For many companies in the supply chain industry, Google has become one of the most important sources of new business.

Whether a customer is looking for a forklift supplier, a warehouse racking company, a freight forwarding partner, a logistics provider, a packaging supplier, a cold-chain solution or an industrial equipment specialist, the buying journey often starts with a search.

For years, the model was fairly simple:

Rank on Google.
Run Google Ads.
Get clicks.
Turn those clicks into enquiries.

That model is not disappearing, but it is changing.

According to research published by IMS, using Similarweb clickstream data, 68.01% of Google searches in the first four months of 2026 ended without a click. In 2024, that number was reported at 60.45%.

In simple terms, more users are getting what they need directly on Google without clicking through to another website.

For supply chain businesses that rely on organic search traffic and Google Ads enquiries, this matters.

What Is a Zero-Click Search?

A zero-click search happens when someone searches on Google but does not click through to a website.

This may happen because Google gives the answer directly through:

• AI Overviews
• Featured snippets
• Maps results
• Knowledge panels
• People Also Ask results
• Product panels
• YouTube results
• Instant answers
• Google Business Profile information

For example, someone searching for “forklift rental Gauteng” may see maps, ads, business listings and quick information without immediately visiting a supplier’s website.

Someone asking “what is the best racking system for a warehouse?” may get a summary answer before opening any article.

Someone searching for a logistics provider may compare options directly from the results page.

This does not mean the customer journey has ended. It means the first stage of research may now happen before the website visit.

Why This Matters for Supply Chain Companies

The supply chain industry is heavily search-driven.

Customers often use Google to find suppliers, compare options and understand technical requirements before they contact a business.

This is especially true for categories such as:

• Forklifts and lift trucks
• Warehouse equipment
• Materials handling
• Freight and logistics
• Cold-chain solutions
• Packaging
• Racking and shelving
• Last-mile delivery
• Industrial automation
• Mining and heavy equipment
• Import, export and customs services
• Fleet and transport services

Many of these searches are high-value. One enquiry can lead to a rental contract, equipment sale, maintenance agreement, logistics partnership or long-term supply relationship.

If fewer searchers are clicking through to websites, businesses need to understand that visibility is no longer only about traffic.

It is also about influence.

Google Ads Are Still Important, but the Journey Is Changing

Google Ads remain highly relevant for supply chain businesses, particularly for high-intent searches.

If someone searches for “forklift rental near me”, “warehouse racking supplier Johannesburg” or “freight forwarding South Africa”, they may still be close to making an enquiry.

Paid search can still capture this demand.

However, businesses should not assume that every customer will click immediately. A buyer may see an ad, notice a brand name, compare it with other suppliers, search again later or ask an AI tool for recommendations.

The role of Google Ads may shift from being only a direct click channel to being part of a broader visibility and trust-building journey.

That means advertisers should look beyond clicks alone and ask:

• Are we appearing for the right high-intent searches?
• Are our ads clear and specific?
• Do our landing pages answer the customer’s real questions?
• Are we tracking calls, forms and quote requests properly?
• Are we measuring branded search growth?
• Are customers searching for us after seeing our ads?
• Are we building trust before the enquiry happens?

In a zero-click environment, paid media still matters, but it must be connected to strong content, strong landing pages and clear measurement.

Organic SEO Still Matters, but It Needs to Do More

The rise of zero-click search does not mean SEO is dead.

In fact, SEO may become more important.

The difference is that SEO should no longer be measured only by website traffic. It should also be measured by how well the business is represented in search results, AI summaries and customer research journeys.

A supply chain business with a weak website, thin content and vague service pages is unlikely to be properly understood by search engines or AI-powered platforms.

A strong website should clearly explain:

• What the company does
• Which industries it serves
• Which regions it operates in
• What products or services it provides
• What technical capabilities it has
• What problems it solves
• Why customers should trust it
• How customers can make contact

For example, a page that says “we offer logistics solutions” is too vague.

A stronger page would explain whether the business provides freight forwarding, warehousing, cross-border logistics, transport management, last-mile delivery, customs clearing, supply chain consulting or cold-chain logistics.

The clearer the content, the easier it is for customers, search engines and AI systems to understand the business.

AI Search Adds Another Layer

AI-powered search is adding further complexity.

Customers are no longer only typing short search terms. They are asking longer questions, such as:

• Which forklift company in Gauteng offers rental, servicing and spare parts?
• What should I consider before choosing a warehouse racking supplier?
• Which logistics company can handle cross-border freight into Southern Africa?
• What is the best materials handling solution for a high-volume warehouse?
• How can a distribution centre reduce picking errors?
• What are the advantages of outsourcing warehousing?

