How AI search is reshaping digital marketing strategy: Celine Moran speaks with Iain Scott from Base Creative about how AI-driven search is changing digital strategy, why proving ROI matters more than ever, and what marketers need to prioritise as SEO evolves. Iain shares why clear, intent-focused content and diversified traffic sources are key in a zero-click world.

As a GEO expert, what are the three key considerations clients should keep in mind
when it comes to AI-driven search engines?

Quality content still matters. AI wants clear, authoritative, well-structured answers – so the
same core SEO principles, just applied to AI.

For example, a well-structured article on ‘how ESG funds work’ that includes definitions,
FAQs, and visual aids will outperform a generic investment guide in AI-generated overviews.
Think about intent, not just keywords. AI uses natural language processing (NLP) to
understand content more deeply than search engines have done, so the key is to make sure
content actually answers what prospects are really asking/looking for.

Rather than just targeting ‘ISA limits 2025,’ think broader: e.g., ‘how much can I invest in an
ISA this year?’ The latter mirrors how people actually phrase their questions to AI assistants.
AI tracking is in its infancy and AI results don’t have rankings like traditional search. While
analytics tools (both first- and third-party) are in development, clients should keep an eye on
branded queries, AI overviews, and referral traffic.

For a marketing manager looking to prove ROI on digital campaigns to the C-suite,
where’s the best place to start?

Start by linking digital activity to actual business outcomes. Focus less on clicks and
impressions (unless brand awareness is the business goal), but more on leads and revenue.
Turn metrics into a narrative: ‘£1,000 in paid spend generated 40 MQLs, 5 sales-qualified
leads, and £15k in pipeline revenue.’ This lands better than showing 10,000 impressions.
Make sure your analytics tools, ad platforms and CRM are properly connected so you can
track what’s actually driving results and ROI, then use those insights to amplify the most
successful campaigns.

As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, which trends should marketers focus on for the second half of 2025?

AI Overviews in search engines are expanding. This will mean more zero-click answers and
could mean fewer site visits.

Despite all the developments in AI and GEO, the key is still to write content for humans, then
make it easier for AI to interpret with technical SEO like schema markup.

With AI-powered search delivering more direct answers on the results page, fewer people
are clicking through to websites (rise of zero-click searches). So relying solely on organic
search traffic might not be enough anymore. To keep your site visits healthy, diversify your
traffic sources – e.g. paid ads, email marketing, social media, partnerships.

With a growing focus in the financial sector on engaging retail investors, what advice
would you offer traditional institutions looking to build a B2C strategy from scratch?

Start with content. Retail investors search with intent, often looking for simple explanations to
complex concepts, answers to specific queries like “what is a dividend?” or “best stocks to
buy in a recession.” Traditional institutions must build an always-on, SEO-informed content
engine that speaks directly to this search behaviour. Demystifying jargon and answering the
questions retail investors are already asking is crucial.

Today’s retail investors (especially younger demographic) are mobile-first, socially engaged
and expect interaction. Gamified explainers, bite-sized guides, and interactive tools that
make investing feel approachable should be considered. Use formats native to B2C
platforms like TikTok and Instagram: short videos, swipeable carousels, polls, and stories.
Make it visual, and above all shareable.

Lastly, sensationalise and simplify. This doesn’t mean clickbait, it means packaging your
expertise in a way that feels exciting without compromising credibility. You’re competing with
crypto memes, finance influencers, and get-rich-quick schemes so your content must work
hard to be compelling and trustworthy.