The growth of AI search tools, chat bots and generative engines is changing the way we use the internet – fast! According to Ofcom, 54% of UK adults now state that they use AI tools (April 2026).

As a result, an increasing number of online interactions no longer lead to clicks to websites – so-called ‘zero-click’ searches – and with that comes potential challenges to traditional digital marketing tactics.

So, with elements of contemporary digital marketing perhaps no longer delivering the same return, are other forms of marketing proving more effective?

We’ve taken a look at what digital marketing is, why AI is affecting it and some of the wider tactics which are helping B2B organisations maintain results…

Digital marketing or non-digital marketing?

Digital marketing initially referred to everything related to boosting awareness or engagement with your business via the internet – like SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), PPC (Pay Per Click or Google Ads), website development and social media.

The terms ‘non-digital’, ‘offline’, ‘creative’ or ‘traditional’ marketing are variously used to refer to everything else – like public relations, advertising campaigns, trade events and direct marketing etc.

However, the lines between the two have become very blurred!

Almost all offline marketing has a digital element. For example, networking groups, trade publications and industry events almost always have an online presence as well as a physical one.

As such, digital marketing has increasingly become synonymous with ‘search marketing’; the process of gaining online traffic and visibility through both paid and organic efforts.

This includes SEO to organically improve a website’s appearance in search results and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) such as PPC which uses keyword-targeted advertising to drive interaction.

However, the rise of AI-powered internet search tools (so called ‘generative engines) is changing how businesses research products, evaluate solutions and make purchasing decisions – which is impacting the role of digital marketing.

Is AI affecting the B2B digital marketing mix?

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Perplexity – as well as the AI summaries provided by traditional search engines like Google and Bing – are increasingly becoming the first stop for many businesses seeking information.

Where traditional search engines act as a directory, providing a list of links to websites which help satisfy the search term, AI tools provide a written summary which seeks to answer the query.

The resulting decline in clicks from online searches is a challenge for digital marketing. However, the effectiveness of search marketing for B2B products and services has itself always come with caveats.

Unlike consumer products and services, the link between searching online and buying is less direct for most B2B brands. With a longer and more rational buying process, familiarity and trust are of greater importance.

It can thus be harder to generate immediate actions from PPC and SEO – especially if the number of people searching for what you deliver is relatively low.

With AI now making this even more apparent, marketing methods which build brand awareness and engagement (both online and off) are proving even more effective.

The most successful of these, include…

1. Direct marketing

In consumer marketing (business-to-consumer or B2C), the number of potential customers for a product can be in the millions.

For most companies who operate business-to-business (B2B), those who are likely to become their customers are more likely to number in just the thousands or even hundreds. However, they are also often easier to identify.

As such, more direct marketing can be highly effective.

This can still take the form of digital marketing, such as social media, email marketing and advertising on specific trade websites and apps.

Or it can take the form of non-digital marketing, with networking, events, business emails, telephone calls and mailers amongst the most effective tactics.

2. Content marketing

Trust and familiarity are key in B2B marketing. Businesses choose the suppliers they feel they can depend on to deliver what they need.

One of the prime ways to develop trust and familiarity is with content.

Stradling both digital and creative marketing; content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a specific audience.

Content can deliver a number of benefits and take various (digital and non-digital) forms:

• Gaining exposure on social media
• Gaining exposure in trade press and websites
• Boosting a websites ability to serve and convert customers
• Increasing belief in a supplier’s skills and trustworthiness
• Boosting a brands appearance in traditional search results
• Helping brands to feature in AI search results
• Nurturing leads by including content in email campaigns, webinars and events

Ironically, content marketing is one of the biggest components of SEO – and now GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation, aka SEO for AI) too:

• SEO content helps boost your websites relevance so it attracts those still browsing directly on Google, Bing and other search engines
• GEO (or AI-optimised) content provides structured answers that AI can reference in generative search results

As such, content marketing can be engineered to deliver many results – all contributing to the trust and familiarity which are key to B2B sales.

3. Trade events and media

Birds of a feather flock together – and that is often true in key industries like retail, construction, manufacturing or technology!

Whilst the pandemic paused most physical trade events, many have subsequently come back bigger and better with larger attendance and greater visibility. Though events vary in size and quality, they can provide an unrivalled opportunity to physically rub shoulders with customers and contacts.

Perhaps buoyed by the lack of physical events during the pandemic, trade websites have also seen growth in many sectors. As have physical trade magazines, with many reporting increased distribution and readership.

With search marketing delivering diminishing returns, trade events and media are experiencing a renaissance and delivering results for many B2B organisations.

Introducing Generative Engine Optimisation!

As touched on, with a growing number of internet searches now being conducted using AI tools, a new marketing discipline has emerged – Generative Engine Optimisation or GEO.

AI tools (i.e. generative engines) summarise information from across the internet and present it in a concise answer, typically citing any references or sources.

This means:

• Buyers are less likely to click through to websites if AI can provide the information they need
• Not appearing in AI search results risks becoming less visible to potential customers
• Traffic to your website could decline, even if interest in your solution rises

GEO is highly dependent on publishing website content which seeks to answer the questions your potential customers may ask.

AI generative engines cite sources that they believe are concise, accurate and reputable. For B2B companies, this means:

• Thought leadership is important – such as publishing case studies, whitepapers and explainers
• Brand reputation matters – with PR mentions, industry awards and expert recognition making AI more likely to cite your company
• Consistency matters – as frequent, high-quality content builds trust signals that AI values

As results diminish from traditional search marketing, it is the aforementioned tactics of content, public relations and industry relationship-building which can also help boost your appearance in AI search.

With AI search on the rise, what is the best B2B marketing strategy?

As the volume of clicks from traditional search engines continues to decline, traditional digital marketing (i.e. search marketing) may struggle.

However, AI search provides many new opportunities and – despite AI’s ability to provide instant information – B2B buying decisions will still require human judgment, trust and relationship building.

Therefore, channels like direct marketing, content marketing, events and account-based marketing (ABM) remain critical – if not more so!

At Full Mix Marketing, we’re a full service B2B marketing agency, specialising in delivering the full mix of strategic, digital and creative marketing for companies and organisations who provide products or services business-to-business (B2B).

We’re helping many clients use marketing to capitalise on the changing behaviours and opportunities which AI is creating – with a smart mix of digital and non-digital marketing which delivers the greatest results.

More information on how we can help you, click here