AI algorithms are changing how customers find businesses online and as a result, how they make buying decisions. According to recent data from SparkToro, 69.5% of Google searches in the UK are now zero-click. This means more than two-thirds of online queries are resolved directly on the search results page or within AI summaries, without a user ever visiting a brand’s website.
While adapting to search engine updates is familiar territory for marketing leaders, understanding the true impact of AI search on the sales funnel can be a more daunting challenge at board level. Particularly if the metrics for what “good” looks like are different.
For instance, even if traditional website traffic is down, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t performing or that your brand isn’t visible to its target audience. Instead, it signals the online customer journey is changing and how your brand strategy must also adapt to remain competitive.
We recently hosted an exclusive session for marketing leaders on “Lead generation in AI search”, led by digital agency Tank. Discover our key takeaways for maintaining online visibility.
Here, we explore how organisations are investing in AI internally and why high-quality lead generation is still best led by your marketing function.
AI’s impact on the sales funnel and ROI
According to the Google AI Search Shift report, website traffic growth in the UK has slowed by a staggering 86% since the introduction of Google’s AI-powered search. As a result, businesses may be experiencing disruption to their sales pipelines and AI search is on the agenda for C-suite leaders.
In a bid to stay competitive, many executives have rushed to adopt internal AI tools, often with mixed results. While research by Studio Graphene shows that 78% of UK businesses now use AI (rising to 85% in mid-sized organisations), less than a third (31%) have seen a positive financial ROI and 18% report that it failed to deliver expected benefits.
The root of this disconnect often isn’t the technology, but a lack of strategy. In fact, 59% of businesses admit they haven’t clearly defined what “success” looks like for their AI implementations.
Just like any major investment, purchasing software requires clear, mutually agreed KPIs. Whether the goal is boosting speed, efficiency, reporting or something else, without defining the exact problem AI is meant to solve, measuring ROI becomes more challenging. Consequently, promising tools risk being written off as expensive failures because the intended outcomes haven’t been agreed in advance.
How marketing teams are adapting to AI search
Navigating the new AI search guidelines is an ongoing marketing responsibility. According to recent data from the State of B2B Marketing survey, nearly 70% (69.5%) of marketers are already adapting their lead generation tactics, with most pivoting toward higher-engagement content.
While overall website traffic may be on the decline as AI answers user queries directly, the nature of the traffic that does reach your site is fundamentally different. Users coming from LLMs have already completed their initial top-of-funnel (TOFU) research. This means by the time they arrive on your website, they are significantly further along in their buying or decision-making journey.
For marketers, this refocuses immediate attention on two main priorities:
- Brand visibility: ensuring AI platforms accurately cite and recommend your brand (over competitors) during a user’s research phase
- On-site validation: assuring high-intent visitors quickly find proof of value and have a clear, direct path to convert.
The good news for businesses is that most internal teams and agencies already hold the core skills needed to handle this transition. These modern SEO tactics aren’t about discarding traditional search strategies, but about expanding them. A survey by SEMrush found that 85% of marketers have adjusted their approach to search because of AI, with over half viewing it simply as an expansion of SEO.
The broader market is also preparing to invest in this expansion. Forrester’s global study reports that 90% of B2B marketing leaders expect budget increases in 2027, with technology taking the largest share. However, as Sharyn Leaver, Chief Research Officer at Forrester, noted:
“The organisations that outperform won’t be those that spend the most on AI. They’ll be the ones that invest in the foundations that make AI effective: trusted data, organisational readiness, and the ability to continuously adapt.”
Updating metrics to achieve executive alignment
If an organisation’s online success is solely evaluated using traditional metrics such as total website visits, misunderstandings could occur. As previously discussed, while AI search may reduce overall web volume, the visitors who do reach your site carry much higher conversion intent.
Re-educating internal stakeholders on how this customer journey has evolved is key to securing board-level alignment. To prevent reactive spending, organisations should consider reframing their internal reporting:
- Attach value to AI search answers & lead intent over traffic volume. View AI citations as positive brand exposure rather than lost website traffic
- Measure lead quality from AI search referrals versus other sources, such as organic search, social media, email, etc.
- Define mutual goals before buying tech. Agree on the specific business problem an AI tool will solve and how success will be measured.
By establishing shared KPIs at board level, leadership can move past trial-and-error spending and provide marketing teams with clearer targets.
Investing in the right digital skills
Adapting to AI search has become a strategic priority for business leaders to maintain market share. The primary challenge for most organisations isn’t a lack of technical capability; it’s providing their marketing function with the executive backing and resources to tackle evolving algorithms head-on.
Building an AI-ready brand requires a deliberate blend of expertise. Whether you need an interim specialist to fill an immediate skill gap or a senior leader to steer your overall strategy, we connect organisations with skilled professionals, from media and SEO executives to digital heads. Reach out to our Marketing Recruitment Manager, James Robinson, to discuss team structure and realistic salary benchmarking.
