Generative AI is being reshaped how buyers discover information and how marketers design campaigns. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered research summaries have had a huge impact on the effectiveness of long-form content, condensing the buyer’s journey and forcing marketers to rethink how to reach their audiences. Visibility is no longer guaranteed by publication volume.
What matters is whether your content and the intent data that powers your programs signal their relevance to AI systems trained to extract key audience insights. In a rapidly evolving B2B marketing landscape, identity-driven targeting and precise demand generation have become essential to maintaining ROI.
The impact of generative AI on information discovery and B2B GTM strategies is substantial. AI research summaries redefine discoverability in B2B marketing, allowing buyers to access condensed information and key insights about potential solutions without diving into long-form content like blogs, case studies, e-books and white papers.
The Problem: How AI Search is Reshaping Discoverability
For years, these formats have been the backbone of demand generation and the basis for capturing attention early on. Therefore, traditional discovery methods are overshadowed by AI research summarieswhich means that publication volume no longer guarantees visibility.
Additionally, recent data from Gartner shows that 61% of buyers prefer a representative-less shopping experience. As a result, publishers engage less with potential buyers, making intent signals harder to detect. Targeting accuracy becomes more critical than ever. In this rapidly evolving B2B marketing landscape, SEO and paid placements are not enough to maintain marketing ROI. Identity-driven targeting and accurate demand generation have become essential for marketers to ensure their content remains visible and their campaigns remain effective.
The Solution: Design Precision Marketing Strategies for an AI-Powered Discovery Ecosystem
Competing in an AI-powered discovery ecosystem and successfully reaching prospects requires shifting from volume-driven tactics to precision strategies that drive both content and audience quality. B2B marketing teams need to rethink how they target audiences, generate demand, and create content that informs AI-powered systems with signals that improve visibility.
Adopt identity-driven targeting to reach audiences. IP-based targeting is losing its effectiveness because buyers work on devices, networks, and environments that obscure traditional identifiers, limiting where marketers reach audiences. Identity-driven targeting allows marketers to better understand prospects and target individuals across devices by leveraging identity graphs and cross-device linking. Identity-driven strategies help marketers maintain accuracy even as buying journeys become more fragmented.
Pair identity data with intent-enabled demand generation campaigns. By leveraging identity data, marketers can better understand a potential buyer’s specific interests, pain points, and stage of a buyer’s research journey. As a result, marketers can deliver relevant content with targeted messages that align with the prospect’s priorities. Precise targeting allows marketers to prioritize key accounts, speeding movement through the funnel and reducing unnecessary spend across all channels.
Develop a content strategy to align with AI systems. As AI search becomes a primary research tool throughout the buying journey, content development and syndication strategies must evolve. By developing content that answers key buyer questionsmarketers can increase the potential to appear in AI search summaries. Even though AI can summarize your content without directing traffic to your site, if the information is attributed or surfaces, your influence remains. It’s essential to ensure your content produces signals that the AI recognizes as authoritative and that match the questions real buyers are asking.
How B2B Marketers Can Adapt
As AI reshapes B2B marketing, it’s crucial that teams adapt GTM strategies to align with the AI-driven buying journey. The following strategies can help ensure visibility, accuracy, and relevance throughout the buying journey.
- Audit content for signal strength. Marketing teams should evaluate current content strategies to determine whether they produce clear, interpretable signals that inform AI systems and buying group models. This includes evaluating clarity, structure, question alignment, and keyword richness. Stronger signals improve discoverability and increase the likelihood that AI summaries will leverage content.
- Strengthening the data ecosystem. By moving from IP-based audience data to identity data, marketers can personalize outreach, prioritize high-value prospects, and activate demand with more precision than broader targeting, leading to better results.
- Align GTM strategy with AI research. As AI-powered search accelerates, marketers must design GTM strategies optimized for how AI-based systems evaluate signal strength, keyword rankings, messaging, intent, and identity. This involves understanding how AI interprets messaging patterns, intent signals, and buyer relevance. Aligning GTM strategy with AI search behavior can increase a brand’s visibility even as discovery processes evolve.
Conclusion
AI search summaries have changed the way B2B buyers find and evaluate solutions. Marketing ROI now depends on relevance, identity accuracy, and the ability to activate demand through verified intent signals.
Success no longer depends on the volume of content but on the clarity and precision of the signals marketers send to AI-based systems. Teams that strengthen their databases, evolve their content strategies, and align GTM programs with AI-driven discovery will remain visible and competitive in the age of AI search.
Brian Perks is the founder and chief strategy officer of Five by five (5×5)a member-driven data cooperative that offers businesses a collaborative data ecosystem. He has over 20 years of experience in data, SaaS, sales, marketing, operations and leadership, coupled with deep functional knowledge of technical infrastructure and strategic perspective in automation and ad technology. He has been instrumental in the success of leading platforms and providers, including ZoomInfo and Data.com.
