[Edaily Reporter Yun Junghoon ] As we enter an era where artificial intelligence (AI) summarizes search results and directly recommends products and brands, the rules of digital marketing are changing. While it used to be important to identify keywords that consumers might search for, raise ad bid prices, and secure top placement in search results, the ability to accumulate information so that AI can understand and recommend brands—while simultaneously acquiring new customers—is expected to become increasingly important going forward.

In response to these changes, Naver (NAVER(035420)) has proposed a new marketing strategy that combines branding ads, website optimization, and AI-based ad automation.

Jang Yoon-seok, Head of Sales Planning at Naver, emphasized during an AI Advertising and Marketing Seminar hosted by the Korea Digital Advertising Association and the Digital Marketing Research Association at the Korea Conference Center in Gangnam, Seoul, on the 15th, “Everything hinges on whether our advertisers’ brands are the kind that AI would recommend,” adding, “We must examine who the search users are, why they searched, and the intent and context behind their queries.”

Moving Beyond Keyword Bidding Competition: Brands Must Be Selected by AI

Traditional search advertising operated on a structure where advertisers selected keywords and set bid prices, and ads were displayed based on factors such as relevance to the search term. However, as conversational AI search becomes more widespread, the “zero-click” phenomenon—where users obtain information solely from answers curated by AI without visiting multiple web pages directly—may expand. From an advertiser’s perspective, this means it will become increasingly difficult to secure touchpoints with customers simply by appearing in search results.

Naver is focusing on the competitiveness of the brand itself. Director Jang identified △search demand △content volume △trends △reputation signals △user engagement as key factors to consider when evaluating a brand. He explained that brands must not only encourage consumers to discover and search for them but also ensure that AI recognizes them as suitable candidates for inclusion in answers and recommendations.

To this end, he predicted that the role of branding advertising would also expand. The idea is that it should go beyond simply raising brand awareness through advertising; rather, it should drive consumer search demand and content dissemination to increase touchpoints between the brand and users.

However, it remains to be seen whether brand search volume or ad spending directly influences Naver AI’s recommendation results. The direction proposed by Naver is that, in the era of AI search, brands must manage both brand awareness and the quality of information.

90% of Landing Pages Need Improvement… Must Be AI-Readable

Another key task identified was optimizing websites so that AI can understand them. Director Jang explained that, based on Naver’s review, approximately 90% of landing pages require improvements to be AI-search-ready. Landing pages are the web pages users arrive at after clicking an ad, and the majority were found to be non-AI-bot-friendly.

Consequently, marketers will need to go beyond search engine optimization (SEO) and focus on answer engine optimization (AEO) to increase the likelihood that their content will be selected for AI-generated answers. Generative engine optimization (GEO) is another strategy designed to ensure content is discovered and utilized in the AI search environment. Furthermore, this means marketing agencies must not only manage ad campaigns but also review the technical quality of website structure and content, and provide advertisers with recommendations for improvement.

Combining Manual Advertising with AI Automation… Acquiring New Customers Is Key

Ad management methods are also changing. Naver has proposed a strategy that combines traditional manual advertising with AI-automated advertising. The idea is for advertisers to directly manage the core keywords and products they must secure, while using AI-automated advertising to identify previously undiscovered search terms and potential customers. This approach is based on the assessment that AI can shift the focus of work rather than completely replacing the roles of existing marketers.

Director Jang explained, “While repetitive bidding and campaign management should be automated, marketers must devote more resources to analyzing customer search intent and purchase context, as well as formulating brand strategies.”

In particular, determining whether improved ad efficiency leads to new customer acquisition is a key challenge.

He pointed out, “The return on ad spend (ROAS) for Naver Ads is rising from the previous level of 500% to between 700% and 800%,” adding, “Nevertheless, advertisers are wondering why their sales aren’t increasing. Even if ad efficiency improves, if the focus remains on converting existing customers who are highly likely to purchase, it may not lead to growth in the market as a whole.”

Ultimately, this means that advertising platforms and agencies must demonstrate their ability to go beyond improving efficiency and actually acquire new customers and generate additional revenue.

Director Jang said, “Fortunately, we still have a little time,” adding, “As AI automates a significant portion of ad operations, it will become increasingly important for marketers to possess not only the ability to utilize technology but also the strategic capability to deeply understand customers and brands.”