There's one thing AI has shifted massively that nobody is talking about. AI has completely altered human behavior. Do you agree?

Here's what's happening: people use the internet differently today than they did just a few years ago. Nearly 80% of potential customers begin their online research with ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity before searching on Google.

But that does not mean Google has been forgotten. Because there is not yet 100% confidence in what AI delivers, users still validate results through search engines. Then they visit 2-3 websites, already educated, interested, and comparison-ready.

The issue isn't insufficient tools. It's the absence of a strategic foundation that tells you where buyers actually make decisions about whether you exist.

The Core Problem: You're Optimizing for the Wrong Phase

Most businesses approach marketing backwards, by today's standards. They adopt tools because competitors use them. For example, a B2B consulting firm launches a TikTok campaign because it's trending. Or, a commercial contractor wants to figure out how to use AI automation, because that is what everyone else it doing. This way of thinking is just keeping up with the Joneses.

Marketing technology offers more than 11,000 tools across automation, analytics, and content creation. But automation only accelerates what you feed it.

Here's the deeper issue: You can execute flawlessly on Google optimization and website conversion, but if you're invisible where 80% of buyers start their research, perfect execution of the wrong strategy still fails.

The Framework: One-Page Marketing Plan

Allan Dib's Book, The One-Page Marketing Plan provides a strategic foundation that prevents tool-first thinking. The system produces a nine-grid table organizing your marketing across three customer lifecycle stages: before (prospecting), during (lead nurturing), and after (customer retention).

You must read this book if you want to build a logical and streamlined marketing system that attracts, nurtures, and cultivates your leads into customers, into brand evangelists.

Before stage: Target market identification, compelling message development, and media selection.

During stage: Lead capture mechanisms, nurturing sequences, and conversion strategies.

After stage: Delivering outstanding experiences, increasing customer lifetime value, and generating referrals.

Here's what makes this framework powerful in 2026: When you complete it honestly, you'll discover exactly where you're strong and where you're completely invisible.

Most businesses find they're optimizing Google and website conversion beautifully while nonexistent in AI-powered research where buyers actually start.

This single-page snapshot reveals how all marketing components connect, where gaps exist, and which tools would actually support your specific strategy rather than just matching competitor activity.

Implementation: Three Sequential Steps

Addressing Real Objections

How long does this planning process take?

Most businesses complete their initial draft in 2-3 hours. The planning session with your leadership team takes two hours. Refinement and validation add another hour.

This investment prevents months of misaligned activity. The plan becomes your strategic filter: does this new tool support our documented customer journey, or is it just a shiny object?

More importantly, it reveals whether you're invisible where buyers conduct initial research. That's information worth having before you spend another dollar on optimization.

We have strong Google rankings. Why does AI visibility matter?

Strong Google rankings matter tremendously, especially for validation. But if buyers start research through AI platforms and you're not recommended, they never reach the Google validation phase, where your rankings would help. They might see your brand on a Google search, but why would you electively NOT show up where people are looking, AI large language models (LLMs)?

When buyers ask ChatGPT, "best commercial contractors in Austin for multi-building property maintenance," AI recommends 3-4 businesses. Those businesses get validated through Google search. Your strong rankings help you win over buyers who are already considering you. But you're excluded from the initial consideration set.

Discovery determines who makes the shortlist. Validation confirms the shortlist. Conversion happens among validated options.

You need visibility across all phases, not just the last two.

Can't we just optimize our website for both Google and AI simultaneously?

Partially, but they require different approaches. Google rewards technical SEO, backlinks, and keyword optimization. AI tools cite genuine authority, expertise, structured information, and contextual relevance across multiple platforms: your website, social profiles, reviews, published content, and citations in other sources.

Your Scripted Marketing Plan should include distinct strategies for discovery, validation, and conversion because the optimization tactics differ even though they complement each other.