3 in 4 businesses battle tougher marketing in AI era, says LOCALiQ

Last year, LOCALiQ surveyed over 500 UK businesses, revealing that 76% felt marketing had become more challenging and 55% were overwhelmed by the pace of change. Since then, AI has become an increasingly established part of everyday marketing, influencing everything from content creation and campaign management to how customers search for information and discover businesses online. 

AI-powered search and zero-click results are changing how customers discover brands online, pushing businesses to look beyond traditional measures such as clicks and impressions.  

LOCALiQ’s previous research found that 64% of UK businesses had already adapted their SEO strategy for AI-powered search, while optimising for AI-generated search results emerged as the top marketing training need, ahead of traditional SEO and data analytics. 
 
Named the 2026 Standout SEO Agency of the Year at the UK Digital Excellence Awards, LOCALiQ is using this year’s research to explore how businesses are responding to these changes in practice, from AI adoption and search visibility to performance measurement, marketing investment and the skills needed for the future. 

This year’s survey will explore how UK businesses are using AI in day-to-day marketing, adapting to changes in search and customer behaviour, measuring marketing performance, overcoming barriers to growth and deciding where to invest as they plan for 2027. 

Businesses that take part will receive early access to the findings and contribute to one of the UK’s most comprehensive benchmarks of how organisations are approaching digital marketing. 

• See how similar businesses are responding to AI, changing search behaviour and wider marketing pressures 

• Identify emerging trends across channels, content, technology and skills 

• Benchmark their own strategy and performance against businesses across the UK 

• Make more informed decisions about where to focus budgets, skills and investment in the year ahead 

Nikki Broxup, Marketing Director at LOCALiQ, said, “Last year’s survey told us that most UK businesses feel marketing is getting harder, with AI causing some of that pressure. This year, we want to go beyond the headline and understand how businesses are responding day to day, which AI and search tactics are genuinely helping, and where teams feel they are still missing skills or clarity.” 

“We’re keen to hear from organisations of all sizes and sectors. A broad mix of responses will help us build a report that reflects the realities of marketing in 2026 and gives UK businesses a useful benchmark for planning the year ahead.”