NEW DELHI, INDIA — August 16, 2026 — Digital Hats, a digital marketing agency focused on helping businesses improve their online visibility and customer acquisition, has launched “The State of Digital Marketing for Indian SMEs 2026”, a research initiative designed to understand how small and medium-sized businesses across India are approaching digital marketing.

As digital channels continue to influence how customers discover, evaluate and contact businesses, Indian SMEs have more options than ever to reach potential customers. Search engines, Google Business Profiles, paid advertising, social media, websites, content marketing and emerging AI-powered search experiences are all becoming part of the digital customer journey.

However, the extent to which businesses use these channels—and how they evaluate their effectiveness—can vary significantly.

Digital Hats' new survey aims to understand what is actually happening on the ground.

1. Understanding How Indian SMEs Market Themselves Online

The survey will explore how Indian small and medium-sized businesses approach areas including:

· Search engine optimisation and organic search
· Google Ads and paid search
· Google Business Profile and local search
· Social media marketing
· Business websites
· Content marketing
· Online lead generation
· WhatsApp and other direct communication channels
· Artificial intelligence and AI-powered search
· Digital marketing budgets
· Use of agencies, freelancers and in-house teams
· Measurement of marketing performance and return on investment

The research will seek to understand not only which digital channels businesses use, but also which channels they believe contribute to enquiries, leads and business growth.

2. What Are Indian Businesses Actually Prioritising?

Having a website or social media presence does not necessarily mean that –– a business has a structured digital marketing strategy.

Some businesses may invest heavily in paid advertising –– while others may depend primarily on organic search, referrals or social media. Others may be experimenting with AI without yet knowing –– how it could affect their visibility in search.

The survey will –– examine these differences and identify the priorities, challenges and expectations of Indian SMEs in 2026.

3. The Changing Search Landscape

Search behaviour is also evolving.

Traditional search engines remain important for businesses –but consumers are increasingly interacting with AI-powered tools and search experiences when looking for information, products, services and recommendations.

The survey will therefore explore –– whether Indian businesses are aware of this change and whether they have begun thinking about how their brands can remain visible as search evolves.

Questions will examine awareness of AI search –– whether businesses monitor their visibility in AI-generated answers & whether AI has influenced their approach to SEO or content.

4. What Makes Digital Marketing Difficult for SMEs?

The research will also investigate the challenges businesses face when trying to market themselves online.

These may include:

· Limited marketing budgets
· Difficulty generating quality leads
· Lack of internal expertise
· Difficulty measuring ROI
· Competition in search results
· Creating useful content consistently
· Managing multiple digital channels
· Understanding SEO
· Getting results from paid advertising
· Keeping up with changes in search and technology
· Understanding how AI may affect online visibility

Rather than assuming which challenges matter most –– the survey will collect responses directly from business owners and decision-makers.

5. From Digital Presence to Business Results

A key focus of the research will be the relationship between digital marketing activity and business outcomes.

The survey will explore questions such as:

· Which digital channels generate the most enquiries?
· Which channels do businesses consider most effective?
· How much do SMEs typically invest in digital marketing?
· How long do businesses expect SEO to take to produce results?
· How do businesses evaluate Google Ads?
· Are businesses tracking leads and conversions?
· Do businesses know where their customers discovered them?
· Are businesses investing more in digital marketing than they did previously?

The answers could provide useful insight into –– how Indian SMEs are adapting their marketing strategies in an increasingly digital marketplace.

6. What Will Happen With the Findings?

Once sufficient responses have been collected and analysed –– Digital Hats plans to publish the findings as part of The State of Digital Marketing for Indian SMEs 2026.

The final research report will highlight the most significant patterns emerging from the survey and may examine differences based on factors such as business size, industry and marketing approach.

The findings will be presented based on the responses collected rather than predetermined conclusions.

Digital Hats intends for the research to contribute to a broader discussion about –– how Indian SMEs can approach digital marketing more strategically and make better-informed decisions about where to invest their time and resources.

7. About Digital Hats

Digital Hats is a digital marketing agency focused on helping businesses improve their online visibility, search presence and digital customer acquisition. Its areas of work include –– SEO, local SEO, content marketing, website optimisation, digital advertising and broader digital marketing strategies.

Through The State of Digital Marketing for Indian SMEs 2026 –– Digital Hats aims to better understand the challenges faced by Indian businesses and contribute original insights to the country's evolving digital marketing landscape.