How digital marketing has changed for different sectors

The places where you find a business online often depend on what you’re looking for. You might come across a clothing brand while scrolling through Instagram or ask ChatGPT to help research somewhere to stay. The route from having a question to choosing a business can look different from one purchase to the next. 

Marketing has had to become more specific as a result. An online retailer has different customers and opportunities from a healthcare provider, with changes in search giving each sector more to consider. 

From SEO to AI-powered discovery 

SEO continues to underpin how businesses get found online, but search now stretches beyond a traditional results page. People can ask detailed questions through ChatGPT and other generative tools, while AI-generated answers have become part of Google Search. 

Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 reflects this broader picture, covering generative AI alongside traditional search when looking at how UK adults spend their time online. 

People can now come across a business without clicking on one of its traditional search results. A travel company might once have focused on searches for destinations and accommodation, for example. Now, somebody can ask an AI tool to suggest where to stay based on their budget or the type of holiday they’re planning. 

How retail and e-commerce marketing have transformed 

The route to an online purchase has become less straightforward. Someone can discover a product through a creator they follow and eventually buy it directly from a retailer’s website. 

Social media, search and a retailer’s own website often come into the same purchase. If somebody spots a skincare product in a video and searches for it afterwards, they should be able to find useful information that picks up where that initial discovery left off. 

The same applies to businesses investing in hair and beauty digital marketing, where customers may want tutorials, ingredient information, reviews or advice before choosing a product. Content can answer those questions without losing sight of the shopping experience behind them. 

Retailers also have access to information about how customers browse and shop, helping them tailor the experience to what someone is looking for. 

Sector-specific strategies in travel, healthcare and professional services 

Travel has plenty of room to inspire, but customers also need practical information they can rely on when planning and booking. 

Healthcare content comes with greater responsibility around accuracy. NHS England’s 2026/27 roadmap, for example, describes NHS.UK evolving to provide trusted health information across the NHS website, NHS App, search engines and AI-assisted experiences. 

Professional services work differently again. Customers may spend considerably longer researching a solicitor, accountant or financial provider than they would an everyday purchase, so detailed advice and visible expertise can help them understand who they’re dealing with before getting in touch. 

There can also be rules governing how companies promote particular services. The FCA, for instance, says financial promotions on social media should be fair, clear and not misleading. 

The growing importance of trust, authority and brand visibility 

Reviews give potential customers an insight into other people’s experiences, which can influence how comfortable they feel choosing an unfamiliar business. There are also tighter expectations around how businesses handle them. 

The Competition and Markets Authority’s guidance on online reviews, published in September 2025, explains what sites publishing reviews need to do to comply with consumer protection law and points businesses towards rules introduced around fake reviews. 

Coverage from respected publications can take a business beyond its own channels, particularly when journalists lean on original research or ask its specialists for comment. 

As people encounter brands through search results, AI-generated answers and third-party sources, what others say about a business becomes part of how it is found and understood.