Navigating the AI Shift: What Marketers Need to Know Now


Search is Shifting, and so should your strategy

Let’s be honest: There’s no shortage of hype around AI in marketing. From flashy generative tools to predictive platforms promising game-changing results, it’s easy to get lost in the noise.

But here’s the real conversation: AI is fundamentally reshaping how search, content, and attribution work. And marketers need to start thinking about what that means for their strategy, not just their tech stack.

This isn’t about chasing tools. It’s about understanding the tectonic shifts happening underneath how customers find, evaluate, and engage with brands.

1. Search is Shifting Beneath Us

Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) and platforms like Gemini are rewriting the rules of how users experience search. Instead of surfacing ranked links, AI-generated summaries are becoming the first (and sometimes only) interaction.

That means:

  • Fewer clicks to your site

  • Less visibility for organic results

  • Higher competition for paid placements

And as more users turn to conversational AI tools for research (e.g., ChatGPT, Perplexity), traditional search behavior continues to fragment. If your content isn’t optimized to serve this new environment, you’re not just falling behind, you may not be seen at all.

 

2. Paid Media Isn’t Plug-and-Play Anymore

Cost-per-click is up. Conversion rates are down. And AI-driven interfaces are limiting how much control you actually have over targeting and bidding.

Meanwhile, signal loss (thanks to cookie deprecation and privacy shifts) is making attribution murky. Marketers are flying blind more often, relying on modeled data and assumptions.

This is forcing a shift from automation-heavy media buying to smarter, more strategic orchestration:

  • Rethinking your media mix

  • Re-evaluating what “success” looks like

  • Investing in brand-building as a long-term hedge

 

3. Strategy Now Matters More Than Ever

Anyone can generate content with AI. What matters now is what you say, how you say it, and whether it actually connects.

AI can accelerate execution. But it can’t replace:

  • Strategic positioning

  • Deep audience insight

  • Brand consistency across touchpoints

The marketers who win in this new era will be those who zoom out; who define the big picture first, then use AI to scale with purpose.

What to Do Right Now:

  • Audit your content: Is it truly differentiated, or could it have been written by anyone?

  • Reevaluate your channel mix: Are you over-indexed in paid channels that are losing efficiency?

  • Double down on brand: If AI levels the execution playing field, brand becomes your moat.

The bottom line? AI isn’t the strategy. It’s a set of tools.

Your job is to lead with clarity. Use this moment to reset your marketing approach before the landscape shifts further.

→ For a deeper dive, read our full Perspective: The Real Shift in Marketing: Adapting Strategy for the AI Era

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Katie Rogers