Welcome to The B2B Marketing Brief! Your front-row seat to the ever-evolving world of B2B marketing. Where we keep it real—sharing wins, tackling pain points, and uncovering growth opportunities. Each edition is packed with stories, tips, and the latest trends to help you master the art of B2B engagement. Get your cup of coffee, and let’s get marketing!

In this issue:

• It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It. What B2B Marketers Need to Know to Thrive in the Age of AI Search

• Branded Keywords Are Getting Smarter. Is Your SEO+SEM Strategy Keeping Up?

It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It. What B2B Marketers Need to Know to Thrive in the Age of AI Search

Stop. Close your tabs. We’re entering a Nolan-esque journey of Semantic search inception—where meaning bends and keywords…die slowly.

But before we move forward, we must rewind.

Scene Setting: BC (Before Chatbots)

Circa: The Keyword Search Era
Ambience: Sepia-toned. Slow, melancholic piano. CRT monitor glow.
Scene: A lone user sits at a desk, bathed in search engine blue light. Fingers hover over the keyboard as she Googles the future of search: semantic search.
Types keywords:
“semantic search definition”
“semantic search vs keyword search”
“semantic search and SEO”
Mood: Literal, transactional, mechanical
Feel: Say what?

Cut to: AD (After Disruption)

Circa: The Semantic Search Era
Ambience: Clean. Ambient hum of minimal tech. The search bar still exists—but it doesn’t enjoy main character energy.
Scene: The user sits at a desk, with fewer tabs blinking in panic. Fingers hover over the keyboard as she asks ChatGPT about how semantic search is changing search as we know it.
Types phrases in natural language
Context:
“How has SEO changed now that search is smarter”
“Does google still use keywords the same way?”
“How do LLMs understand what I mean without exact keywords?”
Mood: Exploratory, conversational, fluid, continuous
Feel: Happy to help! Ask me anything!

Welcome to the world of thinking, feeling, intuitive semantic search. It’s not a keyword-stuffed search bar anymore—it’s a conversation. Insightful, responsive, alive. But what does that really mean? Let’s begin the way all searches do: with a question. Or as GenAI calls it—a prompt.

“How do LLMs understand what I mean without exact keywords?”

Great question! Semantic search is how large language models (LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot) understand what you’re really looking for—even if you don’t use
the exact words. Instead of just scanning for keyword matches, it interprets your query in context to find the most relevant answers.

Semantic search has a personality. It’s like an old friend who’s known you for five seconds, and still understands the meaning and intention behind your search queries. It evaluates who is asking (persona), what are they asking (keywords or phrases), why are they asking for it (context and intent), before giving you an answer.

“Thank you! Now, tell me how it’s different from keyword search.”

Semantic search isn’t your vanilla keyword based search that hunts for exact word matches without understanding meaning. Traditional search is lexical. It sees words, not ideas. It doesn’t grasp context, synonyms, or relationships between words.

For example, if someone searches for “email marketing software,” a keyword-based engine might skip your product page if you’ve described it as a “customer engagement platform”.

Semantic search bridges that gap. It understands that “customer engagement” might include email marketing—and shows results based on meaning, not just matching terms.

“Can you give me some examples of semantic search?”

Sure. If a sales leader searches for “tools to boost sales productivity,” it might show CRMs or sales enablement platforms. But if a marketer types the same query, they might see campaign automation or lead scoring tools. That’s because semantic search understands what they're really trying to solve.

It knows “internal communications” could mean Slack, “reduce churn” could mean onboarding tips or analytics tools. It knows “protect customer data in the cloud” could mean different things to an IT manager (cloud security tools) vs. a compliance officer (regulatory frameworks).

“I see. How does this affect my brand visibility in search results?”

If your keywords don’t match what your buyers are actually typing, your content may not appear in search results. Let’s say someone searches for “lead generation tools for small businesses”, but your website talks about “demand capture solutions for SMEs.”

