How Generative AI Is Changing Online Behaviour and What It Means for Marketers

Something changed — and most marketing teams haven't caught up yet. For a decade, the goal was the same: rank on Google, drive traffic, convert visitors. That model isn't dead, but it is breaking. Users are increasingly bypassing search engines entirely, turning to AI assistants for answers, comparisons, and purchasing decisions. The data now confirms what many marketers have sensed for a while: AI-driven referral traffic is rising, organic click-through is quietly eroding, and the businesses best positioned for a successful 2026 are the ones responding now. The urgent question for every marketing leader is no longer "how do I rank?" — it's "does AI even know I exist?" In this on-demand session, Exposure Ninja's CEO, Charlie Marchant, teams up with Fernando Angulo, Senior Market Research Manager at Semrush, to unpack the shift with real data, enterprise case studies, and a framework you can act on immediately. Fernando brings rare insight from Semrush's enterprise MCP pilot — including findings from clients such as eBay, Zalando, and Yext — revealing exactly where the gaps are between traditional SEO visibility and AI visibility, and why they matter. WHAT'S COVERED 🤖 The behavioural shift that's already happening — Real data showing where and how users are bypassing traditional search, and what that means for brands that depend on organic visibility to generate leads and sales. 🤖 Why SEO-optimised content isn't automatically AI-visible — How LLMs actually surface and cite brands, where the gaps are appearing in enterprise content strategies, and the patterns Semrush identified across its MCP pilot with clients including eBay, Zalando, and Yext. 🤖 The 2026 content playbook — A three-layer strategy covering structured data, E-E-A-T signals, entity optimisation, and the question-first content model that's outperforming traditional approaches right now. 🤖 New metrics for a search-optional world — AI citation rate, zero-click impressions, and share of AI answer presence: what they are, why they matter, and how to start reporting on them without rebuilding your analytics stack. THE NEW SKILLS YOU'LL LEAVE WITH 📝 Spot exactly where your brand is invisible to AI — and understand why your strongest SEO pages may be getting skipped entirely by AI platforms. You'll know what to look for and where the gaps are most likely to be hiding. 📝 Run an AI visibility audit in under a week — using the framework built from Semrush's enterprise data. You'll have a structured process to work through with your team immediately after the session. 📝 Prioritise the content changes with the biggest revenue impact — so your team acts on the right things first, rather than spreading effort across a wishlist that doesn't move the needle. 📝 Report meaningfully to leadership on AI search performance — with metrics that tell a clearer story than a declining traffic number, and frame your team's work in terms of opportunity captured rather than ground lost. Registered attendees also get access to our exclusive 14-day trial for Semrush One, the only tool you need to win in modern search: https://exposureninja.com/semrushone WHO SHOULD WATCH THIS This session is designed for Marketing Directors, Marketing Managers, and senior marketers at enterprise companies who are responsible for search visibility, brand authority, or competitive positioning. If you've noticed impressions rising whilst traffic is declining — or if you suspect your brand is missing from AI-generated answers that your competitors are appearing in — this session will give you both the context and the action plan to do something about it.