These questions are more detailed and often show stronger buying intent.

If a business wants to be considered in these journeys, its website and wider digital presence must provide enough information for AI-powered tools to understand and reference it.

This is where content quality, structure and authority become critical.

The Website Is Still the Source of Truth

Even if users do not click immediately, the website remains important.

Search engines and AI systems still need reliable sources to understand businesses, services and industries. A company’s website is often one of the clearest sources of that information.

For supply chain companies, the website should not only be a brochure.

It should be a structured knowledge base that supports both customers and search platforms.

Useful website content may include:

• Detailed service pages
• Product category pages
• Industry pages
• Location pages
• FAQs
• Case studies
• Technical explainers
• Equipment guides
• Comparison articles
• Maintenance advice
• Compliance information
• Customer success stories
• Downloadable brochures and specifications

This type of content helps customers make better decisions. It also gives search engines and AI systems stronger information to work with.

Supply Chain Businesses Need to Think Beyond Clicks

If Google sends fewer clicks to websites, businesses need to expand how they measure digital success.

Traffic is still useful, but it is not the only metric.

Supply chain companies should also track:

• Enquiry quality
• Quote requests
• Phone calls
• Branded search growth
• Google Business Profile activity
• Search impressions
• Visibility for high-intent terms
• Assisted conversions
• Returning users
• Direct traffic
• AI mentions and citations
• Share of voice against competitors
• Lead source quality
• Sales pipeline value from digital channels

A decline in website clicks does not always mean a decline in business value. A customer may discover a company in search, research it elsewhere and contact it later.

This is why attribution and reporting need to become more sophisticated.

What Is Zero-Click Marketing?

Zero-click marketing means building awareness, trust and demand without relying only on users clicking through to your website.

For the supply chain industry, this could include:

• Strong Google Business Profile content
• LinkedIn thought leadership
• YouTube explainers
• Industry news features
• Technical articles
• Case studies
• Supplier comparison content
• Email newsletters
• Webinars
• Product videos
• Digital PR
• Social media content
• Participation in industry conversations

The point is not to stop driving traffic.

The point is to build visibility in more places than your website alone.

If a logistics buyer, warehouse manager, procurement officer or operations director repeatedly sees your brand associated with useful expertise, your business becomes more likely to be considered when the need becomes urgent.

Practical Steps for Supply Chain Companies

Supply chain businesses should not panic. They should adapt.

Here are practical steps to take now:

1. Strengthen High-Intent Service Pages

Make sure your most commercially important pages are clear, detailed and specific.

For example:

• Forklift rental
• Warehouse racking
• Freight forwarding
• Cold-chain logistics
• Customs clearing
• Last-mile delivery
• Packaging supplies
• Materials handling equipment
• Fleet maintenance
• Warehouse automation

Each page should explain what you offer, who it is for, where it is available and what action the customer should take next.

2. Add Useful FAQs

FAQs help customers and AI-powered search tools understand your business.

For example:

• Do you offer forklift rental or only sales?
• Which areas do you service?
• Do you provide maintenance and parts?
• What information is needed for a freight quote?
• What is the difference between selective and drive-in racking?
• How quickly can equipment be delivered?
• Do you support national or cross-border logistics?

These questions often reflect real sales conversations.

3. Build Case Studies

Case studies are powerful because they prove capability.

Supply chain buyers want evidence that a supplier can deliver. Case studies can show:

• The problem
• The solution
• The equipment or service used
• The outcome
• The operational improvement
• The commercial value

This is especially useful for complex B2B purchases.

4. Improve Local and Regional Visibility

Many supply chain searches are location-based.

Businesses should make sure they clearly communicate where they operate, including cities, provinces, industrial areas and cross-border regions where relevant.

For example:

• Gauteng
• Johannesburg
• Pretoria
• Durban
• Cape Town
• East Rand
• Midrand
• Southern Africa
• SADC regions

Local visibility can still be highly valuable in a zero-click search environment.

5. Use Google Ads More Strategically

Google Ads should focus on high-intent queries, clear landing pages and measurable outcomes.

Avoid sending all traffic to a generic homepage.

Instead, send users to pages that match their search intent, such as forklift rental, warehouse racking installation, customs clearing, or cold-chain logistics.

The closer the landing page matches the customer’s need, the better the chance of conversion.

