If one of the biggest companies in the world is acknowledging that AI search is changing how it makes money, it's worth paying attention.
In its October 2026 earnings call, Google said that the growing use of AI Mode was affecting advertising revenue because those searches currently generate less revenue than traditional search. Google Search advertising revenue still grew by 12%, but the message is clear: the way people search and interact with information is changing.
And it's not just a Google problem. It's a business problem.
More people are finding answers, researching products and comparing businesses without necessarily clicking through to a website. This is what we call zero-click search and zero-click marketing.
For B2B businesses, though, there's something much bigger happening. AI isn't just changing how people discover you. It's changing how they evaluate you, compare you with competitors and decide whether you're worth talking to.
And that has significant implications for marketing and sales.
What is zero-click marketing?
Zero-click search happens when someone searches for information but doesn't click through to another website. They might find their answer in Google's AI Overviews, a search result, a map listing or a featured snippet.
Zero-click marketing is the broader picture. It recognises that people can discover and evaluate your business across search engines, AI tools, social media, online communities, marketplaces and review sites without ever visiting your website.
Think about it:
Someone asks ChatGPT to recommend a software provider.
A potential customer compares several suppliers through an AI conversation.
A buyer researches product features, integrations and pricing without visiting individual websites.
Someone checks reviews, customer experiences and industry discussions before contacting sales.
Your marketing may have influenced that person, even if your website analytics never record a visit.
How big is the shift?
This isn't just a prediction about how people might use the internet in future.
62% to 70%: The proportion of Google searches resulting in no click across six European and North American markets in a 2026 SparkToro and Similarweb study.
53%: The proportion of consumers across 11 markets, including Australia, who had used AI for shopping in the previous three months, according to McKinsey research.
60%: The proportion of Australian online shoppers who use AI-powered tools or features at least sometimes when shopping, according to IAB Australia's 2026 research.
These studies cover different behaviours and markets, but they point to a clear change: customers are using more sources to research and make decisions, and fewer of those interactions necessarily result in a website visit.
The B2B buying journey is changing
Traditionally, researching a B2B product or service could take considerable time.
A potential customer might visit multiple websites, download product information, read case studies, watch demos, speak to colleagues and eventually arrange calls with a shortlist of suppliers.
AI is changing how much of that work buyers need to do themselves.
They can now have detailed conversations with AI tools to:
Compare providers and their capabilities.
Understand product features, pricing and limitations.
Research integrations and technical requirements.
Identify potential risks and questions to ask.
Compare customer reviews, case studies and alternatives.
Narrow down a shortlist before speaking to anyone.
In some cases, buyers are becoming confident enough to make a purchase without a traditional demo or sales call.
That is a massive change.
Your potential customers could be ruling your business in or out before they've even visited your website or looked at your marketing.
And if the information available about your business doesn't accurately explain what you do, who you help, what makes you different and where you're a good fit, you could be missing out before you even know an opportunity existed.
What does this mean for B2B marketing and sales?
There are three important implications.
1. Your positioning and messaging matter more than ever
AI can only work with the information it can find.
If your positioning is vague, your messaging is full of generic claims or your website doesn't clearly explain what you offer, it becomes harder for potential customers to understand why they should consider you.
This is where positioning, messaging and transparency really matter.
Be clear about:
Who your product or service is designed for.
The problems you actually solve.
What makes your approach different.
What your product can and can't do.
Pricing, implementation requirements and limitations.
The types of customers and businesses you're best suited to.
Don't rely on clever marketing language to communicate your value. Give people the information they need to make an informed decision.
2. Fewer leads might actually be a good thing
If buyers are doing more research before contacting you, the nature of your inbound leads could change.
You might see fewer demo requests or initial enquiries, but the people who do get in touch could be much further along in their buying journey.
They may already understand your product, have compared you with competitors and know what they want to discuss.
That means looking at lead volume in isolation could give you the wrong impression of marketing performance.
Lead quality, conversion rates, sales cycle length and revenue become even more important measures.
3. Your sales conversations need to change too
If someone has already spent time researching your business, comparing your offer and understanding your product, they don't necessarily need the standard introductory sales pitch.
The traditional sales conversation might start with explaining who you are, what you do and why your product is different.
But what happens when the buyer already knows all of that?
The conversation needs to move on.
Sales teams need to understand what the buyer has researched, what they've compared, what questions they still have and what might be holding them back.
The opportunity is to have a much more informed conversation, rather than simply delivering the same demo or presentation to everyone.
Marketing and sales need to be working together to understand this changing behaviour.
What should B2B businesses do?
You don't need to throw out your existing marketing strategy. But you do need to look at it through the eyes of a buyer who might never speak to your sales team.
Start with a few practical steps:
Review your positioning: Can someone quickly understand who you help, what you do and why you're different?
Be more transparent: Make useful information about pricing, capabilities, integrations, implementation and limitations easy to find.
Answer the difficult questions: Don't just publish content about why you're great. Address the questions, objections and comparisons buyers are actually making.
Build credibility beyond your website: Customer stories, independent reviews, industry coverage and genuine customer experiences all help build trust.
Rethink your sales process: Find out what buyers already know before they get in touch. Adapt your conversations accordingly.
Measure the right things: Look beyond website traffic and lead volume. Understand lead quality, conversion and the influence marketing has on revenue.
Zero-click marketing is bigger than SEO
It's tempting to look at zero-click search and assume this is another technical SEO challenge.
It isn't.
It's about how people discover businesses, research their options and decide who they trust enough to buy from.
For B2B businesses, that means recognising that a significant part of the buying journey may now happen without your marketing or sales teams ever being involved.
Your website, content, positioning, reputation and sales conversations all play a part. But they need to work together.
And this isn't just a challenge for marketing. It involves sales, product, customer success and leadership too.
The goal isn't simply to get people to your website. It's to make sure your business is visible, understood and trusted wherever people are making decisions.
Because by the time a potential customer gets in touch, they might already know a lot more about your business than you think.
Debbie Gainsford is an award-winning global marketer, business consultant and qualified coach with experience spanning B2B technology, SaaS, media and eCommerce businesses in Australia and internationally. She has worked across marketing, product, sales and leadership teams, helping businesses navigate change, identify opportunities and turn complex challenges into practical action. Debbie writes about business, marketing, leadership and the changing world of work.
