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SEO & AEO · Why it matters

Your buyers still search. They just search differently.

Google is still the biggest search engine in the world. But engineers, plant managers, and buyers now also ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude, and get one answer instead of ten links.
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AI answer

Who makes CNC lathes that can hold ±0.0005 in. on 316 stainless?

A few manufacturers are known for this:

  • Competitor Co. publishes tolerance guides by material.
  • Another Supplier has detailed specs for stainless work.

Your company isn’t mentioned.

Sample answer. Companies are fictional.
5T+1
searches a year on Google. Search isn’t going anywhere.
800M+2
people use ChatGPT every week.
94%3
of business buyers use AI somewhere in their buying process.
4.4×2
the value of an AI search visitor vs. a traditional search visitor.

What changed

Search didn’t disappear. It split.

Buyers still use Google, and more of them now ask AI first. Semrush projects AI search will send websites more visitors than traditional search by early 2028.2

Nearly 90% of pages ChatGPT cites rank below position 20 on Google.2 You don’t need to be the biggest brand. You need the clearest answer.

Where AI referrals to websites come from

Share of AI chatbot referrals, worldwide, March 20264

  • ChatGPT78.2%
  • Gemini8.7%
  • Perplexity7.1%
  • Claude2.9%
Engineers reviewing equipment specs on a laptop beside rooftop HVAC units

“Isn’t that for consumer brands?”

Your buyers ask the same questions every week.

What size unit do we need? Can it hold that tolerance? What’s the lead time? Business buyers now name generative AI as their most useful source when researching a purchase.5

Most questions people ask AI have little or no keyword search volume,6 so keyword tools miss them. Your CRM doesn’t. Your sales team has been answering them for years.

“Does this replace my sales team?”

No. It gives them a head start.

Buyers arrive already knowing your specs, your applications, and why you’re credible. Your sales team spends time on quotes, not basics. Customer service gets fewer repeat questions.

What AI looks for

Your website is now a source, not just a destination.

  1. 01

    Answers up front

    AI lifts passages, not pages. Each question gets a clear, direct answer, then the detail engineers need.

  2. 02

    Solid SEO underneath

    Most of what makes a page eligible for AI answers is still classic SEO: fast, crawlable, structured pages.6

  3. 03

    Proof of expertise

    Specs, applications, and named experts. Trusted content gets cited. Thin content gets skipped.

  4. 04

    The same facts everywhere

    Most AI citations come from other sites, so your details must match on directories, trade sites, and reviews.6

See what AI says about youHow our SEO & AEO works

Sources

  1. 1. Google, via Search Engine Land (March 2025): more than 5 trillion searches a year
  2. 2. Semrush AI search traffic study (July 2025): 800M+ weekly ChatGPT users, 4.4× visitor value, AI search projected to pass traditional search visits by early 2028
  3. 3. Forrester (January 2026): 94% of business buyers use AI in their buying process
  4. 4. Statcounter (April 2026): AI chatbot referral share, March 2026
  5. 5. Forrester, The State of Business Buying 2026, via Digital Commerce 360
  6. 6. SEO Week 2026 talks: Ryan Jones (Razorfish) on question volume, Ray Martinez (Archer Education) on SEO as the base for AI answers, Bianca Anderson (Stellar Search Signals) on off-site citations
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