6. Invest in AI Discoverability

AI discoverability is the process of making a business easier for AI-powered search platforms to understand, trust and surface.

This includes:

• Clear website structure
• Strong service pages
• Helpful FAQs
• Schema markup
• Authoritative content
• Case studies
• Consistent business information
• Strong third-party mentions
• Industry relevance
• Technical SEO

For supply chain businesses, this is becoming increasingly important because customers are using AI tools to research suppliers and compare options.

SEO and Google Ads are not dead.

But the way customers search, compare and make decisions is changing.

For the supply chain industry, this is a major shift. Businesses that rely only on website clicks may miss the bigger picture.

The future of search is not only about ranking and traffic. It is about being visible, useful and trusted wherever customers are researching.

That includes Google, AI search, LinkedIn, YouTube, industry websites, maps results, email, social media and other digital touchpoints.

The supply chain companies that adapt early will be better placed to influence buyers before they ever complete a form or pick up the phone.

In a zero-click world, the question is no longer only:

“Did they click?”

The better question is:

“Did they find us, understand us and trust us enough to take the next step?”

A container arrives at the Port of Durban exactly when it is supposed to.

The vessel has kept to schedule, the cargo is ready to be unloaded and the importer is expecting the shipment within a few days. Instead, the container sits at the terminal while customs documentation is verified. Transport bookings need to be rearranged, the warehouse receiving the goods has already moved on to the next delivery slot, and the customer is left wondering why their order has not arrived.

When this happens, transport is often blamed. But more often than not, the delay began long before the truck left the port.

This is where freight forwarding plays a critical role. For businesses importing, exporting or trading across Southern Africa, freight forwarders do far more than organise transport. They coordinate the people, paperwork and processes that keep goods moving through increasingly complex supply chains.

Freight Forwarding is About Coordinating the Entire Supply Chain

Many businesses assume freight forwarders simply book cargo on a ship or aircraft. While arranging transport is part of the job, it is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

A freight forwarder manages the movement of goods from origin to destination, coordinating shipping lines, airlines, road transport operators, customs authorities, warehouses and final delivery. They prepare documentation, arrange customs clearance, organise cargo insurance, monitor shipments and resolve issues that could delay delivery.

For businesses without in-house logistics expertise, this coordination is invaluable. Instead of managing multiple service providers and navigating changing regulations, companies can rely on a single point of contact to oversee the entire shipment.

As supply chains become more interconnected, freight forwarders have evolved from transport coordinators into strategic logistics partners.

South Africa’s Logistics Environment Adds Another Layer of Complexity

Freight forwarding presents challenges in every country, but South Africa’s logistics landscape introduces additional considerations that businesses cannot ignore.

Getting cargo into South Africa is often only half the job. Once a shipment reaches the port, it still needs to clear customs, secure transport and make its way to a warehouse or customer. Delays at any stage can quickly affect delivery schedules further down the supply chain.

For businesses trading throughout Southern Africa, cross-border logistics adds another level of complexity. Goods moving into Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia or Mozambique often require careful planning to ensure documentation, transport schedules and border procedures align.

A missed document or delayed vehicle can quickly disrupt the entire supply chain.

This is why experienced freight forwarders spend as much time planning for potential disruptions as they do managing the shipment itself.

Good Documentation Keeps Freight Moving

One of the biggest misconceptions in logistics is that delays are usually caused by transport.

In reality, paperwork is often the biggest obstacle.

Commercial invoices, packing lists, customs declarations, certificates of origin and tariff classifications all need to be accurate before cargo can move efficiently. Even minor errors can result in customs inspections, clearance delays or additional storage charges at ports.

The financial impact can be significant. Delayed production, missed delivery deadlines and unexpected demurrage costs often outweigh the original cost of transporting the goods.

Preparing documentation correctly before a shipment leaves its country of origin is one of the simplest ways to reduce these risks, making administrative accuracy just as important as the transport itself.

Technology is Changing the Way Freight Forwarders Work

Freight forwarding has traditionally relied on emails, phone calls and spreadsheets to manage shipments across multiple organisations.

While those tools still have their place, technology is making the industry more transparent and responsive.

Many freight forwarders now provide customers with online portals that offer real-time shipment tracking, digital documentation and automatic status updates. This gives businesses greater visibility over where their cargo is and helps them respond more quickly when delays occur.

