For the fourth straight week, intent data shows “search engines” are the most-searched topic among brand marketers, according to Bombora Company Surge.

Customer experience and SEO go hand-in-hand, which is especially true for companies that buy and sell products online.

For ecommerce, a company’s ability to rank highly in search rankings has a massive impact on the effectiveness of its marketing and online branding efforts, as it creates a sense of trust that paid ads can’t easily replicate. 

Despite their interest in search engines, “search engine marketing” (SEM) actually saw a decline in the same period, whereas “search engine optimization” (SEO) picked back up after experiencing a decline in recent weeks.

One could infer that marketers are looking for new ways to leverage existing search engines that go above and beyond traditional marketing tactics. With AI and voice search playing larger roles than in years past, marketers must stay ahead of evolving SEO trends.

Marketers should prioritize customer experience, as self-directed content experiences become the norm.