Traditional search might skip over you. But people are people and they often describe the same thing in different ways—like “remote work tools” vs “virtual collaboration platforms.” Lexical search misses these connections. That means missed visibility, missed relevance—and missed opportunities.

“You’ve given me a lot of information on Semantic search. But are tools like ChatGPT really changing search behavior?”

They 100% are. In 2023, ChatGPT’s share of search was just 0.25%, according to Search Engine Land. In 2024, that number went up to between 4%, says Rand Fishkin, CEO of Sparktoro. And by 2028, many brands will see their site traffic from organic search decrease by 50% or more as customers embrace generative AI-powered search, according to Gartner.

Here’s another way for B2B marketers to look at this. At his talk at the BrightonSEO conference in October 2024, Marcus Tober, SVP, Head of Enterprise Solutions at Semrush, estimated that if ChatGPT keeps growing at its current rate, it could drive as much traffic to content websites as Google does—in just four years!

“Interesting. What’s the impact of semantic search on B2B marketers?”

Semantic search is changing how B2B marketers get discovered. It’s no longer enough to just rank for exact-match keywords. Buyers are asking fuller, messier, more natural questions—and search engines are rewarding content that answers those questions with clarity and depth. Semantic search favors expertise, relevance, and context. For B2B marketers, that’s a shift from optimising for algorithms to creating content that actually solves problems.

“What does semantic search mean for my B2B content strategy?”

Semantic search rewards content that is focused on themes, not just keywords and phrases. That means creating content around connected topics. For example, if you're in cybersecurity, don’t just create a page for zero trust. Create a set of related articles that cover a topic from multiple angles such as Securing the Modern Workplace, Identity-first Access, and Threat response in Hybrid Environments. You’re writing to match how buyers think—and now, so is search.

Semantic search doesn’t just interpret language. It interprets us. So, if you're still creating content like it's 2013—designed for bots, not people—you are stuck in a time warp. Today, in the GenAI age, it’s all about semantics, and for once, that’s not a bad thing.

Branded Keywords Are Getting Smarter. Is Your SEO+SEM Strategy Keeping Up?

Search engines are getting sharper. Ad platforms, too. Thanks to AI-driven algorithms and match-type evolution, branded, category, and competitor terms are blurring in ways that create real tension (and real opportunity!) for SEO and SEM teams.

Search engines are matching more broadly, so your branded terms are getting pulled into competitive auctions, whether you like it or not. From 2023 to 2024, markets like legal services saw a doubling of CPC rates, according to Search Engine Land. What used to be a cozy spot at the top of the SERP is now swarming with “Top 10” listicles and competitors playing dress-up in your category.

Every brand’s strategy will look different. But make no mistake: your brand keywords aren’t safe anymore.

Your Brand Name Isn’t Just Yours Anymore

It used to be simple: a branded search meant someone typing your company name into Google. Today, it’s more like a cluster: a branded query might also trigger results for related products and, increasingly, your competitors.

AI is getting in on the action, too. Recent research from Semrush found that 13.14% of all queries triggered AI Overviews in March — up from 6.49% in January. The number of navigational (brand-specific) queries that trigger AI Overviews have doubled since January, as well.

So what does this mean? A user searching for your brand might also be shown:

• A “best [category] platforms” list where your competitor paid for top placement

• Smart SEM ads from competitors using phrase or broad match variants

• AI summaries (like Google’s SGE or Bing’s AI snapshots) that combine your brand with competitor comparisons or review content

The same Semrush research noted the largest share growth of AI Overviews was found in Science (+22.27%), Health (+20.33%), and People & Society (+18.83%), indicating a rapid shift in high-trust, information-dense categories.

What the Brand Shift Means for Paid Search

Paid search has long been the go-to for defending brand territory. But what used to be low-cost, low-effort is now ultra-competitive.

Branded CPCs are climbing (up 10% on average across industries, according to Search Engine Land) as competitor ads get triggered by looser match types. Even if you’re bidding on exact match branded terms, leakage happens. And when brands assume they “own” those results organically, they pull back on branded campaigns exactly when they should be doubling down.

