A Manchester digital marketing agency says a three-year investment in artificial intelligence is now paying off, with improvements for both its own operations and its clients.
Digital Next, led by brothers Justin and Mark Blackhurst, began building an AI-focused programme more than two years ago. Staff were given one day each week to learn new systems and test ideas. The company says the work has produced a range of in-house tools that have improved efficiency by between 30 and 50 per cent.
Justin Blackhurst, who co-founded the agency with his brother, said the team had taken part in Google-led training sessions, private technology summits in London and a series of structured AI courses covering search, paid media, automation and data analysis.
“We’ve also spent hundreds of hours on internal testing and training,” he said. “That combination has helped us build tools that genuinely improve how we work.”
By developing its own AI-driven systems, Digital Next says it has reduced its reliance on multiple third-party platforms. Functions that once required separate SEO, reporting and analytics tools have been combined into one system. The agency says this has cut costs and given it more control over client data.
The company also believes tailored tools have improved relationships with clients. In one recent case, a project originally priced at £170,000 and expected to take three months was completed in around a week at a much lower cost.
Time saved through automation is now being redirected into strategy, testing and innovation work, rather than simply speeding up existing processes.
One client reported a 980 per cent rise in keywords appearing in AI overview sections, alongside a 30 per cent increase in keywords ranking in the top three positions. Organic traffic also rose by 77 per cent, according to the agency.
Justin Blackhurst said AI would continue to shift marketing agencies away from routine execution and towards strategy and interpretation. He added that changes in AI-powered search, including the growing use of overview boxes and tools such as ChatGPT, are already influencing how brands are discovered online.
The agency says one client saw results in Google AI overviews increase by more than 1,400 per cent, helping to grow its audience by more than seven million users.
COO Mark Blackhurst said many businesses were still hesitant to invest in AI, often because projects stall after initial trials.
“The challenge is not the technology,” he said. “It is adoption, trust and making sure the systems work for people. Automation should free staff to focus on their strengths, not replace them.”
Digital Next believes its early investment has put it in a strong position as AI becomes more central to marketing.
