Help Us Create the 1st State of AI Search Report

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Marketing Strategies for 2026 series by Exposure Ninja.Catch the full Marketing Strategies for 2026 series 👉 https://exposure.ninja/strategies2026Enterprise marketing teams are drowning in coordination complexity, and throwing more budget at fragmented campaigns simply doesn't work, creating an urgent need for unified strategies that actually scale.Enterprise businesses are operating with departmental silos that conflict with each other's KPIs, whilst the companies achieving consistent growth have implemented coordinated frameworks that unify stakeholders and maintain competitive advantage.Mastering enterprise coordination isn't optional for business marketing leaders — it's becoming essential for market leadership.In this episode, Charlie Marchant (CEO) and Dale Davies (Head of Marketing) reveal:The 80/20 framework that balances proven channels with strategic innovationHow to break down departmental silos without eliminating compliance processes The three technology integration requirements that enable real-time coordinationStrategies for securing stakeholder buy-in for emerging opportunities like AI search optimisationIf you're ready to transform coordination challenges into competitive advantages whilst your competitors remain trapped in silos, this episode provides your complete framework for scalable enterprise marketing.

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Marketing Strategies for 2026 series by Exposure Ninja.Catch the full Marketing Strategies for 2026 series 👉 https://exposure.ninja/strategies2026Brand marketing in 2026 isn't optional — it's becoming the primary differentiator in saturated markets where customers are overwhelmed by choice.With AI search platforms fundamentally changing how people discover products and services, forward-thinking marketers are discovering that brand strength now directly influences algorithmic recommendations.In this episode, Exposure Ninja's Charlie Marchant (CEO) and Dale Davies (Head of Marketing) cover:Why brand marketing attribution is finally becoming measurable (and the tools that make it possible)The critical difference between branded house vs. house of brands strategies — and when each approach works bestHow companies like Slack and Canva have modernised their brands without losing recognitionWhy distinctiveness matters more than differentiation in red ocean marketsThe Unilever Brand Key framework — and why most marketers overcomplicate brand positioningAs Charlie explains: "Brand marketers have had the really difficult job of feeling like they're screaming in a vacuum and no one's really listening because historically brand has been so difficult to attribute value to. But now with AI Search and tools like Peec, we're actually able to get a much better idea across so many different topics of brand sentiment."We explore real examples, such as Guinness's consistency, Passenger's visual differentiation, and why Jaguar's recent rebrand became a cautionary tale.Plus: How AI Search is making brand reputation more influential than ever — and what that means for your 2026 strategy.If you're ready to build a brand marketing strategy that works in today's saturated marketplace while positioning for the AI-driven future, this episode provides your complete framework.

AI search traffic is exploding — with AI Discovery up 527% year over year and ChatGPT traffic growing 85% in just six months — creating an unprecedented opportunity for brands willing to adapt their marketing strategies now.While most businesses are still figuring out what AI search even means, forward-thinking marketers are already capturing high-value traffic and securing prime recommendation spots in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Mode.For businesses ready to dominate this new search landscape, mastering AI search optimisation isn't optional — it's becoming the difference between market leadership and irrelevance.In this episode, I reveal:The exact audit process to assess your brand's current AI visibility (including which tools give you the most granular data about your performance across different LLMs)Why brands have a massive advantage in AI search results — and how to leverage your brand as a "defined entity" that LLMs can easily connect to other conceptsThe critical difference between generic content and what AI tools actually need (hint: they can generate generic information themselves — they need your first-party data and expertise)How third-party citations drive recommendations — including why AI tools would "rather go to someone else and look at what other people are saying about you than look at what you're saying about yourself"The specific content formats that get cited most frequently (based on analysis of top-performing brands across multiple industries)I'll share real examples from brands like MetLife, DeWalt, and Better.com, showing exactly how they're optimising for AI search — including surprising recommendations that go beyond marketing into actual product development.As I explain in the episode:"We're in a strange moment right now where some businesses are focusing really heavily on AI Search, but honestly, most companies aren't even thinking about this as a thing. Even though they themselves are using ChatGPT all day every day to find stuff to buy, they haven't really thought about how their brand shows up in these AI tools. And that means we're in a little bit of a land grab moment."If you're ready to implement these five AI search strategies while your competitors are still stuck in traditional SEO thinking, this episode provides your complete roadmap for dominating AI search in 2026 and beyond.Try Semrush's AI SEO Toolkit 👉 https://exposure.ninja/AIsearch2026Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/366/Listen to these episodes next:I Bought a £7M Company to Test My Marketing Playbookhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/365/Why “AI Search is Just SEO” is a Dangerous Liehttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/364/How To Create and Optimise Your Content for AI Searchhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/363/Disclaimer - Exposure Ninja may get a commission through the marked links above, at no cost to you

