Agentic Oriented Optimization (AOO) Statistics: US 2026

Hot on the heels of Generative Engine Optimization, we have Agentic Oriented Optimization (AOO), which is quickly becoming the next big shift in marketing strategy. Built on the rise of agentic AI, it’s about creating systems that anticipate needs, make decisions, and drive impact in real time. For marketing leaders, AOO represents a challenge and an opportunity, reshaping how strategies are planned, executed, and measured.

To find out what 692,496 marketing leaders in America’s opinions are about Agentic Oriented Optimization , we utilized AI-driven audience profiling to synthesize insights from online discussions for a year, ending  August 25, 2025, to a high statistical confidence level. Their views highlight where the excitement lies, where the gaps remain, and how AOO is moving from concept to practice.

Index

• 35% of marketing leaders are highly knowledgeable and exploring deeper AOO applications
• 38% of marketing leaders say that their main focus for AAO is to strengthen data-driven insights
• 73% of marketing leaders’ teams are moderately ready and fully prepared to adopt new AOO methods
• Better audience engagement would bring crucial value to 46% of marketing leaders’ strategies
• A structured step-by-step AOO model is a good option for 25% of marketing leaders
• 20% of marketing leaders are strongly positive that they’d invest in AOO automation software tools first
• 45% of marketing leaders’ teams are partially ready to implement an MCP approach and are interested but unsure where to start
• Limited resources are not a barrier to MCP implementation for 42% of marketing leaders 
• A lack of ongoing evaluation is a common AOO brand oversight seen by 76% of marketing leaders 
• 79% of marketing leaders find AOO case studies featuring stories of digital transformation very helpful
• 71% of marketing leaders say that step-by-step AOO toolkits are a useful resource they’d use the most
• Team collaboration is the preferred way of making strategic AOO decisions for 97% of marketing leaders
• 63% of marketing leaders are most excited and interested in the real-time customer insights AOO offers
• 44% of marketing leaders highly prefer to receive AOO strategic content via interactive webinars
• San Francisco is a good option for 39% of US marketing leaders to live in
• AOO Gathering Momentum 
• Methodology

How Would You Describe Your Familiarity With AOO?

35% of marketing leaders are highly knowledgeable and exploring deeper AOO applications

Some marketing leaders in our audience are sprinting ahead while others are still finding their footing:

How marketing leaders in our audience describe their familiarity with AOO shows how prepared they feel for what IBM calls the “next big thing in search”. For those new to it and seeking guidance, 20% feel highly knowledgeable, 1% somewhat familiar, 1% report limited understanding, and 26% are unfamiliar, showing how expertise and inexperience coexist. 

Among those exploring deeper applications, 35% are highly knowledgeable, 9% somewhat familiar, and 3% limited in understanding, a sign that deeper use cases are pulling ahead fast.

Lower down the list, a further 3% have used similar approaches before at a highly knowledgeable level, pointing to how prior methods are feeding into today’s shift toward AOO. 

Finally, 2% feel somewhat familiar and confident in their understanding, suggesting that while assurance is still rare, it marks the first signs of grounded expertise taking hold.

Which Area Of Improvement Is Your Main Focus for Using AOO?

38% of marketing leaders say that their main focus for AAO is to strengthen data-driven insights

Some improvements keep things ticking, others push AOO into overdrive:

The main focus area for improvement shows where marketing leaders think AOO can really move the needle. Strengthening data-driven insights leads the way, with 38% of our audience calling it a top priority and 2% an important focus. 

McKinsey’s report on seizing the agentic AI advantage points out that real impact comes when AI agents are embedded into workflows, and this focus on insights reflects exactly that shift, moving from surface-level adoption to the kind of vertical use cases that unlock real value.

30% see enhanced audience targeting as a top priority, with 4% saying it’s an important focus, 3% a minor consideration, and 5% not a focus, underlining how precision targeting is becoming the sharp edge of strategy. 

