Having a crisis about our content strategy.
The old model (what we’ve been doing):
This works. We generate ~500 leads/month from gated content.
The new reality (what I’m learning about AI):
The dilemma: If I ungate everything, I might get AI visibility but lose measurable leads. If I keep everything gated, I keep leads but become invisible in AI search.
My questions:
The stakes feel high: Our marketing is measured by MQLs. If I tank lead numbers for theoretical AI visibility, I’m in trouble.
But if I ignore AI visibility and competitors capture that channel, we lose long-term.
What would you do?
This is THE strategic question of 2026. Here’s the framework we use:
The Three-Layer Gating Model:
| Layer | Content Type | Gate Status | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation | FAQs, pricing, about, blog posts | Always ungated | Build trust, AI visibility |
| Teaser | Report summaries, key findings | Ungated | Earn AI citations, create interest |
| Premium | Full reports, templates, tools | Gated | Capture qualified leads |
The key insight: AI visibility and lead gen aren’t opposites - they’re a funnel.
How it works:
Our results after implementing this:
We get fewer leads, but the leads we get are better informed and convert higher. Net positive.
This mirrors our experience exactly.
The uncomfortable truth about lead counting:
Not all leads are equal. We used to celebrate “500 leads from gated ebook!”
Then we tracked conversion rates:
The math: 500 ebook leads × 0.8% = 4 opportunities 200 AI-driven leads × 3.1% = 6 opportunities
Fewer leads, more pipeline.
How we track AI-attributed leads:
What I tell leadership: “We’re trading lead quantity for lead quality. Here’s the pipeline impact.”
That reframes the conversation from “where are my MQLs” to “where is my revenue.”
Let me explain the TECHNICAL reality of gating:
What AI crawlers can and cannot see:
| Element | AI Can See? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Content behind login | No | Requires authentication |
| Content behind form | No | Requires action |
| PDF on same URL as form | Often no | Depends on implementation |
| PDF linked directly | Yes | If directly crawlable |
| Toggle/accordion (closed) | No | Not in initial HTML |
| Tab content (inactive) | Usually no | Depends on implementation |
| Modal-hidden content | No | Requires interaction |
| Infinite scroll | Partial | Only what’s initially loaded |
The “soft gate” trap: Even if you don’t have a form, you might have invisible content:
AI crawlers don’t click. They render initial HTML and move on.
Quick test:
The fix: Always have key takeaways, summaries, and important content visible by default. Expandable content is fine for UX, but critical content should be exposed.
Here’s exactly how we implement hybrid gating:
Example: Research Report
Ungated (AI can see):
Gated (requires form):
The results:
The 70/30 principle: Give away 70% of the value for visibility. Gate the 30% that serious buyers want.
What we ungate:
What we gate:
People who just want information get it (and we get AI visibility). People who want to act fill out forms.
Since you asked about proving ROI to leadership, here’s my playbook:
Metrics that matter to leadership:
Old metric: MQLs generated New metric: Pipeline influenced by AI visibility
How I present it:
Slide 1: The shift is happening
Slide 2: Our visibility gap
Slide 3: The business case
Slide 4: The proposal
Slide 5: Risk mitigation
The key: Don’t ask to ungate everything at once. Ask for a pilot. Let the data prove the case.
I was in your exact position 8 months ago. Here’s my journey:
My starting point:
Month 1-2: The pilot
Month 3-4: First signals
Month 5-6: The shift
Month 7-8: The proof
The realization: Gating wasn’t generating demand. It was just capturing demand that already existed. Ungating actually generates demand through AI visibility.
Worth the scary transition.
If you’re worried about losing lead capture, here are alternatives that don’t require gating:
Non-gate lead capture:
What we found: These alternative captures often have HIGHER intent than ebook downloads.
Someone who says “email me when this changes” is more interested than someone grabbing a PDF they’ll never read.
The quality signal: If someone won’t sign up for ongoing value but will fill a form to get a PDF once… are they really a lead or just hoarding content?
Rethink what “lead” means in the AI era.
Publisher perspective on paywalls vs. AI:
Our reality: Paywalls are how we monetize. Can’t just ungate everything.
What we do:
AI impact:
The licensing question: Some publishers are negotiating AI licensing deals. OpenAI, Google paying for content access. That’s the enterprise play.
For B2B marketers: You have more flexibility than publishers. You’re not selling content - you’re selling products. The content exists to drive awareness and trust.
My advice: Unless content sales ARE your business model, ungate more than you’re comfortable with. Your product sales will offset the lost “lead” value.
Here’s how to actually measure the gating experiment:
Before you change anything:
The test: Select 3-5 comparable content pieces
What to track:
| Metric | Ungated | Gated (Control) |
|---|---|---|
| AI citations | X | Y |
| Page visits | X | Y |
| Form fills | N/A | Y |
| Branded search lift | X | Y |
| Pipeline influenced | X | Y |
The analysis: Calculate total pipeline value per content piece. Include:
What we found: Our ungated content generated 2.3x the total value when we included AI visibility effects. The form fills weren’t worth what we thought.
This thread gave me the framework I needed. Here’s my plan:
The immediate change (this week):
Phase 1 pilot (next 30 days):
Phase 2 (days 31-90):
Phase 3 (day 91+):
How I’ll pitch it: “We’re not eliminating lead capture. We’re testing whether visibility-first content generates more qualified pipeline than form-first content.”
The metrics I’ll track:
My mindset shift: Stop measuring content by leads generated. Start measuring content by demand generated. Leads are just one manifestation of demand.
Thanks everyone. This is executable now.
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