The New Marketing Battlefield: Can AI Find Your Brand?
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
For years, brands have focused on improving their visibility on Google. Today, the way people search for information is changing. Increasingly, consumers are turning to ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to discover products, services and recommendations, rather than relying solely on traditional search engines.This shift is creating a new challenge for marketers. Ranking on the first page of Google is no longer enough. Brands must also ensure they are visible in the answers generated by Artificial Intelligence.The data highlights just how quickly this behaviour is evolving. According to recent research, 51% of B2B buyers now begin their purchasing journey using an AI chatbot, while referral traffic from AI platforms to retail websites has increased by 393% year-on-year.
But how does AI decide which brands to recommend?
Unlike traditional search engines, AI doesn't rely solely on keywords. Instead, it evaluates a brand's authority, credibility and overall online reputation. Research suggests that 93% of the sources cited by AI-generated answers come from third-party websites, including news publications, expert blogs, forums and trusted industry sources, rather than from a brand's own website.For businesses, this means marketing strategies need to evolve. Brands should regularly assess how AI platforms describe them, strengthen their online authority through credible third-party mentions, and consistently publish high-quality, up-to-date content that AI systems can trust and reference.Despite the rapid growth of AI-powered search, many organisations are still unprepared. While CMOs continue to rank brand building as their top priority, AI search remains significantly lower on the strategic agenda, leaving many businesses at risk of losing visibility in the next generation of search.
The question is no longer whether AI will change marketing. The real question is: can AI find your brand?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
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