From keyword to dialogue: How Hyundai optimizes for AI-driven search

"NEW YORK - Hyundai is taking a more conversational approach to its marketing in order to keep up with the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI). This comes as the industry experiences major disruptions to search-based marketing in favor of AI-driven search, according to an executive from Canvas Worldwide, the auto manufacturer's media agency of record, who spoke during an Advertising Week New York panel on Monday."

""Our main goal is to rethink how we are approaching consumers. It's less about search distribution, it's more about search engagement," said Greg Johns, chief product officer and executive vice president, Canvas Worldwide. Johns, who took the place of Hyundai Motors America CMO Sean Gilpin on the panel, was joined by Costanza Ghelfi, chief product officer at Making Science, and Marta Martinez, managing director Americas, Google marketing platform at Google."

"The roll out of AI search and AI mode on Google has led to an increase in "zero click searches," where consumers may not click on a link at all. Sixty-five percent of U.S. searches are now clickless, according to Ghelfi. As consumers get more familiar with using AI tools for search, they are abandoning keywords in favor of natural language prompts. This means search is becoming a lot more specific and a lot more conversational, according to panelists."

Hyundai is adopting a conversational marketing approach to adapt to rapid adoption of artificial intelligence in search. AI-driven search is disrupting traditional search-based marketing and increasing clickless or "zero click" queries. Consumers are moving from keyword queries to natural language prompts, making searches more specific and conversational. High-consideration purchases like cars rely heavily on research and word-of-mouth, and AI offers marketers new ways to participate in those personal decision pathways. The marketing emphasis is shifting from distributing search results to engaging in the conversational contexts where consumers seek answers.

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