| TL;DR: Google still drives the lion’s share of SaaS discovery, but it’s shrinking. 58.5% of searches now end without a click. Meanwhile, AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are quietly becoming new referral sources with 3X higher chances of conversion. The SaaS marketers who win next aren’t those who abandon SEO but those who play a dual game—ranking in Google and being recommendable in AI. |
AI referrals convert 3X higher than traditional search.
But here’s the twist—most of those referrals still point to pages already ranking on Google’s top results.
That tells us something important.
Buyers may be asking questions in ChatGPT or Perplexity in search of better answers, but the content these engines trust often overlaps with what Google already considers credible.
Because over half of Google searches now end without a click—thanks to AI overviews—smart SaaS CMOs are rethinking their playbook. They’re doubling down on content that drives business, not just traffic.
In this article, I’ll break down the trends shaping SaaS marketing in 2026 through the lens of our agency – Concurate.
Source – Concurate Ahrefs HubSpot
What Plays Pull SaaS CMOs Out of Panic in 2026
“SEO isn’t dead. It’s split into two: Google SEO and AI Engine Optimization.” Google’s own AI mode now behaves much like ChatGPT or Perplexity—and its adoption will only accelerate. Ignoring SEO doesn’t just mean missing rankings; it means being absent from the very ecosystem Google and AI tools pull from to recommend your SaaS.
That’s why the real game isn’t choosing between Google and AI. It’s mastering both. With that in mind, here are the plays every SaaS CMO should have on their 2026 marketing board.”
Play #1 – Why Should SaaS CMOs Treat Google as the Price of Entry
AI visibility still leans heavily on Google.
If you’re invisible in Google, your chances in ChatGPT or Perplexity shrink dramatically.
That’s why 76% of AI traffic overlapped with Page 1–3 Google results in our study.
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: Google SEO isn’t dead weight. It’s still your ticket into the AI arena.
Play #2 – How Can SaaS CMOs Increase AI Recommendations for Their Tools
HubSpot found visitors from AI tools like ChatGPT convert 3X higher than those from search engines. That aligns with what we’ve seen, too. AI referrals = higher intent.
But AI engines don’t recommend SaaS tools at random. They pull from the sources they trust most—third-party blogs, expert roundups, review platforms, Wikipedia, news pieces, and even Reddit threads.
That means if your SaaS isn’t mentioned in those places, it barely exists in AI conversations.
Check out this other study done by us – Where Does ChatGPT Pull Information From to Make SaaS Recommendations?
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: Engineer credibility beyond your website. Pitch for inclusion in neutral listicles, build a presence on G2 or Capterra, create a clean Wikipedia entry, and encourage authentic mentions on LinkedIn or community forums. The more consistent your SaaS shows up across trusted sources, the higher the odds AI engines will recommend you when buyers ask.
Play #3 – Why Should SaaS CMOs Focus on Business-Driven Content Over Traffic
58.5% of Google searches now end without a click. Even if the answer in a Google AI Overview comes from your content, it’s still just free education unless it drives buyers closer to you.
Hence, “Publishing ‘ultimate guides’ in 2025 is like handing out yellow pages in 2005.”
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: Instead, prioritize content that surfaces for high-buying-intent queries—whether in AI searches, Google AI Overviews, or top-ranking articles. That’s the content that generates pipeline, not just pageviews, i.e., SaaS listicles, alternatives, and comparison pieces.
Play #4 – Why Should SaaS CMOs Write for Context, Not Just Keywords
Google results are broad, while AI answers are personal and contextual for each searcher.
That’s why search behavior is shifting. On Google, people type keywords. In AI tools, they describe their exact situation.
👉 On Google: “Best AI voice generator.”
👉 On ChatGPT: “Best AI voice tool for an American female podcaster on a $10 budget who needs natural-sounding narration.”
See the difference? One is generic. The other is buying intent on steroids.
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: Revisit your product listicles, case studies, use cases—every asset. Enrich them with details on buyer segments, pricing, integrations, industry fit, ease of use, reviews, and more. The more context you provide, the more confidently AI engines will recommend your SaaS when buyers ask for it.
Play #5 – Why Should SaaS CMOs Shift from Backlinks to Backlinks Plus Brand Mentions
For years, backlinks were the oxygen of SEO. But AI engines don’t weigh them the same way. They prioritize brand mentions across Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, newsletters, YouTube, and even Wikipedia.
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: For backlinks, create content that attracts organic linking, and for mentions, build authority. And how do you build that authority? That’s a discussion we shall have soon.
| Word of Caution – While brand mentions are important for AI visibility, we recommend not planting mentions on Reddit. Here is why – Reddit users are highly skeptical of promotional content. Even a hint of astroturfing gets flagged, downvoted, or worse, immortalized in threads that damage your brand. You also don’t control the narrative—once your product is in a Reddit thread, the conversation belongs to the community, not you. And unlike product-centric content on your own site, Reddit mentions don’t provide AI with the depth it needs to understand your solution fully. 👉 Use Reddit as a listening post for buyer pain points, not as a channel to force mentions. Build authority on your own site, then let authentic mentions happen organically. |
ElevenLabs reached its first $100M ARR in 20 months, and its second $100M ARR in ten months. And it’s not just about their tech; their marketing played a crucial role in this growth. Check out the ElevenLabs Marketing Teardown we recently did.
Play #6 – Why Should SaaS CMOs Stop Ignoring “Unsexy” Content
24% of AI-traffic pages weren’t ranking in Google at all. These were not sexy thought-leadership blogs. Those were:
- Product tour pages
- Helpdesk articles
- Tool FAQ pages
- Terminology/definition pages
AI engines can even surface content that is beyond the first page of Google if they find it useful.
👉 Tip for SaaS CMOs: Don’t just optimize blogs. Invest in foundational SaaS content—copy that explains, FAQs that guide, docs, and tutorials that teach.
Hope you found these plays useful. Now, check out what Concurate is all about.
Concurate – It’s Not Google or AI, It’s for Content that Brings Business
At Concurate, we don’t chase traffic for vanity. We craft product-centric content that converts—whether surfaced by Google or AI engines.
The winners won’t be those producing the most content, but those publishing content that AI and humans can’t ignore: context-rich, buyer-driven, and tied directly to revenue outcomes.
Book a discovery call with us today!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are the Best SaaS Marketing Agencies?
The best agencies focus on ROI, not just traffic. Look for partners who build product-driven, content that converts into leads and sales like Concurate.
- How to Measure SaaS Content Marketing?
Track business outcomes: inbound leads, demo requests, signups, sold subscriptions—not just impressions or clicks.
- What to Look for When Hiring a SaaS Marketing Agency?
Prioritize agencies that understand SaaS buyer journeys, specialize in high-buying-intent content, and tie deliverables to measurable business impact. Check out our guide on hiring a SaaS content marketing agency.
- How to Create LLMs.txt for a SaaS Website?
List your most valuable pages—SaaS listicles, use cases, product pages, case studies, FAQs—in a simple Markdown file. Place it in your site’s root directory to guide AI engines toward citing the right content. Check out the step-by-step tutorial for creating llms.txt.
- How is Generative AI Changing B2B SaaS Marketing?
AI is shifting discovery from keywords to context. Winning SaaS brands publish content that answers real buyer questions, earns mentions across trusted sources, and proves relevance in AI recommendations.
