Key Takeaways: How AI & Digital Marketing are Changing the Buyer Journey
TL;DR:
As marketers, we’re entering a new phase where AI and digital marketing are becoming inseparable. The changes we discussed in our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape webinar point to a clear set of priorities:
- AI is changing discovery. Buyers are using tools like ChatGPT instead of Google, reshaping how visibility works.
- Conversions matter most. Success now depends on optimising the traffic you already have, not chasing more.
- Data drives decisions. CRM integration and first-party data are essential for clear attribution.
- Paid and organic must align. Consistent messaging across channels builds trust and performance.
- Own your audience. Invest in relationships that bring people back, not just clicks that disappear.
The way people discover, compare, and commit to brands is changing faster than most marketers realise. In our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape series, we’ve been exploring what’s in, what’s out, and what’s next and one theme keeps surfacing: AI is quietly rewriting the rules of the research phase.
Where once a potential buyer would sift through Google results, today many start with tools like ChatGPT, asking for recommendations before ever reaching a search results page. That single shift has huge implications. It means fewer organic impressions, higher competition for clicks, and a greater need to make every visit count.
For marketers, that’s a call to refocus away from chasing traffic for traffic’s sake and toward optimising every interaction for clarity, relevance, and conversion. Because in 2026’s landscape, success won’t hinge on who ranks highest, but on who connects best.
The Research Phase Is Moving Beyond Google
For years, search marketing, both paid and organic, has revolved around one constant: Google. The research phase began and ended there. Users typed, compared, clicked, and refined.
This shift marks one of the clearest signs of how AI and digital marketing are intersecting. The research phase itself is no longer owned by search engines.
But as Sam Searle highlighted during our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape discussion, that change is already well underway.
“People are starting their searches in tools like ChatGPT,” said Sam Searle. “Instead of browsing three, five, or ten Google results, they’re asking questions directly, things like ‘What’s the best platform for B2B lead generation?’ or ‘Which SaaS analytics tools are worth it?’ These AI tools provide a shortlist, and then users visit just one or two sites to validate what they’ve read.”
That single behavioural shift has major implications. It means fewer early-stage touchpoints, tighter competition for attention, and a narrowing window to make a strong impression, whether through an ad, an organic snippet, or an AI-generated recommendation.
Why This Matters for Marketers
When discovery becomes decentralised, every click and impression carries more weight. Paid and organic efforts can no longer operate in isolation; they need to work together to convert limited opportunities into meaningful engagement.
That means:
- Every landing page must be clear, persuasive, and conversion-led.
- Every ad impression should deliver real value and continuity, not just visibility.
- And every organic visit must move users closer to action, not just awareness.
As AI tools filter, summarise, and personalise results, brands that invest in consistency between ad messaging, on-page experience, and content clarity will stand out. The research phase isn’t dying, it’s evolving.
The question is whether your strategy is evolving with it.
What you will learn in this post
Want to hear the full discussion?
This article is based on insights from our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape webinar series.
From Rankings to Conversions: A Strategic Shift
For years, digital success was measured by two metrics: where you ranked and how much traffic you attracted. The higher the position, the better the performance, or so it seemed.
But as Matthew Taylor pointed out during our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape conversation, that mindset is quickly becoming outdated.
“When SEO first took off, everyone was addicted to rankings,” said Matthew Taylor. “Then it became about traffic, as long as sessions were going up, people were happy. But the real shift now is towards conversion rates. You can’t just grow by adding more traffic anymore; you need to make the most of what you’ve got.”
It’s a simple but powerful truth.
Search volumes are plateauing, costs per click are rising, and algorithms are changing how results appear. This evolution in AI and digital marketing means success is no longer about who drives the most sessions, but who converts the attention they already earn.
At Common Ground, we’ve seen this play out across industries.
- SEO isn’t just about visibility; it’s about relevance and retention.
- PPC isn’t just about spend; it’s about conversion efficiency.
- And reporting shouldn’t stop at traffic; it should link activity directly to pipeline and revenue.