Boosting campaign effectiveness draws 10% as a top priority, 6% an important focus, and 1% a minor consideration, showing performance is firmly on the agenda. Workflow efficiency barely registers at 1%, signaling that leaders are chasing deeper transformation over quick wins.

How Ready Is Your Team To Adopt New AOO Methods?

73% of marketing leaders’ teams are moderately ready and fully prepared to adopt new AOO methods

Most teams are ready to hit the launch button on what comes next:

Team readiness to adopt new AOO methods is high, with 77% of marketing leaders in our audience saying they are fully ready and moderately prepared, while 23% are interested but need planning support. That sense of preparedness mirrors a global trend. 

The AI agents market was valued at $5.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to soar to $50.31 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 45.8% from 2025. As the market expands at a rapid pace, teams are gearing up to make the most of it.

What Would Bring The Most Value To Your AOO Strategy?

Better audience engagement would bring crucial value to 46% of marketing leaders’ strategies

The sweet spots of gains from AOO are starting to take shape:

What would bring the most value to an AOO strategy comes through clearly. 46% of marketing leaders see better audience engagement as crucial, 4% as valuable, and a mere 4% as irrelevant. It’s no surprise, especially as 82% of executives are rethinking their CX strategies to keep up with new tech.

Stronger long-term ROI follows, with 3% of our audience seeing it as crucial, 29% valuable, and 1% not a priority, keeping financial impact firmly in the mix. Clear measurement of impact is crucial for 8%, valuable for 3%, and not a priority for 1%, underlining the demand for proof that strategies deliver. 

Easier campaign execution at 1% and increased adaptability at 1% barely feature, showing leaders want depth over convenience.

What Type Of AOO Framework Do You Prefer?

A structured step-by-step AOO model is a good option for 25% of marketing leaders

It’s a choice between racing ahead, mapping it out, and somewhere in between:

The type of AOO framework marketing leaders in our audience prefer reflects how they see growth taking shape. Adobe’s 2025 Digital Trends Report found that 65% of senior ecommerce executives believe AI and predictive analytics are central to their strategies, and that outlook drives the frameworks gaining traction.

A simple and fast-to-implement plan is a perfect fit for 12%, a good option for 17%, and not suitable for 22%, likely chosen by those who prize speed but resisted by those who feel a quick rollout sacrifices depth. 

A structured step-by-step model is a perfect fit for 3%, a good option for 25%, and not suitable for 10%, reflecting the appeal of a clear playbook even as some might view it as too rigid. A flexible, adaptive system is a perfect fit for 4%, signaling a need to adjust strategies as conditions shift. A fully automated solution is a perfect fit for 1% and a good option for 3%, showing limited appetite for handing everything over to automation. Finally, a hybrid approach with expert input is a good option for 3%, pointing to the comfort of pairing machine efficiency with human judgment.

What Type Of AOO Tool Would You Invest In First?

20% of marketing leaders are strongly positive that they’d invest in AOO automation software tools first

The first tool marketing leaders pick is all about chasing the biggest payoff:

The type of AOO tool leaders would invest in first shows where they expect the greatest impact. Automation software takes the lead, with 20% of our audience being strongly positive, 9% moderately positive, 2% moderately negative, and 1% strongly negative, showing the pull of tools that deliver fast results. 

First Page Sage’s 2025 Agentic AI Statistics survey reports that agentic AI saves an average of 66.8% of time compared to manual work, a big reason automation rises to the top.

Data visualization dashboards also stand out, with 18% strongly positive, 3% moderately positive, and 1% moderately negative, reflecting the value of seeing performance clearly. Personalization platforms draw 14% strongly positive, 4% moderately positive, 1% moderately negative, and 1% strongly negative, shaped by trust still catching up. The same survey found that only 34% of users trust agentic outputs more, while 54% still prefer manual results.

Customer experience tools earn 18% strongly positive and 1% moderately positive support, pointing to an appetite for stronger connections. Rounding out the list, predictive analytic tools bring 4% strongly positive, 2% moderately positive, and 1% moderately negative, showing early curiosity but careful adoption.

