The Australian Centre for AI in Marketing (Australian Centre for AI in Marketing) is warning marketers that traditional search strategies are rapidly losing effectiveness, as artificial intelligence reshapes how Australians discover brands, products and information.
The organisation says the rise of AI-driven search experiences is driving a surge in “zero-click” behaviour, where users receive answers directly on the results page rather than visiting websites.
By early 2026, more than 70 per cent of Google searches in Australia reportedly resulted in no click-through to a website, with that figure falling further to around 17 per cent when AI-generated summaries are present. On mobile devices, zero-click behaviour is now estimated to exceed 75 per cent.
ACAM says the shift is leaving many brands increasingly “invisible” online, as long-established search engine optimisation (SEO) practices fail to account for new discovery systems powered by generative AI. The centre argues marketers are yet to widely adopt emerging approaches such as answer engine optimisation (AEO), generative engine optimisation (GEO) and discovery engine optimisation (DEO).
To help organisations adapt, ACAM has launched a four-week training program, ‘The Future of Search’, which focuses on SEO, AEO, GEO and DEO. The program brings together industry practitioners and technology specialists from firms including Kantar, Genea, Microsoft Advertising, Gumshoe and Xpon, as well as contributors from The Navigators and ACAM.
ACAM co-founder Jodie Sangster said marketers were already seeing sharp declines in search-driven traffic and needed to rethink how brands appear in AI-generated answers.
“Page views are falling significantly for many organisations, and in some cases search traffic is down by 30 per cent or more,” Sangster said. “The rules of discovery have changed. If brands are not present in AI-generated answers, they risk becoming effectively invisible.”
She said traditional fixes such as increasing content production or restructuring websites were no longer sufficient. “It’s about how a brand is represented across the entire digital ecosystem and whether AI systems deem it credible enough to include,” she said.
Adam Goodman, director of AI in advertising APAC at Microsoft Advertising, said marketers needed to better understand how brands are interpreted within evolving AI-driven environments.
“This program helps organisations move from experimentation to practical application, embedding AI into everyday marketing strategy and execution,” Goodman said.
ACAM co-founder Louise Cummins said many businesses were still uncertain about how to respond to changes in search behaviour.
“There is a lot of discussion about AI and search, but limited clarity on what to do next,” she said. “This initiative is designed to give teams a structured approach to ensure they remain visible in AI-driven discovery systems.”
The program begins on 11 May and runs online over four weeks, concluding with a live session featuring industry leaders.
