The Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution is not just changing the game. She is changing the board. In digital marketing, what was previously measured in campaigns and clicks is now translated into relevance, semantics, and digital credibility.
The acronym SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which for a long time sounded technical and distant, has gained new life with AI. Now, being in the search results is not enough. You need to be the answer. And the response must be recognized as reliable even before the first contact with the client.
More than half of the searches no longer generate clicks. We live in the era ofZero-Click Search, in which highlighted summaries and answer boxes deliver everything directly on Google. If your content doesn't appear there, maybe it doesn't even exist for the decision-maker.
The purchase journey has also changed course. Research shows that 70% of B2B buyers arrive at the table already decided. And 80% navigate the research paths alone before speaking with someone from sales. The first impression now comes from an algorithm, not a salesperson.
In this new context, the right question is not "how to sell more?", but "how to be found with authority by those who are already preparing to buy"?
The content has ceased to be just informative and has become strategic. AI recognizes who truly teaches and penalizes those who just pile up keywords. And this has already been more than proven. In an analysis conducted by Kevin Indig, former SEO of Shopify and G2, more than 8,000 AI-generated responses were evaluated.
The result clearly shows the most cited sources by the machines:
- Wikipedia: 47%
- NYT, BBC, Reuters: 35%
- Academic publications: 12%
- Blogs and trusted experts: 6%
In other words, to be seen and cited by an AI, it is necessary to build real authority in reputable environments.
In B2B marketing, this translates into five essential pillars:
- E-E-A-T, which represents Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Without that, not even algorithms take you seriously.
- Entities, since AI and search engines now understand concepts and not just words. Your brand needs to be connected to strategic topics such as "AI," "automation," or "analytics."
- Branding and SEO, which form an obligatory pairing. Who is remembered is sought after. Who is sought, is found.
- Technical infrastructure, still essential. Structured data, a lightweight site, and indexed content make all the difference.
- Topic Clusters, because instead of betting on standalone texts, it's better to create a content ecosystem. A strong core with connected subtopics builds semantic authority.
In the end, ranking is not just about appearing. It is to influence the purchase decision before the first human contact.
AI forces us to rethink what digital presence is. It's no longer about pushing ads. It's about being the source that the algorithm recognizes and that the buyer trusts.
In B2B marketing, being digitally invisible is the same as being irrelevant. And in this new game, playing well is not enough. It is necessary to be noticed by machines and minds.
