AI is rapidly redefining the landscape for marketers and PR pros alike. In fact, 61% of marketers believe that marketing is experiencing its biggest disruption in 20 years due to AI, according to HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing report. But many haven’t figured out how to use AI without losing the innately human element of their brand.
Right now, many marketers are using AI as a content engine: pumping out blogs faster, producing more social posts and increasing overall output. But AI’s real edge isn’t what it can create – it’s what it can reveal.
AI can offer an immediate view of how audiences search, what they’re looking for and how they evaluate your brand and your competitors. The marketers who tap into those insights will win out.
So, how do you leverage AI insights within your marketing efforts? Here are four ways.
Search behavior is changing at lightning speed. People no longer turn to Google with a simple keyword search. They’re using AI to ask full questions with more context than ever before, comparing options and expecting direct answers from AI-powered search tools.
That shift gives marketers a new layer of visibility into audience intent.
Pay attention to:
These patterns can help you better align your messaging with how your audience is thinking, not just how you want to position yourself.
AI can be very effective at synthesizing what already exists online. That also means it’s very effective at exposing what’s missing.
If AI-generated responses around your category feel vague, repetitive or incomplete, that’s a signal. It likely means there’s an opportunity to create stronger, clearer content.
But instead of creating content for the sake of more output, focus on:
The goal isn’t just to rank; it’s to become a top source AI pulls from.
One of the biggest advantages of AI is speed. You’re no longer waiting months to understand what messaging resonates. You can start to see patterns almost immediately.
AI insights can help you:
From there, you can refine your positioning to better align with what your audience cares about while still maintaining a differentiated point of view.
As AI tools shape how information is surfaced, credibility matters more than ever.
AI models are trained to prioritize trusted, third-party sources. That means earned media, thought leadership and brand authority play a critical role in how your company appears in AI-driven search tools.
A strong PR presence can:
In other words, today’s PR isn’t just about awareness. It’s about influencing the data layer AI relies on.
AI is changing how buyers discover, evaluate and trust brands, and marketers can’t afford to ignore it. Research from Semrush shows AI search visitors convert at 4.4 times the rate of traditional organic visitors.
The marketers who win won’t be the ones producing the most content. They’ll be the ones paying attention to the signals AI provides and using those insights to guide smarter, more strategic decisions that result in a clear business impact.
Curious how your brand is showing up in AI-driven search and where you might be missing opportunities? Drop us a line to get started.