Will AI replace Search Marketing Strategists?
The Stanford WORKBank study rates tasks, not whole jobs, so it cannot say whether any one job disappears. What it shows: AI experts rate 12 of the 14 studied Search Marketing Strategists tasks as do-able by AI today, and 12 of those are tasks workers also want automated.
of tasks in the Search Marketing Strategists role are ones AI can already do, per AI experts.
From a Stanford study where AI experts and search marketing strategists workers rated each real task (O*NET). Not a guess from the job title.
Key statistics
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- AI can already do 86% of the 14 work tasks in the Search Marketing Strategists role, according to AI experts in the Stanford WORKBank study (O*NET SOC 13-1161.01).
- Workers in the Search Marketing Strategists role rate 100% of their tasks 3 or higher out of 5 for wanting them automated (Stanford WORKBank, 1,500 U.S. workers).
- 12 of 14 Search Marketing Strategists tasks are Automation Green Light, wanted by workers and do-able by AI, that is 86% of the role (Stanford WORKBank).
- The typical Search Marketing Strategists task scores 3.43/5 for worker desire to automate and 4.03/5 for AI capability today (Stanford WORKBank, 1-5 scale).
Top tasks to automate
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- Collect and analyze Web metrics, such as visits, time on site, page views per visit, transaction volume and revenue, traffic mix, click-through rates, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, or cost per click.
- Improve search-related activities through ongoing analysis, experimentation, or optimization tests, using A/B or multivariate methods.
- Optimize shopping cart experience or Web site conversion rates against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- Assist in setting up or optimizing analytics tools for tracking visitors' behaviors.
- Conduct market research analysis to identify search query trends, real-time search and news media activity, popular social media topics, electronic commerce trends, market opportunities, or competitor performance.
- Optimize Web site exposure by analyzing search engine patterns to direct online placement of keywords or other content.
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What workers told Stanford
Of the 14 tasks studied for Search Marketing Strategists, 12 (86%) are in the Automation Green Light zone, AI can largely do them and workers want it. Across all tasks, workers rate 100% of their tasks 3 or higher out of 5 for wanting them automated. The typical task scores 3.43/5 for worker desire and 4.03/5 for AI capability.
All 14 tasks, most-wanted first
Improve search-related activities through ongoing analysis, experimentation, or optimization tests, using A/B or multivariate methods.
Green Lightwant 4.14 · AI 4.33Optimize shopping cart experience or Web site conversion rates against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Green Lightwant 4 · AI 4Collect and analyze Web metrics, such as visits, time on site, page views per visit, transaction volume and revenue, traffic mix, click-through rates, conversion rates, cost per acquisition, or cost per click.
Green Lightwant 3.67 · AI 5Conduct market research analysis to identify search query trends, real-time search and news media activity, popular social media topics, electronic commerce trends, market opportunities, or competitor performance.
Green Lightwant 3.6 · AI 4.33Assist in setting up or optimizing analytics tools for tracking visitors' behaviors.
Green Lightwant 3.5 · AI 4.5Optimize digital assets, such as text, graphics, or multimedia assets, for search engine optimization (SEO) or for display and usability on internet-connected devices.
Green Lightwant 3.5 · AI 4Optimize Web site exposure by analyzing search engine patterns to direct online placement of keywords or other content.
Green Lightwant 3.43 · AI 4.33Combine secondary data sources with keyword research to more accurately profile and satisfy user intent.
Green Lightwant 3.29 · AI 4.33Identify appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and report key metrics from digital campaigns.
Green Lightwant 3.2 · AI 4.33Create content strategies for digital media.
Green Lightwant 3.2 · AI 4Propose online or multiple-sales-channel campaigns to marketing executives.
R&D Opportunitywant 3.2 · AI 3Conduct online marketing initiatives, such as paid ad placement, affiliate programs, sponsorship programs, email promotions, or viral marketing campaigns on social media Web sites.
R&D Opportunitywant 3.2 · AI 2.67Manage tracking and reporting of search-related activities and provide analyses to marketing executives.
Green Lightwant 3.1 · AI 3.67Participate in the development or implementation of online marketing strategy.
Green Lightwant 3 · AI 4
Related occupations
Other Business and Financial Operations roles in the Stanford WORKBank study, closest AI-capability share first.
- Accountants and AuditorsAI can do 86% of tasks today · workers want 29% automated
- Loan OfficersAI can do 88% of tasks today · workers want 63% automated
- Tax PreparersAI can do 89% of tasks today · workers want 89% automated
- Credit AnalystsAI can do 83% of tasks today · workers want 67% automated
- Online MerchantsAI can do 80% of tasks today · workers want 67% automated
- Management AnalystsAI can do 75% of tasks today · workers want 25% automated
Lower-automation alternatives
Less of these jobs is automatable today: AI experts rate a smaller share of their tasks as doable than the 86% for Search Marketing Strategists (Stanford WORKBank).
Search Marketing Strategists ranks #16 of 104 studied roles by the share of tasks AI experts rate as do-able today. See which roles top and bottom the list in the most automatable jobs in 2026.