The future of performance marketing lies in this intersection: quality over quantity, intent over impressions, and conversions over clicks.
The CRM Connection: Tracking, Attribution, and Ownership
As conversions become the metric that matters most, the next challenge is proving where they came from. Attribution has always been a pain point for marketers, but in the age of AI, it’s getting even trickier.
During our 2026 Digital Marketing Landscape discussion, I touched on how B2B businesses have long struggled to connect marketing activity to real revenue:
“Historically, B2B businesses have found it difficult to track leads all the way through to revenue,” I said. “You can get them into a CRM, but joining the dots through the pipeline has always been a challenge. That’s something we’ve focused on driving activity that genuinely impacts the bottom line.”
Shane O’Hare agreed, adding that new AI-driven behaviours are making those gaps even more visible:
“Attributing activity to revenue has always had grey areas,” Shane explained. “With tools like ChatGPT influencing research outside traditional tracking systems, it’s only going to get harder. There’s so much happening before the user ever reaches your website and that can’t be ignored.”
The answer? Own more of the journey.
Brands that invest in first-party data and robust CRM integrations will be far better placed to track user intent, nurture relationships, and demonstrate value over time. As cookies disappear and AI intermediaries grow, the ability to retain and recognise audiences becomes a competitive advantage.
A strong CRM doesn’t just capture leads; it gives marketers the insight to adapt messaging, tailor nurture flows, and measure ROI with confidence. For many teams, connecting CRM data with campaign performance is now the missing link in effective AI and digital marketing strategies. In a world where visibility is fragmented, ownership is everything.
Preparing for 2026: What Marketers Need to Prioritise Now
As we look ahead to 2026, one thing is clear: digital marketing is moving into an era of refinement, not expansion. Growth will come less from doing more and more from doing the right things better.
During our discussion, a theme that kept coming up was this idea of focus, making every impression, every visit, every conversion count. That starts with four priorities I believe every brand should be tackling now.
1. Double Down on Conversion Optimisation
The days of cheap traffic are gone. Whether through PPC or organic, clicks cost more, and users are more selective about where they spend their attention. Every landing page needs a clear path to action, backed by testing and data.
Action point: Review your top-performing pages. Audit their user experience. Simplify the journey. Sometimes, improving a headline, call-to-action, or layout can outperform months of acquisition spend.
2. Strengthen Your CRM and First-Party Data
As Shane mentioned, we’re already seeing the limits of traditional tracking between privacy changes, cookie loss, and AI influencing discovery. If your CRM isn’t integrated, you’re losing valuable insights.
Action point: Prioritise CRM hygiene. Ensure your tracking is robust from click to conversion. Start small: connect ad platforms to your CRM, unify lead scoring, and establish clear data ownership within the team.
3. Align Paid and Organic for Unified Impact
AI-driven discovery has blurred the lines between performance and brand marketing. Paid and organic shouldn’t compete; they should inform each other. Insights from one channel should feed the creative, keyword, and conversion strategy in the other.
Action point: Build shared reporting between teams. Review how paid keywords influence organic visibility and vice versa. Consistency in tone, value proposition, and landing page experience builds trust and trust converts.
4. Reinvest in Owned Audiences
As AI platforms mediate more of the discovery phase, it’s never been more important to own your communication channels. A newsletter subscriber, a webinar attendee, or a returning visitor is worth more than any single click.
Action point: Develop nurturing pathways that bring people back to useful content, regular updates, or insights that build familiarity and loyalty over time. The future of growth isn’t just finding new audiences; it’s retaining the right ones.
The future of digital marketing isn’t something happening to us; it’s something we’re already shaping. By focusing on clarity, data, and genuine connection, we can navigate the next wave of change with confidence.
Because in 2026, success in AI and digital marketing won’t come from chasing algorithms, it’ll come from understanding people.
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More about the author
Daniel Bianchini
Co-founder & CEO
Our CEO and co-founder with over a decade of experience across 100’s of companies, Daniel’s goal for Common Ground is to empower brands of any size to grow their business online through the power of search.
