AI Search vs SEO: How to Get Found in AI Engines | Deepak Gupta

AI Search vs SEO: How to Get Found in AI Engines | Deepak Gupta AI search optimization is redefining how customers discover software, but is traditional SEO really dead? In this episode of The Ascend Podcast, Deepak Gupta (Co-Founder & CEO of Gracker AI and former LoginRadius co-founder) breaks down how AI engines like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, and Google Gemini select, cite, and recommend vendors. Learn how to bridge the gap between traditional organic search and the new layer of generative visibility. In this deep dive, you will learn: • Why SEO remains the core foundation beneath Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). • How LLMs choose which B2B software vendors to recommend and the role of brand trust scores. • Why enterprise buyers search differently across Copilot and Gemini versus consumer LLMs. • How Gracker AI tracks AI search visibility and reverse-engineers multi-LLM citation patterns. • What agentic commerce means for the future of autonomous B2B purchasing and customer discovery. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - The Complexity of Multi-LLM Search vs Traditional SEO 00:28 - Welcome to The Ascend Podcast & Meet Deepak Gupta 01:11 - Scaling LoginRadius to 1 Billion Users & Lessons Learned 03:32 - The Go-to-Market Challenge for Technical Founders 04:14 - Organic Growth Playbook & Product-Led Growth (PLG) 05:00 - Why Deepak Founded Gracker AI 06:18 - Cybersecurity Niche & Expanding to Developer Tools 08:06 - How B2B Brands Get Found Across 10+ AI Engines 10:16 - Is SEO Dead? The New AI Visibility Layer Explained 11:23 - How AI Assistants Compare and Recommend Products 13:19 - Why Optimizing for Multiple LLMs Is Challenging 15:00 - Enterprise Search Behavior: Copilot & Gemini vs ChatGPT 16:42 - Reverse-Engineering AI Ranking Algorithms & Citation Sources 20:06 - Market Consolidation: M&A Moves from Adobe, HubSpot & Cloudflare 21:49 - Gracker AI Roadmap & Optimizing for AI Coding Assistants 23:55 - How Long Does AI Optimization Take to Show Measurable ROI? 25:04 - Tracking AI Visibility Scores & Monitoring Competitor Shifts 28:45 - Agentic Commerce: How AI Agents Will Autonomously Buy Software 31:06 - Where to Connect with Deepak Gupta & Final Thoughts CONNECT WITH DEEPAK GUPTA & GRACKER AI: • Platform: https://gracker.ai/ • Personal Website & Blog: https://guptadeepak.com/ • Follow Deepak on X: https://x.com/dip_ak • Connect on LinkedIn: https://guptadeepak.com/contact/ • Contact Email: deepak@gracker.ai ABOUT THE HOST & THE ASCEND PODCAST: • Hosted by Geetanjali Gera (Geet), Founder & CEO of AI Ascend Partners • AI Ascend Partners: https://www.aiascendpartners.com/ • Subscribe to The Ascend Podcast:    / @ai-ascendpartners   • Work with AI Ascend Partners: geet@aiascendpartners.com #AISearch #AEO #GEO