AI is reshaping how people search — and how businesses get discovered.We're gathering insights from marketing leaders and business owners to understand how teams are responding to this shift.We'd love for you to take part in the State of AI Search 2025 report.By taking part, you'll get early access to the results. All you need to do is complete the survey and share your email address at the end, so that we can send the completed report to you before it's fully released.Happy to be involved?Then visit https://exposure.ninja/stateAISearch2025

Most marketing agencies talk a big game about their strategies and playbooks — but when it comes to proving they actually work, the talk stops there.That's why I've done something unprecedented: I've bought a £7 million renewables business to test our own marketing playbook with real money on the line.Six months in, the results speak for themselves: 5X increase in website traffic, 250% more form completions, and we've doubled their backlink profile in just five months (after they'd only managed 100 backlinks in the previous five years).But here's what makes this case study truly valuable for marketing leaders — we're sharing the exact playbook we used, including the mistakes we made along the way.In this episode, I reveal:The six-step marketing transformation process we implemented at Elite Renewables — from complete brand overhaul to AI-optimised content strategyWhy we fired their existing agency before we'd even completed the purchase (and saw no drop in leads as a result)The CRM and marketing automation system that helped them scale from being completely overwhelmed with referrals to having full visibility of their sales pipelineHow we increased their website traffic by 5X in just one month by restructuring their site around customer types and individual service pagesThe digital PR strategy that generated 110 high-authority backlinks in five months (more than they'd achieved in the previous five years combined)Our AI-proofing approach — including sentiment analysis across AI platforms and the ultra-niche case study strategy that's becoming essential for AI search optimisationThe YouTube content strategy that's not just driving enquiries, but more importantly, building trust with prospects already in their pipelineI'll also share the honest challenges of being a client of your own agency, including the stress of rolling out new branding to a team that's worked together for a decade.As I explain in the episode:"It feels very different when it's your own money at stake. We bought this £7 million revenue business to put through the Exposure Ninja digital marketing process, and so far it has worked really well. But I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't stressful at times."If you're tired of marketing strategies that sound good in theory but lack real-world proof, this episode provides a complete blueprint based on actual results with actual money at stake.This is what happens when a marketing agency puts its money where its mouth is — and the lessons are invaluable for any business leader looking to transform their marketing results.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/365/Listen to these episodes next:Why “AI Search is Just SEO” is a Dangerous Liehttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/364/How To Create and Optimise Your Content for AI Searchhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/363/9 Reasons Why Your Traffic Is DOWN This Yearhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/361/

Your marketing ROI is declining, and the traditional playbook isn't fixing it. This creates an unprecedented opportunity for businesses ready to evolve their approach.After analysing hundreds of marketing strategies for businesses generating £5-50m turnover, we've identified the five critical disconnects causing ROI to flatline: misaligned metrics, broken targeting, outdated channel mix, risk aversion, and ignoring AI search.The businesses fixing these issues aren't those with the biggest budgets — they're those making strategic adjustments that compound into transformative results.In this episode, Charlie and Dale reveal:The hidden disconnect between marketing metrics and revenue (including why tracking share of voice whilst the board wants ARR creates dangerous blind spots)How Finisterre's attempt to "go broader" nearly killed their growth — and why narrowing your focus expands your potentialWhy spreading budget across every channel is like "betting £1 on every horse" and guarantees you'll lose moneyThe 80/20 framework for balancing proven revenue generators with essential experimentation• How AI search is condensing the customer journey (users now make 3-5 ChatGPT queries before a single Google search)Charlie and Dale also share real-world examples, including how Vita Coco dominated its niche before expanding, and why power users are actually searching Google MORE (13 times daily) while organic traffic declines.As Charlie explains in the pod:"If your bottom line goal is generating a certain number of leads or making a certain amount of revenue, then understanding which marketing channels are actually driving those leads or driving that revenue — and which percentage of your marketing budget is experimental — that's where most businesses fall down."If you're ready to fix the disconnects undermining your marketing performance whilst your competitors cling to yesterday's playbook, this episode provides your complete roadmap for reversing ROI decline.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-62/Listen to these Dojo episodes next:What is AI Search? And Why Is It So Important?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-56/Google’s AI Mode Goes GLOBAL + NEW Agentic Features!https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-61/Only 2% of SEOs Are Optimising for AI Search (and Why That’s a BIG Mistake)https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-60/

