The Funnel is Dead. Here's What Replaces It
"The buyer’s journey doesn’t start on Google anymore. It starts in ChatGPT."
Most marketers still think in funnels.
But in 2025, the funnel isn’t just outdated. It’s invisible.
Your next customer isn’t clicking ads or filling out demo forms.
They’re prompting AI.
Here’s how marketing has changed forever and what smart teams are doing about it.
The Framework: Marketing Without a Funnel
Old model:
Awareness → Consideration → Decision → Purchase
New model:
Prompt → Summary → Action (inside AI)
Buyers now:
Ask ChatGPT for top tools
Get summarized reviews and comparisons
Make decisions without ever visiting your site
The Use Case:
Eighty percent of B2B research happens before a buyer talks to sales.
And most of that now happens inside AI interfaces like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude.
That means:
No homepage visit
No nurture sequence
No visibility unless you’re prompt-optimized
Tool Stack and Prompt Example:
To win in this new ecosystem, shift from SEO to AEO — answer engine optimization.
Tools:
ChatGPT
Claude
Perplexity
Your content CMS
Prompt:
“Act like a B2B buyer. Research the top 3 tools for [problem]. Show summaries, comparisons, and key reasons to choose.”
Now plug in your product and see if you show up.
Action Step:
Run this prompt:
“Compare [your company] with [top 2 competitors] for [use case].”
If you’re not showing up, neither is your pipeline.
Want a full AEO optimization playbook?
Reply “AEO” and I’ll send the breakdown.
PS:
If your homepage is lonely, it’s because ChatGPT already answered your buyer.