Santiago, Chile and moved to Australia at 13. I grew up around sales and marketing, working across corporate roles until my mid-20s. The company started because I kept seeing the same pattern: business owners could be genuinely great at what they do, but online they looked like nobody. They relied on word-of-mouth and assumed the product would speak for itself. In my experience, businesses that want to grow often need to make it easier for people who do not already know them to understand what they do and why they are credible. And that often begins with third-party references.”
What changed in the buyer journey?
“People still use Google, but the click behavior has changed because AI summaries answer questions directly in the results. The Seer Interactive data backs this up — AI Overviews are reducing click-through rates across both organic and paid listings for many query types. My perspective is that over the next three to five years, AI tools may play a larger role in early-stage research alongside traditional search. They’re fast and direct. If a company’s information is limited or inconsistent in those environments, it may become harder for potential customers to find reliable information about it.”
When did you realize AI was the inflection point?
“When ChatGPT launched, it wasn’t just ‘another channel.’ It changed how people get answers. I also started noticing something interesting: people were finding me through discussions and threads on Reddit, because of work we’d done and the reputation we’d built. That experience highlighted how online discussions and third-party references can influence visibility, even when they exist outside of official company websites — and data from Profound shows Reddit is now one of the most cited sources across major AI platforms.”
What do most companies misunderstand about “AI SEO”?
“They think it’s backlinks or traditional SEO tactics. A lot of the time it’s not. In my experience, it appears to depend more on whether consistent, verifiable information about a company exists across trusted sources. AI tools often summarize information from places they consider reliable. If a company’s digital footprint is thin or inconsistent, AI systems may struggle to describe it clearly.”
Who is most at risk right now?
“We see this most with companies in the $500k to $50 million revenue range. They’re big enough to feel the impact, but they often don’t have the budget, systems, or urgency to adapt until it affects performance metrics. In some cases, companies only begin reassessing their digital presence once visibility or conversion patterns change.”
What’s the consequence of ignoring this?
“Credibility can decline, but the bigger issue is conversion, show-up rates, and return on ad spend for many companies. Think about it, we live in a world where people sometimes trust anonymous online discussions more than polished testimonials. When online information about a company is limited or inconsistent, potential buyers may hesitate. In my view, AI tools can compress that research into a single summarized answer.”
How did you build Trustline in the early days?
“I did what we do for clients on myself first. I built digital legitimacy: consistent profiles, authoritative placements, interviews, podcasts, and content. Early visibility across multiple platforms helped establish familiarity with potential clients.”
What does “digital legitimacy” mean to you?
“It means a company’s public information appears consistent across multiple credible online sources. When someone searches, they find the same story, the same proof and the same signals across the web.”
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
“A great product isn’t always enough on its own. How a company is perceived online can influence how quickly potential customers decide whether to engage.”
What advice would you give to founders who feel “invisible”?
“Many founders focus heavily on producing more content. My view is that it can also be helpful to ensure that credible third-party information about the company exists across the web. In a world where buyers sometimes begin their research with AI tools, having clear and consistent public information can make it easier for people to understand what a business does.”
