Half of UK marketers (49 per cent) say their organisation is “very comfortable” with customers interacting with their brand primarily through third-party AI platforms, nearly double the global average (25 per cent). That’s according to new research from leading digital experience platform Optimizely, which highlights a growing disconnect in preparedness for a new era of search defined by AI.
The research, which surveyed 1,000 global marketers, also found that two in every five UK marketers (41 per cent) are “very prepared” for a discovery experience where customers no longer click through to their website at all — compared to only a quarter of global marketers (27 per cent). Similarly, 42 per cent of UK marketers are very confident that AI-generated summaries accurately reflect their brand or content, while only a quarter of global marketers (25 per cent) say the same.
This discrepancy in overall confidence is indicative of UK businesses having a better understanding of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) than their global counterparts. Nearly two-thirds of UK marketers (61 per cent) claim they are “very familiar” with GEO and have a strategy already in place, as opposed to less than a half of global marketers (45 per cent). Similarly, almost three-quarters of UK marketers (70 per cent) versus just 54 per cent of global marketers are actively investing in strategies to optimise content for visibility in AI generated responses.
Along with a better understanding of how AI-search works, the UK also recognises how transformative — and disruptive — AI will be to brand discovery. Two-thirds (65 per cent) of UK marketers say GEO ranks as a top priority compared to just 39 per cent globally. Meanwhile, 81 per cent of UK marketers are considering investing in new software or tools to bolster their strategy, versus 61 per cent of their global counterparts.
The UK’s preparedness appears to be largely due to a recognition that AI is already revolutionising brand discovery. Two-fifths of UK marketers (43 per cent) think click-less journeys are already the norm for most brands. This figure is halved for global marketers (21 per cent).
Commenting on the findings, Tara Corey, SVP of Marketing at Optimizely said, “AI-search means that brand discovery is no longer fully within an organisation’s control, but that shift ultimately puts more pressure on businesses to shape how they appear in AI-generated answers.
“This research should be a clear wake-up call to marketers: the UK is ahead of the curve, and that gives it a huge advantage. Businesses have a small window to influence AI results before the space gets too crowded, giving them a headstart in this new, click-less future. Organisations must start investing in their GEO strategy now or risk becoming completely invisible once AI-search becomes the new norm.”
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