Artificial intelligence is also beginning to influence freight forwarding by analysing shipping schedules, weather patterns and historical transit data to predict disruptions before they happen. At the same time, Internet of Things (IoT) devices allow temperature-sensitive or high-value cargo to be monitored throughout its journey, improving both compliance and security.

Technology is not replacing freight forwarders. It is giving them better information to make faster, more informed decisions.

Choosing the Right Freight Forwarder is About More Than Price

When comparing freight forwarding services, it can be tempting to focus on the lowest quotation. However, the cheapest option is not always the most cost-effective.

An experienced freight forwarder can help businesses avoid unnecessary delays, reduce compliance risks and resolve problems before they become expensive. Strong communication, reliable international networks, customs expertise and shipment visibility often deliver far greater value than a marginal saving on freight costs.

Businesses should look for partners that understand their industry, communicate proactively and have the experience to manage unexpected challenges when they arise.

International trade rarely goes exactly according to plan. The real measure of a freight forwarder is how effectively they respond when plans change.

Freight Forwarding is Becoming a Competitive Advantage

As global supply chains continue to evolve, the role of freight forwarders is changing with them.

They are no longer simply responsible for moving cargo from one location to another. Increasingly, they help businesses improve supply chain resilience, optimise transport routes, manage compliance and make better-informed logistics decisions.

For South African businesses, these capabilities are becoming increasingly important. Rising customer expectations, changing trade regulations and ongoing pressure on transport networks mean that every delay carries both operational and financial consequences.

Businesses that treat freight forwarding as a strategic part of their supply chain, rather than simply another transport service, are often better positioned to respond to disruption, control costs and deliver a more reliable service to their customers.

For supply chain businesses, being visible online is no longer only about ranking for terms such as “forklift supplier”, “warehouse automation”, “freight forwarding” or “materials handling equipment”.

Buyers are now asking longer, more commercially specific questions:

• Which warehouse equipment supplier offers nationwide support?
• What is the best type of forklift for a high-volume warehouse?
• Which logistics company can manage cross-border freight into Southern Africa?
• How can a warehouse reduce picking errors and improve throughput?
• Which crushing and screening supplier provides technical support and spare parts?

These questions are increasingly being asked through Google’s AI search experiences, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and other answer-led platforms.

That has created a new set of acronyms: SEO for AI, AEO and GEO.

They are closely related, but they are not exactly the same. For supply chain businesses, understanding the difference helps ensure that marketing investment is focused on the things that actually improve visibility, authority and lead generation.

Traditional SEO: The Foundation Still Matters

SEO, or search engine optimisation, remains the foundation.

Traditional SEO helps search engines crawl, understand and rank your website for relevant searches. For a supply chain business, that could include optimising content for services, equipment categories, brands, industries served, locations, technical specifications and customer problems.

A strong SEO strategy for a logistics company, warehouse supplier or industrial equipment business may include:

• Technical website improvements
• Clear service and product pages
• Location and service-area content
• Keyword and competitor research
• Internal linking
• Industry articles and technical guides
• Metadata and structured page content
• Backlink and authority-building activity

The objective is straightforward: make it easier for the right people to find your business when they are actively looking for a solution.

“The fundamentals have not disappeared. If your website is technically weak, vague about what you offer or difficult for customers to navigate, no AI strategy is going to fix that overnight.”
Francois Vorster, IMS Ad Agency

For the supply chain industry, SEO is especially important because buyers often search with precise requirements. They may need a particular product, capacity, region, certification, service level or technical capability. The businesses that explain these details clearly are in a stronger position to be found.

What Is SEO for AI?

SEO for AI is the broadest term.

It refers to improving how easily AI-powered search platforms can understand your business, products, services, expertise and relevance to a customer’s question.

For a supply chain company, SEO for AI means making it clear:

• What you supply or deliver
• Which industries you serve
• Which geographies you cover
• What technical capabilities you have
• What problems you solve
• Which brands or product categories you represent
• Why a customer should trust you
• What makes your offering different

For example, a page that says “We provide warehouse solutions” gives very little context.

A page that clearly explains that the business supplies warehouse racking, forklifts, battery solutions, service support, fleet management and operator training across Gauteng and nationally gives search platforms much stronger information to work with.

SEO for AI combines traditional SEO with clearer content, structured information, entity optimisation, FAQs, technical accuracy, case studies and trust signals.

“AI search is not about trying to trick a platform into mentioning your business. It is about making your business so clear, credible and useful online that it becomes easier to understand when the right question is asked.”
Francois Vorster, IMS Ad Agency

What Is AEO?

AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimisation.

AEO focuses on creating content that answers questions directly, clearly and accurately.

This is particularly relevant in supply chain, logistics and industrial markets because customers often need information before they are ready to request a quote.

They may ask:

• What is the difference between a reach truck and a counterbalance forklift?
• How do I choose the right racking system for my warehouse?
• What are the benefits of outsourced warehousing?
• How can a business reduce warehouse operating costs?
• Which crusher is suitable for a specific application?
• What should I consider before importing equipment into South Africa?

AEO helps businesses build content around those questions.

This can include:

• FAQ sections
• Product comparison pages
• Buying guides
• Technical explainers
• Industry articles
• Service-process pages
• Troubleshooting content
• Specification and compatibility information

The goal is to be useful at the exact point where a potential customer is researching a problem or evaluating options.

AEO is not only good for AI-powered search. It also improves customer experience because it answers the questions a sales team is often asked repeatedly.

“In industrial and supply chain sectors, customers do not always start with a product name. They start with a problem. The business that answers that problem properly has a far better chance of being considered.”
Francois Vorster, IMS Ad Agency

What Is GEO?

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimisation.

GEO focuses more specifically on improving the likelihood that a business, product, service or source is included in AI-generated answers, summaries and recommendations.

A generative search platform does not simply return a list of websites. It combines information from multiple sources to produce an answer.

For example, a customer may ask:

“Which companies in South Africa provide warehouse equipment, forklift support and fleet management for large distribution centres?”

A GEO strategy aims to strengthen the signals that make a business relevant to that response.

For supply chain businesses, those signals may include:

• Detailed product and service information
• Clear technical expertise
• Strong industry content
• Relevant third-party mentions
• Case studies and proof of work
• Accurate business listings
• Authoritative backlinks
• Reviews and customer evidence
• Consistent brand information across the web
• Content that demonstrates subject-matter knowledge

GEO is not about guaranteeing that a company will appear in every AI response. AI platforms are constantly changing, and no responsible agency should promise a guaranteed recommendation.

Instead, GEO is about improving the quality, clarity and authority of the information available about your business.

Is There Really a Difference?

Yes, but the difference is mainly in focus.

The important point is that these should not be treated as isolated services.

A strong technical SEO foundation supports all of them. Clear service pages support all of them. Useful articles, FAQs, case studies and credible external signals support all of them.

Why This Matters for Supply Chain Businesses

Supply chain purchases are rarely impulse decisions.

Whether a business is looking for a logistics partner, warehouse technology, industrial equipment, refrigeration solution, fleet support or mining machinery, the buying process often includes research, comparison, technical evaluation and internal approval.

That means decision-makers need confidence.

They want to understand:

• Whether the supplier has relevant experience
• Whether the product or service is suitable
• Whether support is available
• Whether the business operates in their region
• Whether the supplier understands their industry
• Whether the business can deliver at the required scale

AI-led search will increasingly influence this research phase.

Businesses that only publish basic product pages and short sales copy risk being overlooked. Businesses that publish useful, specific and credible content give themselves more opportunities to be found early in the buyer journey.

What IMS Recommends

At IMS, we see SEO, AEO, GEO and SEO for AI as parts of a single AI discoverability strategy.

For supply chain businesses, the work usually starts with the basics:

1. Make sure the website is technically sound and easy to crawl.
2. Clarify core service, product and industry pages.
3. Build content around real customer questions.
4. Add technical depth, specifications, comparisons and FAQs.
5. Strengthen local, national and industry authority signals.
6. Use case studies and proof points to build trust.
7. Track visibility, search behaviour and lead quality over time.

“The opportunity is not to chase another marketing buzzword. The opportunity is to become the business that customers and search platforms understand first when a relevant supply chain question is asked.”
Francois Vorster, IMS Ad Agency

SEO, AEO, GEO and SEO for AI are not competing strategies.

They are different ways of describing a broader shift in how customers discover information, compare suppliers and make decisions.

For supply chain businesses, the winning approach is not to choose one acronym over another.

It is to build a strong, technically sound and genuinely useful digital presence that explains what you do, proves your expertise and answers the questions your customers are already asking.

That is how businesses become easier to find, easier to trust and more likely to be considered in both traditional and AI-powered search.

IMS Ad Agency — Create an Unfair Advantage.

Google advises that generative AI visibility still depends on core SEO requirements, useful content and eligibility to appear in Search; it also cautions against treating AI-search optimisation as a set of hacks.