How AI and Digital Technology Affect Marketing

AI and digital technology can help a business reach the right customers, tailor its marketing and measure results. SEO, PPC and CRM do different jobs: SEO helps people find a business in unpaid search results, PPC buys visits through adverts, and CRM helps the business manage customer relationships. AI can make each more efficient, but it does not guarantee sales.

How each works

SEO (search engine optimisation) means improving a website so it is more likely to appear in relevant unpaid search results. A business might use AI to identify search terms customers use or suggest improvements to its pages. Useful, accurate content still matters; AI-generated text alone will not secure a high ranking.

PPC (pay-per-click) advertising places paid adverts in front of potential customers. The business pays when someone clicks, not when they buy. Digital tools can target audiences and track clicks, while AI can help adjust bids and adverts based on performance. PPC may bring visitors quickly, but costs can rise without enough sales to justify them.

CRM (customer relationship management) uses information about customers and their interactions with the business. For example, a clothes retailer could use purchase records to send relevant offers to existing customers. AI might identify buying patterns or suggest which customers are likely to respond. The business must handle customer data responsibly and respect privacy requirements.

Judging the impact

Suppose a retailer uses PPC to attract visitors to a new product page, improves that page for SEO, then uses its CRM system to follow up with customers who have agreed to receive marketing. It should compare the cost of these activities with the sales and customer loyalty they generate. The common mistake is to treat more clicks or more customer data as success in itself: what matters is whether the marketing helps meet the business’s objectives.