Competitors, match types, CPCs…it’s enough to make your head spin. Now’s the time to:

• Pressure-test your branded keyword performance. Where are competitors edging in? Where are you leaving clicks (and conversions) on the table?

• Get strict with your match types to avoid wasting spend, especially for phrase and broad match keywords. Looseness is leakage.

• Tighten negative keyword lists. Make sure irrelevant or competitor-aligned queries aren’t draining your budgets.

• Layer in audiences. Protect brand terms like you protect pipeline: focus on past site visitors, CRM lists, or high-intent segments.

Pro tip 🚀 One tactic we’ve used in highly competitive brand environments is to let competitors burn themselves out. When CPCs spike and quality scores are low on the other side, we’ll sometimes reduce our impression share just enough to hold second position. This inflates competitor CPCs without giving up visibility entirely.

Once the auction gets too expensive for them to sustain, we re-enter more aggressively and reclaim the top spot at a lower cost. It’s helped multiple clients regain control of branded SERPs without overpaying for the privilege.

What the Brand Shift Means for Organic Content

Ranking #1 for your brand name isn’t the flex it used to be. There, we said it.

AI-generated results and competitor SEO efforts are crowding what used to be clean paths to your homepage.

• Go beyond brand keywords. Capture adjacent, category-level demand before someone else does.

• Strengthen your E-E-A-T. Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust build credibility that even AI summaries can’t ignore.

• Differentiate within the category. Don’t just say what your product does; explain why it’s better than the competitors your audience is seeing next to you.

Our Director of SEO & Content Strategy Anneliese Harrison notes, “We’ve seen impressions go up 56% across our client accounts, but clicks are flat or declining. That tells us people are seeing the content, but AI features are intercepting the click.”

“That changes how we optimize,” she adds. “It’s about structuring your content so it gets picked up and cited inside these summaries.”

How SEO and SEM Can Work Together

We’ve been holistic search marketers for a long time. And we’ve maintained that branded search shouldn’t be an SEO vs. SEM conversation. The smartest teams are treating it as shared ground.

That means:

• Regular branded term reviews across SEO and SEM. Align on what’s leaking and which competitors are creeping in. These reviews are your front line of defense.

• Unified performance reporting. Look at brand term conversions holistically. Are users coming in through paid or organic? Are they converting? Which channel is winning and why?

• Combined query intelligence. With search query visibility shrinking (thanks, privacy updates), it’s mission-critical to pool insights from both sides of the aisle. One team’s “irrelevant term” might be the other’s hidden gem.

• Joint content + ad planning. If AI summaries or smart SERP features are pulling in competitive content, both teams should be ready to respond. Align your messaging, landing pages, and playbooks.

As Anneliese explains, “We’re seeing the strongest results when SEO and SEM align early on shared keyword and intent strategy. When messaging tests from SEM feed back into metadata and content strategy, we’re growing brand visibility from AI Overviews to ads to organic listings.”

But like we noted above, collaboration goes beyond keywords. SEM campaigns often drive to high-conversion, purpose-built pages. Think single CTA, stripped-down navigation, and speed to lead. SEO, on the other hand, favors content-rich pages with internal links, topical depth, and authority signals.

At ROI·DNA, we’re increasingly developing hybrid landing experiences that meet the needs of both channels: fast-loading, high-converting pages with enough context and internal link structure to keep organic rankings strong.

Your Brand. Your Turf. Defend It.

Branded search used to be a gimme. Now it’s a street fight. AI-powered search turned your name, your clicks, and your turf into open season. Not just for smart competitors, but for sloppy matching, broad targeting, and unintended leakage that quickly turns into search chaos.

The brands that win are those who test and adapt fast and treat branded strategy like the performance lever it is. It’s about owning your category through being the first impression buyers get when they go looking.

Branded terms are under attack. Time to fight smarter and evolve faster so you won’t just rank. You’ll reign.

Catch our next issue out on June 25 2025!

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