Enterprise marketers boost AI search spending despite measurement gaps

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Global enterprise marketing executives are significantly increasing investments in AI search despite widespread difficulties in measuring its impact and integrating it with existing SEO strategies, according to a recent report.

The analysis, based on a survey of 300 enterprise marketers, found that AI search, which barely existed in early 2023, now accounts for an average of 35 percent of all website traffic, indicating its rapid ascent in digital marketing.

Sixty-five percent of enterprise executives are allocating at least 25 percent of their marketing budget to AI initiatives, with 28 percent dedicating more than half of their budget, the report stated.

Despite this substantial investment, two-thirds of marketers reported challenges with basic measurement, and fewer than one in five indicated they faced no measurement hurdles, according to the findings.

Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is still projected to grow, with its share of web traffic expected to increase by 8 points from 45 percent in 2025 to 53 percent in 2026. This suggests AI search is an additive channel rather than a replacement for traditional SEO, the report by Branch indicated.

Marketers face difficulties attributing outcomes due to Google‘s intentional blurring of the lines between traditional search results, AI Overviews, and AI Mode, making it hard to distinguish traffic sources, Branch reported.

AI search can also create conflicts with established SEO strategies. Large Language Models (LLMs), such as those powering ChatGPT, may become confused by contradictory signals from web pages optimized for opposing user intents, the report explained.

The report highlighted that while confidence in measuring AI outcomes is high among executives, the practical challenges of implementation and attribution remain significant obstacles for many.

Enterprise marketers are adapting to a complex digital environment where new AI-driven search methods are quickly gaining traction, requiring them to adapt their strategies and allocate resources without clear measurement frameworks.

Source: Search Engine Journal