A dangerous misconception is spreading through marketing circles that's holding businesses back while competitors master an entirely new game — and believing it could cost them their competitive edge.With 800 million people now using ChatGPT to find information and make purchasing decisions, and 55% of searches resulting in AI answers, the message for marketers should be clear. Yet a pervasive myth persists: "AI Optimisation is just SEO. Nothing has changed."This couldn't be further from the truth — and the evidence is indisputable.For businesses targeting decision-makers who increasingly rely on AI tools for research and purchasing decisions, understanding these critical differences isn't just smart, it's becoming essential for survival.In this episode, I reveal:The three pieces of indisputable proof that AI Search Optimisation operates by completely different rules than traditional SEO (including why 40% of sites in AI Overviews don't even rank on Google's first page)Why top-ranking websites frequently get ignored by AI tools, whilst lesser-ranked sites leapfrog into AI recommendations — creating unexpected opportunities for smart marketersThe hidden mechanics behind how AI tools decide what to recommend, including when they skip web searches entirely and why they prefer third-party sources over brand websitesExactly why traditional SEO strategies fail when AI tools draw recommendations from Reddit, TripAdvisor, Forbes, and authority publications instead of your carefully optimised websiteThe specific types of digital PR and earned media strategies that influence AI recommendations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and ClaudeI'll share real-world examples from almost three years of helping clients increase their AI visibility, including specific case studies of brands that have successfully navigated this new landscape, whilst their competitors remain stuck in traditional SEO thinking.As I explain in the episode:"Saying GEO is just SEO, nothing has changed, is like an archer on the battlefields of World War I looking at the first tank coming towards them and saying, 'Well, tank warfare is just like medieval warfare.' Good luck with that."If you're ready to move beyond the dangerous misconception that's holding back your competition and implement strategies that actually work in the age of AI Search, this episode provides your complete roadmap for dominating this critical new landscape.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/364/Listen to these episodes next:What is AI Search Optimisation (and How To Do It)https://exposureninja.com/podcast/358/How To Create and Optimise Your Content for AI Searchhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/363/9 Reasons Why Your Traffic Is DOWN This Yearhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/361/

The search landscape is experiencing its most significant transformation in decades, and Google's AI Mode global rollout is creating unprecedented opportunities for forward-thinking marketing leaders — while competitors remain fixated on traditional search strategies.While AI Mode currently captures just 1-2% of total search traffic, this low adoption rate masks a critical strategic opportunity: early positioning before mainstream adoption accelerates.In this episode, Dale and Charlie reveal:Revolutionary agentic features that go beyond search — including how AI Mode can now make restaurant reservations and purchase tickets on behalf of usersWhy current 1-2% adoption rates create opportunity rather than concern (and how this compares to other Google search verticals)The exact overlap between traditional SEO and AI Mode optimisation (plus the crucial differences that could leave your competitors behind)Strategic timing insights — including why Google's accelerated rollout timeline signals urgent need for preparationAs Charlie explains in the episode:"Now is very much the time to start experimenting with it..."If you're ready to establish AI Mode dominance while competitors remain focused solely on traditional search metrics, this episode provides your complete strategic framework for capitalising on Google's most significant interface change in decades.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-61/Listen to these episodes next:What is AI Search? And Why Is It So Important?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-56/Everything Marketers Need to Know About AI Max for Searchhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-53/“ChatGPT Agent” Is Changing How People Buy AGAINhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-58/

