If you’ve been involved in marketing, whether doing it for your own business or employing an agency, you may have heard the phrase “chase the clicks” – an instruction that used to make sense. If more people clicked on your website, more people bought or enquired – at least, in theory. But the way people search and consume information online has changed dramatically, and chasing clicks has become a little like running after a bus that’s already pulled away.
At this year’s Inbound conference*, HubSpot’s CEO Yamini Rangan summed it up perfectly:
“We did not chase clicks, we build trust.”
It’s a simple line but a powerful one – especially when you consider that around 60 per cent of Google searches now end without a single click.
AI (artificial intelligence) overviews and conversational search are answering questions directly, which means fewer visitors are making it through to your website. The traditional funnel of discover, click and convert is being replaced by a much more complex loop.
The idea behind HubSpot’s new “Loop” framework is that marketing should focus on earning trust, not just attention. It starts with expressing who you are, clearly and consistently. Then comes tailoring content so it speaks directly to the person reading it, amplifying your message across the platforms that matter, and evolving based on what actually works. It sounds straightforward, but the real challenge lies in balancing AI’s efficiency with the human element that makes content meaningful.
That human element is vital. AI can process data faster than any of us, but it can’t replace empathy, humour or the quirks that make your brand memorable. Think of AI as an assistant – it can speed things up and help personalise messages, but it’s your voice and your perspective that turn marketing from noise into connection. Without that, content risks sounding flat, robotic or worse, untrustworthy.
This is why trust now sits at the centre of successful marketing. People don’t just want quick answers, they want confidence in where those answers come from. If your brand feels authentic, transparent and consistent, you’re building a relationship that AI alone can’t replicate.
At Engage Web, we stay on top of these shifts so that you don’t have to. Our focus is on making sure your business gets seen online in the right way – combining the best of what AI can do with the creativity, strategy and personality that only humans bring. If you want marketing that builds trust instead of just chasing clicks, get in touch with us today.
- Google’s “Preferred Sources” – digital marketing equivalent of queue-skipping? - September 9, 2025
- Trust, not clicks: why human-led marketing still wins - September 8, 2025
- GEO vs SEO: What should you focus on right now? - September 4, 2025
