Nowadays, searching is not just tapping into Google anymore. It is no longer a singular drive that answers all queries. If not, one search leads to another, one answer sparks the next question, and queries, in general, cannot be contained in one medium. Marketers know this.
This is why bringing a brand across all channels is a good strategy. Not only does this provide brand visibility, but it also promotes brand presence, relevance, and consistency.
In this latest MARKETECH APAC’s What’s NEXT in Marketing interview with Greenpark’s Head of Omnichannel Search & Insights, Iman Putra, the spotlight turns to how omnichannel search can shape strategies toward true search success.
Beyond single clicks
In optimising omnichannel strategies, Iman shared their practice in Greenpark: to view omnichannel search as about becoming visible on the right categories and the right platforms.
“We use search data as a representation of demand — demand for products, demand for information. Just like in traditional SEO, the goal is to create content that answers people’s day-to-day pain points and struggles,” Iman shared.
The only difference, he stated, is that the present day now demands content to show up wherever discoverability opportunities happen, “Search isn’t just Google anymore, it’s also social media platforms, LLMs, and marketplaces. These are all places where people now go to discover brands.”
This, for Iman, outlines the importance of omnichannel search: “If you want to increase your digital presence to be discoverable, to engage and drive consideration, you need to understand which platforms your consumers use for your category in your market.”
This builds a scenario where the question of omnichannel search is not just focused on the trouble of where, but rather on how these search strategies could be done efficiently.
“I wouldn’t dismiss traditional KPIs. Metrics like click-throughs or bounce rates are still important, depending on what you’re trying to achieve and which phase your marketing is in,” stated Iman.
Hence, their personal lens on this slightly differs: Greenpark is less focused on isolated clicks and brings more importance to share visibility across platforms such as Google, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, LLMs, and marketplaces.
“That’s the bigger question: are we actually showing up where people are searching?” pondered Iman.
While traditional KPIs still play a role, the real measure, according to Iman, is visibility and relevance across the ‘entire discovery journey, not just a single touchpoint’.
Three core challenges in achieving omnichannel clarity
While omnichannel search offers generous brand presence, there is a thin line between utilising this advantage and straying from losing a unified search experience across channels.
From here, Iman identified three main challenges: knowing where and what people are searching for, measuring current share of visibility across platforms, and identifying the content types and formats within markets.
“These aren’t questions that can be answered by looking at a single dataset. You either need to invest significant time and resources experimenting, or you need a structured approach,” stated Iman.
In Greenpark’s case, they utilise omnichannel search audit, wherein the audit aims to provide clarity on the three main challenges Iman identified. Aside from these early obstacles, it cannot be denied that rising data privacy regulations are also worth noting.
“Our approach remains strong because it relies on aggregated, non-personal search data. Search data is particularly valuable because it doesn’t carry personally identifiable information. Instead, it’s made accessible in aggregated form through clickstream panels, platform APIs, and direct data sources from search and social platforms,” he explained.
Iman added that this allowed them to still comprehend what people are looking for; however, this hindered the company in acquiring granular demographics or user-specific details.
“The trade-off is worth it: the data is compliant, future-proof, and still a powerful representation of consumer demand signals across platforms,” added Iman.
Omnichannel strategies as a mindset
As the search landscape grows to be more fragmented and complex, it is important to highlight that omnichannel search should not just be deemed as a marketing strategy, but rather, a mindset—one that provides adaptability, more than availability, and consistency, beyond visibility.
“I hope to see more uncovering of omnichannel search strategies within LLM platforms. Right now, the data is limited, and the platforms are evolving at a rapid pace,” shared Iman.
He also expressed his aspirations for marketers to become more data-driven, “Using data that truly reflects the demand for their brand, product, or category, and making sure they show up on the platforms that matter most for their consumers. It will be fascinating to experiment and understand how brands can establish presence within these new environments.”
Drawing from these insights, it is safe to conclude that brands who prioritise omnichannel search are planting search success not just on the daily, but on what’s ahead. As the search won’t ever be any near over, so should brands in assuring that their presence, performance, and purpose remain seamlessly discoverable—wherever and however their audiences choose to look.
