AI shifts buyer research, leaving businesses to adapt to new pace

Forrester highlights a significant gap between buyer adaptation and business response. While consumers adopt AI tools rapidly, companies still rely on traditional marketing metrics like click-through rates and search rankings, which no longer capture the full scope of AI-driven influence. He points to data from Pew Research Center showing that about half of U.S. adults now use AI chatbots, up from a third in 2024. This rapid adoption outpaces the slow planning cycles of most organizations, creating a widening disconnect.

The article emphasizes that current measurement tools, such as Google’s AI Assistant channel in GA4 and Microsoft’s AI Performance report, track clicks and citations but fail to measure the earlier, invisible influence of AI on buyer intent. Forrester suggests that businesses must shift their focus from generating traffic to ensuring their brand is accurately represented in AI answers, as the shortlist for any category is being written now based on citable data rather than traditional marketing efforts.