Key stat: 42% of UK/US B2B tech CMOs say declining performance from traditional search channels is driving them to adapt for generative engine optimization (GEO) and zero-click search, tied with the 42% who say AI is changing how buyers discover and evaluate brands, according to a December report from 3Thinkrs.

Beyond the chart:

• Consumer behavior validates the decline. Only 8.8% of US adults accept the top search result without further fact-checking, and nearly half (48.6%) cross-check what they find, according to Raptive, suggesting traditional search rankings have lost the authority they once carried.
• Meanwhile, budgets are following the shift. US enterprises dedicated 12% of their digital marketing budgets to GEO in 2025, and 94% of digital marketing leaders planned to increase that spend in 2026, according to Conductor, confirming the move away from traditional search is already showing up in resource allocation.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next B2B marketing strategy deck to show that the shift away from traditional search is driven by current pain, not future anxiety. Use the twin 42% figures to justify GEO investment. Show this to teams still relying on organic search as their primary discovery channel.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• AI Commerce 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• The Gradual, Then Sudden, Rise of Ads in AI (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the December 2025 3Thinkrs report titled "How to Win Influence in B2B Tech: A CMO’s Marketing and Communications Playbook for 2026." 400 US/UK B2B tech CMOs were surveyed during August 2025. Respondents were evenly split between venture capital-backed start-ups and billion-dollar companies.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.