The AI search revolution is happening right now, yet 98% of SEO professionals may be missing the opportunity — creating unprecedented advantages for the 2% who understand what's coming.At MozCon London, our CEO, Charlie Marchant, surveyed 300 of the UK's sharpest SEO minds and discovered that only 2% are optimising for AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.While Google processes 8.5 billion searches daily, ChatGPT has reached 2.5 billion users in under three years, fundamentally changing how high-value customers research and purchase products.For businesses targeting decision-makers with spending power, mastering AI Search Optimisation isn't just smart — it's becoming essential.In this episode, Dale and Charlie reveal:Why only 2% of 300 top SEO experts are taking action on AI search (and the three psychological barriers holding everyone else back)The surprising data showing how AI Overviews displaced Featured Snippets in just six months — and why the same pattern will repeat with AI ModeHow AI Search compresses buying funnels from multiple searches over weeks into single conversations that culminate in immediate purchasesThe brand authority factor: why AI Search focuses on sentiment and mentions across platforms rather than traditional backlinksReal-world case studies showing how The Ordinary dominates hyaluronic acid recommendations and ZUGU became the top iPad case across AI platformsThe exact content formats that AI platforms favour (statistical data points increase citation probability by over 40%)Why getting featured in list articles on high-authority websites dramatically increases your chances of AI recommendationsCharlie also shares insights from industry legends, including Tom Capper (Moz's leading search scientist), revealing the resistance patterns preventing widespread adoption while early movers establish insurmountable competitive advantages.As Charlie explains in the episode:"We would never, as SEOs prior to AI Overviews, have decided to ignore 10% of informational keywords relevant to our business, and I don't really see why we would start doing that now."If you're ready to capitalise on this opportunity while your competitors remain fixated solely on traditional SEO, this episode provides your complete strategic framework for dominating AI Search before it becomes standard practice.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-60/Listen to these episodes next:Google’s AI Mode Arrives in the UK! Time to Panic?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-59/“ChatGPT Agent” Is Changing How People Buy AGAINhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-58/What is AI Search? And Why Is It So Important?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-56/

This podcast episode was created in partnership with Profound.The AI Search revolution is here, and businesses that master content optimisation for these platforms will dominate their markets while competitors scramble to catch up.With ChatGPT now processing over one billion searches daily and Google's AI Overviews becoming the default search experience, optimising content for AI Search isn't just a smart strategy; it's SURVIVAL.The stakes couldn't be higher: AI search results don't just drive traffic, they actively influence customer decisions by recommending specific brands and solutions.For marketing leaders targeting high-value audiences, mastering AI Search Optimisation has become the ultimate competitive advantage.In this episode, I reveal:The exact two-step audit process to discover where you're winning (and losing) in AI search results across ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Perplexity, and other AI platforms.Why different AI platforms prefer completely different content types — and how Google AI overviews favour "owned media" while ChatGPT prioritises "earned media" from third-party sitesThe E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) that determines which content gets cited, and why adding personal experience beats generic AI-generated content every timeHow AI tools use "query fan-out" to break single questions into dozens of parallel searches — and why covering topics from multiple angles dramatically increases your citation chancesThe content structure secrets that get your recommendations featured at the top of AI responses, including why successful articles now put answers first instead of burying them in lengthy introductionsI'll walk you through real examples from tools like Profound, an Exposure Ninja partner, showing exactly how top-performing content is structured and why articles about "best robo advisors" all follow identical formats that AI tools love to cite.Plus, I'll share our approach for Elite Renewables (one of my other companies), where we've created unique, experience-driven content by interviewing engineers about real client projects, giving AI tools information they can't find anywhere else.If you're ready to position your business ahead of the AI Search curve while your competitors remain focused solely on traditional SEO, this episode provides your complete blueprint for dominating this emerging landscape.Try Profound:https://exposure.ninja/profoundGet the podcast notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/363/Listen to these episodes next:What is AI Search Optimisation (and How To Do It)https://exposureninja.com/podcast/358/AI Is DECIMATING This Industry’s Marketinghttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/362/9 Reasons Why Your Traffic Is DOWN This Yearhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/361/