How Prepared Is Your Team To Implement A Model Context Protocol Approach?

45% of marketing leaders’ teams are partially ready to implement an MCP approach and are interested but unsure where to start

The road to MCP adoption starts with interest, but not everyone is ready to drive:

Team preparation to implement a Model Context Protocol approach shows how ready marketing leaders in our audience feel to work with a standard that’s quickly shaping AI. MCP is essentially a way for AI agents to go beyond their training, pulling in new data and connecting to external tools, almost like giving them a direct line to the resources they need.

Against that backdrop, 45% of marketing leaders in our audience say their teams are interested but unsure where to start, reflecting curiosity about MCP’s potential but also the challenge of translating concept into practice. 14% are fully ready to explore adoption options, another 14% say they’re fully prepared and equipped, and the same share are partially ready but need more training and resources. 

The remaining 14% are not ready or still weighing their options, showing that while MCP is gaining traction, readiness is spread across very different stages. 

What Is Your Biggest Barrier To MCP Implementation?

Limited resources are not a barrier to MCP implementation for 42% of marketing leaders 

Barriers look more like speed bumps than roadblocks:

The biggest barrier to MCP implementation may not be a barrier at all. MCP has a clear architecture made up of four parts: the host containing the LLM, the client that translates requests and replies, the server connecting to external data, and the transport layer that makes the communication work. With these building blocks in place, many marketing leaders in our audience seem to see more of a path than an obstacle.

42% say limited resources are not a barrier, reflecting confidence that teams can find what they need to move forward. For unclear business goals, just 1% see it as a significant barrier, 7% a potential barrier, and 33% not a barrier, showing that most leaders already have clarity on why MCP matters. 

Technology integration issues are not a barrier for 10%, while lack of team training is not a barrier for 7%. The data suggests that success with MCP depends more on aligning its core components, and less on removing obstacles.

Which AOO Mistake Do You Believe Brands Make Most Often?

A lack of ongoing evaluation is a common AOO brand oversight seen by 76% of marketing leaders 

When it comes to AOO missteps, one blind spot keeps coming up:

The AOO mistake brands make most often is a lack of ongoing evaluation, with 76% of our audience calling it a common oversight and 3% a minor issue. That blind spot is echoed in recent research showing that while 83% of evaluations focus on technical metrics, only 5% take a longitudinal view that would reveal how strategies perform over time.

Not testing strategies is also on the list, with 13% seeing it as a common oversight and 2% as a minor issue, highlighting the danger of skipping real-world checks. Overcomplicating campaigns rounds it out, seen as a common oversight by 7%, showing that sometimes complexity overshadows clarity.

What Type Of AOO Case Study Would Help You Most?

79% of marketing leaders find AOO case studies featuring stories of digital transformation very helpful

The best case studies are the ones that show change you can actually see:

The type of AOO case study that would help most is a story of digital transformation, with 79% of marketing leaders in our audience saying it would be very helpful. That tracks with PwC’s Executive Playbook on Agentic AI, which highlights case studies of agentic AI driving transformation across industries, from factory floors to healthcare systems.

Beyond that, 8% say a cross-industry comparison would be very helpful and 1% somewhat helpful, while 9% look for a sector-specific example to bring the lessons closer to home. 

A smaller share (2%) wants a deep dive into enterprise growth, showing that while niche studies have value, sweeping transformation stories are the ones that really land.

What Type Of AOO Resource Would You Use Most?

71% of marketing leaders say that step-by-step AOO toolkits are a useful resource they’d use the most

The best resources make AOO less talk, more action:

The resources that help most with AOO are the ones that make progress feel hands-on. Step-by-step toolkits lead the way, with 17% of marketing leaders calling them essential, 71% saying they’re useful, and only 6% saying they’re not needed. That preference lines up with the shift in IT operations from static runbooks to agentic systems that reason, plan, and act on intent. Toolkits give teams a way to package policies, memory, and safe execution into steps they can actually use.

