AI Is Rewriting Search, But Most Marketers Aren’t Optimizing

Unless your first search query today was something only somewhat coherent like “where coffee NOW,” AI probably offered you an answer.

And yet, only half of in-house marketers — the professionals tasked with meeting people where they are — are creating content optimized for AI search, according to new research from Funnel. 

“Just 44% train their teams for AI-driven search and visibility practices,” says the 2026 Marketing Intelligence Report. “And fewer than one in three (30%) use automations for content optimization. Agencies are doing a bit better, but still fall far short of expectations.”

What else are marketers saying about AI and search?

• 64% predict their customers will reduce their use of traditional search engines over the next few years
• 50% predict increased use of AI chatbots
• 43% predict a shorter customer journey thanks to AI-assistance in making decisions.

  (Source: Funnel)

“As AI systems make more decisions, automate more workflows and move at speeds no human can match, the stakes get higher,” says the report, which found that 86% of in-house marketers struggle to measure the mountains of data they’re deluged with from each marketing channel. “The marketers who will thrive in this next era aren’t the ones chasing every new AI capability. They’re the ones building solid foundations now: unified data, transparent measurement and teams that know how to question, validate and act on what AI surfaces.”

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