Go Slow to Grow Fast

Beyond Search: Winning in the Answer Engine Era with Aileen Allen & Pete Blackshaw

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Large language models have taken over the world of search and transformed how products are discovered, driving more than 5 billion visits per month with 65% of users being open to purchasing based on AI recommendations. Pete Blackshaw, Co-Founder and CEO of BrandRank, refers to GenAI LLMs as “answer engines,” because consumers aren’t afraid to turn to these models for answers to their most complex inquiries about products, companies, and even the professionals behind them. Is your company discoverable in the new era of search, or will AI uncover insights you aren’t prepared for? This episode was originally hosted as a Fireside Chat at CXO Summit 2025, moderated by Aileen Allen from Mercury.

Key Insights & Timestamps:

  • [00:00]: Podcast begins
  • [05:53] Answer Engines & the New Frontier: Tapping the $250B online search market
  • [15:38] Visibility, Vulnerability, Readability: Is your company ready for the AI takeover?
  • [20:36] How LLMs Change Consumer Perspectives: Rethinking search engine optimization
  • [26:02] BrandRank’s Sales Cycle: How Pete’s team grows their client base
  • [35:06] When Will AI Be Default? Predicting the future of online searches
  • [42:18] Audience Q&A: Pete talks AI agents, content formatting, & attributions

    • Key Takeaways:

    • Consumers Turn to AI for Answers: Whether you’re only exposed to AI search results through Google integrations or you’re a ChatGPT inquiry master, your online searching habits are already impacted by LLMs. Pete explains that consumers have already seen the potential of this technology to give them in-depth, all-encompassing answers to complicated questions– and they’re trusting AI to tell them about what they want, or even need, to buy.
    • Visibility, Vulnerability, Readability: When BrandRank evaluates and audits a company’s readiness for AI-driven search, it depends on 3 key categories. For visibility, Pete wants to know if companies are on an LLMs radar at all when performing an inquiry. Vulnerability is about understanding how answer engines can understand even the worst aspects of your business. Readability is about your content and if you’re putting enough out there for AI to work with.
    • Optimize Your Content for LLMs: Beyond the 3 key aspects BrandRank uses for evaluation, Pete and his time try to recommend actionable and realistic steps for companies to take without compromising organic search engine optimization. Rethinking and restructuring your content for AI-driven engines should still value transparency and thoroughness, especially considering how many sources that LLMs can pull from when crafting summaries for users.

      • Guest Spotlight:

      Pete Blackshaw

      Pete Blackshaw is Co-founder and CEO of BrandRank.AI, a fast growing start-up on a mission to help brands measure, protect, and grow trust through the power of AI-driven search and discovery, especially in high-consequence areas such as sustainability, product performance, data usage and supply chain.

      He is author of a book by Doubleday entitled “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3000: Running a Business in Today’s Consumer-Driven World”. He’s a 2016 Mediapost "Online All Star" recipient, a 2014 inductee of the World of Mouth Marketing Hall of Fame, and a 2010 Grand Prize winner of the “Great Minds” award from the Advertising Research Foundation.

      Aileen Allen

      Operator turned Investor. Aileen Allen invests in ambitious B2B SaaS founders, most of whom are located outside of the coastal hubs. Her current focus is on dev tools, infrastructure, and workplace productivity solutions. She leverages 15+ years of GTM experience to help portfolio companies achieve their growth objectives.

      Resources Mentioned:

      Mercury | mercuryfund.com, BrandRank.AI | brandrank.ai, CXO Summit 2025

      For More Information:

      Produced by Speakerbox Media. For more episodes, visit Mercuryfund.com/content.

      Stay Connected:

      • Aileen Allen on LinkedIn
      • Pete Blackshaw on LinkedIn

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        Go Slow to Grow FastBy Mercury Fund