Interactive playbooks draw far less interest, with just 1% of our audience calling them essential and 6% useful, showing that leaders lean toward resources that equip agents to act, not just guides that explain.

How Do You Prefer To Make AOO Strategic Decisions?

Team collaboration is the preferred way of making strategic AOO decisions for 97% of marketing leaders

There’s little doubt about how big calls around AOO get mapped out:

In the cutting-edge world of AI, collaboration comes out on top, with 97% of marketing leaders in our audience saying they prefer to make strategic decisions around AOO as a team. Just 2% choose to do so independently, and 1% lean on customer behavior data, while no opinions were expressed on testing, industry benchmarks, or advanced analytics. That’s a signal that supporting methods matter less than collective alignment.

Harvard Business School makes the case for this approach too, showing that diverse perspectives spark stronger ideas, build engagement, and make execution smoother. In AOO, where choices shape strategies at speed, that kind of collective decision-making matters more than ever.

Which AOO Trend Excites You Most?

63% of marketing leaders are most excited and interested in the real-time customer insights AOO offers

The real buzz comes from trends that give data a human touch:

The AOO trends that excite marketing leaders most center on how fast insights can turn into action. Real-time customer insights lead the way, with 63% of our audience excited and only 1% not excited, showing just how powerful it feels to anticipate and act in the moment. 

That connects directly with broader agentic AI trends like automated customer service at scale, where agentic AI steps in to resolve issues before they escalate.

AI-driven personalization follows with 34% excited, tying neatly to the rise of personalized AI assistants that tailor experiences in real time. Automation at scale draws just 1% excitement, and predictive modeling received no opinions, highlighting how the buzz is around live, proactive intelligence rather than static forecasts.

How Do You Prefer To Receive AOO Strategic Content?

44% of marketing leaders highly prefer to receive AOO strategic content via interactive webinars

Content that clicks is content that sticks:

The way marketing leaders want to receive AOO strategic content shows a clear pull toward formats that feel lively and engaging. Interactive webinars lead the way, with 44% of our audience saying highly preferred and 32% calling them preferred, and it makes sense in a space like AOO, where the software and technology sector already drives 29% of all webinars, and 69% of all webinars offer resources for attendees to download and engage with.

Podcasts with industry experts follow at 16% highly preferred, giving leaders a flexible way to tap into trusted insights. 

Detailed written guides see less appeal, with 8% of marketing leaders saying they’re not preferred, pointing to a shift away from static formats toward experiences that keep people engaged in real time.

Which City In The USA Do You Live In?

San Francisco is a good option for 39% of US marketing leaders to live in

The spotlight on AOO growth shines on three skylines:

The cities marketing leaders in our audience call home say a lot about where they see AOO momentum building. San Francisco leads with 39% calling it a good option, followed by Austin at 36% and New York City at 25%.

San Francisco is currently experiencing a new gold rush, and this time it’s fueled by AI. Venture capital investors poured over $29 billion into San Francisco’s AI companies in the first six months of 2025, a figure that’s more than doubled since the same period in 2022.

Austin holds its ground as a fast-growing tech hub with a strong startup culture and steady inflow of talent, while New York City continues to offer the scale and financial clout that keep it firmly in the mix for AOO leadership.

AOO Gathering Momentum 

Agentic Oriented Optimization is stepping into the spotlight, and marketing leaders are clearly ready for it. The nearly 700,000 voices in our audience point to the trends, tools, and strategies that will shape what comes next. The excitement is real, the momentum is building, and AOO is fast becoming the playbook for those who want to stay ahead of the curve.

Methodology

Sourced using Artios from an independent sample of 692,496 United States marketing leaders’ opinions across X, Reddit, TikTok, LinkedIn, Threads, and BlueSky. Responses are collected within a 95% confidence interval and 4% margin of error. Results are derived from opinions expressed online, not actual questions answered by people in the sample.

About the representative sample:

• 45% of US marketing leaders are between the ages of 45 and 64.
• 54% identify as female and 46% as male.
• 46% earn between $200,000 and $500,000 annually.