15th October 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how we approach marketing. During our recent FPE Marketing Forum, Sarah Aird-Mash, a leader in digital marketing with experience at companies like eBay and Google, discussed key trends shaping this AI revolution. Below are the key takeaways from the session and what businesses need to know to stay competitive in this new environment.
Key Trends in AI Marketing
As users become increasingly privacy-conscious, the decline of cookie tracking is transforming digital marketing. By 2026, it is predicted that 26% of the population will prefer answer engines over traditional search engines. This shift complicates lead generation for marketers, who must now develop new strategies to reach their audiences without relying on cookie-based tracking.
Answer engines offer a significant evolution in how users seek information, providing curated answers instead of simple lists of links. While tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are currently primarily used for content creation, they represent an emerging trend that marketers should embrace as an answer engine. Adapting to this change means understanding user intent and context, allowing businesses to meet specific needs and questions effectively.
Marketers must develop content strategies that leverage the capabilities of answer engines to remain relevant in this new landscape. However, as AI tools automate content generation, the emotional connections forged by strong brand identities will become even more critical for engagement and trust.
Impact on Marketing: From SEO to AEO
As AI redefines search, there is a shift from Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO), emphasising how marketers must now optimise for AI-driven answer engines. This shift changes how businesses should think about creating and structuring content.
Answer engines go beyond keyword-based search, instead responding to contextual questions. This requires a deeper focus on creating rich, structured content that answers users' specific needs and ensuring websites are optimised for zero-click results. Featured snippets, voice search, and user intent will become increasingly critical for businesses looking to thrive in this new landscape.
Who’s Winning the AEO Race?
Certain industries are ahead of the curve in leveraging AEO and reaping the benefits. These sectors, which include Heathcare, Finance, Tech, Retail and Commerce and Travel and Hospitality leading the pack, are seeing success largely because they have already developed strong content frameworks that cater to the needs of answer engines.
These sectors excel, by default, as they are already providing clear, concise, and authoritative content, often framed as FAQs or how-to guides. As more businesses begin to adopt AEO strategies, the competition will intensify, but there’s still time for other industries to catch up.
The Resurgence of Brand Marketing in the AI Era
While AI tools can automate much of the content generation process, they cannot replace the emotional connections that strong brands create with consumers. Going forward, brand identity and authority are becoming even more critical in the AI-driven landscape.
AI and AEO are powerful, but brands need to stand out in more human ways too. Building emotional connections with customers and maintaining a consistent brand voice is vital to gaining trust and remaining top of mind in an increasingly automated world.
Preparing for the Future
Marketers must invest in technology and strategies that will allow them to compete in this AI-driven world. Key actions businesses should take to remain competitive and prepare for the future of marketing are:
- Investment in AI and machine learning
- Focus on structured data
- SEO to AEO
- Embrace continuous learning
- Strengthen brand identity and values
Investing in AI tools is crucial, but so is ensuring your data is structured for machines to interpret it easily. Continuous learning and adapting to new AI trends will be essential as the marketing landscape evolves. Moreover, businesses must consistently reinforce their brand identity to remain competitive, even as AI takes over more tasks.
Final Thoughts
The AI revolution in marketing is well underway, but it’s just the beginning! As the use of answer engines grows and agentic web technologies emerge, businesses must shift from traditional SEO tactics to more sophisticated AEO approaches. At the same time, the resurgence of brand marketing will play a pivotal role in building customer trust and engagement in a world increasingly shaped by AI.
Marketers who embrace AI early, adapt their content strategies, and stay focused on brand identity will be well-positioned for success in the years to come.