Multimodal Search: The Future of SEO & Marketing Funnels
▼ Summary
– Traditional marketing funnels (awareness, consideration, conversion) are still relevant but harder to track due to fragmented user behavior across platforms.
– User journeys now involve multimodal interactions (e.g., ChatGPT, TikTok, voice assistants) that often leave no traceable signals for traditional analytics.
– The marketing funnel stages (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU) remain, but user movement between them is nonlinear and influenced by diverse, untrackable touchpoints.
– Gen Z’s visual-first, conversational search behaviors (e.g., Google Lens) are reshaping discovery, making multimodal engagement the new norm.
– Marketers must distribute content across multiple platforms and formats to stay visible in fragmented, untrackable decision-making journeys.
The marketing funnel has evolved dramatically in recent years, shifting from a predictable, trackable journey to a complex web of interactions across multiple platforms. Traditional models that relied on clear attribution and linear pathways no longer reflect how consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase products today. Instead, user behavior has become fragmented, multimodal, and often invisible to conventional analytics tools.
The Changing Nature of the Funnel
A Google search for general informationThis nonlinear journey means marketers can no longer rely on last-click attribution or assume users will follow a predefined path.
The Rise of Multimodal Search
For younger generations, visual and conversational search is the norm. Gen Z, for instance, increasingly uses tools like Google Lens or Circle to Search, bypassing traditional keyword queries entirely. If brands aren’t optimizing for these behaviors, they risk becoming irrelevant in the spaces where decisions are made.
What Marketers Need to Do Differently
- Speak to the Entire Customer Journey
- Think Beyond Your Own Domain
- Embrace Ambiguity in Attribution
The Future of Search and Marketing
The funnel isn’t dead, it’s just harder to see. Success now depends on anticipating user needs rather than tracking every click.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
