Impact of AI Reshaping Today’s Marketing Ecosystem

Marketers love to blame AI for everything that feels broken right now, but the truth hits harder: the impact of AI only accelerates trends that started years ago. Reddit surges, TikTok drives discovery, and people trust creators more than ads; these shifts happened long before ChatGPT. A new deep-dive analysis from search agency Rise at Seven shows just how messy and multi-platform the customer journey has become, and why last-click attribution now looks ridiculous. Harry Clarkson-Bennett, a veteran strategist, argues that AI simply shines a bright light on what smart marketers already knew: real connections beat algorithms, and human trust still rules.

Real Impact of AI: What Actually Changed (and What Didn’t)

Impact of AI

Rise studied 1.5 billion searches across five platforms and uncovered eye-opening numbers:

  • Customers touch up to 97 interactions and take 2 days to 10 weeks before they buy
  • Google only owns 34.5 % of total search share
  • YouTube (24 %), Instagram (20.9 %), and TikTok (16.7 %) together grab over 60 %
  • The average buyer now uses 3.6 different platforms before purchasing

These stats prove discovery moved away from Google years ago. People see products on TikTok, watch reviews on YouTube, ask real humans on Reddit, then maybe Google the brand name at the very end. Yet most brands still give 100 % credit to that final click. The impact of AI? It makes this broken model impossible to ignore.

Across channels, the story stays the same:

  • SEO & PPC: AI answers and zero-click results slash traffic; paid clicks drop 20-78 % when AI boxes appear
  • Social: Fake content floods feeds, so users spend 10 % less time on platforms
  • Creators: 90 % of marketers say creator content drives stronger engagement; 61 % of consumers trust creators more than brand ads

Also Read: Amazon Seller Statistics: Strategies for Your Journey

Clarkson-Bennett concludes that the impact of AI exposes the “enshittification” of the internet, platforms chase profit while quality crashes. The winners? Brands that know their audience deeply, partner with real creators, and build owned channels like email lists.

In short, AI didn’t break marketing. It just forced everyone to finally fix what was already cracking. Smart brands now invest in people, not just pixels.

More News To Read: India Takes The Lead in AI Learning Tools Usage

Google CTR Trends Q3 2025: Branded Clicks Spread, Top Spots Tighten

Jitendra Vaswani
This author is verified on BloggersIdeas.com

Jitendra Vaswani is a globally recognized expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at leading international events and is the founder of Digiexe, a results-driven digital marketing agency, Venuelabs, a platform that helps brands amplify their voice with expert PR and marketing solutions, and AffiliateBooster, a WordPress plugin tailored for affiliate marketers. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Jitendra has empowered countless businesses to thrive online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, has sold more than 20,000 copies worldwide, reflecting his influence and dedication to helping digital marketers achieve success. Follow Jitendra on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Affiliate disclosure: In full transparency – some of the links on our website are affiliate links, if you use them to make a purchase we will earn a commission at no additional cost for you (none whatsoever!).

Leave a Comment