94% of B2B buyers use ChatGPT to find suppliers: what it means for your business
Short answer: if AI tools like ChatGPT don't mention your business, you lose clients before they ever reach your site. According to Forrester's 2026 research, 94% of B2B buyers use ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini to build a shortlist of suppliers before filling out any form. The search for a contractor increasingly starts not in Google, but in a chat with AI.
What exactly changed
Previously a client googled "digital agency", opened 5–10 sites and compared them. Now they ask ChatGPT "which digital agency should I choose for my business" and get a ready shortlist of 3–5 names. If you're not on that list, you never even reach the comparison stage. The client simply won't learn you exist.
Why this matters more than regular SEO
| Traditional search | AI search |
|---|---|
| Client sees 10 options | Client sees 3–5 named by AI |
| You might be on page 2 | You're either mentioned or not |
| Trust forms on your site | Trust exists before the click |
When AI recommends you, the client arrives already trusting you. That's a stronger effect than simply holding a position in a list.
How to make AI recommend you
- Create quotable content. Clear answers to specific questions, numbers, tables, FAQs. Models pull ready fragments, not fluff.
- Build presence in external sources. Mentions on industry resources, directories, reviews. AI trusts those written about in many places.
- Show expertise and experience. Cases with real numbers, the founder's name, years on the market. Models prefer trustworthy sources.
- Don't forget classic SEO. AI often takes answers from pages already ranking in Google. One reinforces the other.
The window of opportunity: competition for AI mentions is still almost nonexistent in many markets, much like SEO in the early 2010s. Whoever enters this space now gains an edge for years.
How to check whether AI already mentions you
Open ChatGPT and ask the way your client would: "recommend a digital agency" or "which company builds sites for restaurants". See whether you appear. If not, that's your nearest growth point. This is handled by AEO/GEO optimization: we make your business appear in the answers of ChatGPT, Gemini and Google AI. Start with a free audit via contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
B2B Partner expert team with 17 years of experience in SEO, AEO and GEO optimization.