Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a major factor in search. Not only has Google introduced AI Overviews, which summarize results at the top of the screen, AI engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity are taking a share of searches away from Google, and present search results in an entirely different way. ChatGPT in particular has grown explosively in 2025‚ reaching 100 million users in only two months.
Despite everyone’s familiarity with Google AI Overviews, not many B2B marketers are diving into “Answer Engine Optimization” to manage AI results across all new AI answer engines yet. Google search still has a 90% market share, and there are still links below the AI summary, so the majority of searches mostly still work the old fashioned way.
Until AI search becomes the norm, many marketers wonder if shifting a core marketing strategy is premature, but now is actually a time to gain a competitive edge
Differences to Consider in AI Search
In the business world, 72% of B2B buyers see Google AI Overviews, and according to Forrester’s Buyers’ Journey Survey, 2024, 89% of B2B buyers say they’re using genAI tools at every stage of the purchase process. .
The first thing to know is that AI search doesn’t prioritize a long list of ranked links. Instead, it usually produces content from a number of sources. And from that content AI-based search only provides a short list of citation links, compared to thousands or millions on a typical Google search query. This means that competition to be listed for a specific query is much greater. Rather than thinking about where a company’s results will land, there is a requirement to even be listed at all— making the stakes to get it right much higher.
Keys to Right Customer Data Platform
With these differences in mind, the goal of AEO would be twofold. First, a company would want to make sure that their content is relevant enough to a query that they are in the top 5-7 URLs and that the aggregated response includes favorable information about the company. Depending on the query, that could mean that the response names the company or their product outright, mirrors their positioning, or recommends elements of a solution that fits the company’s own solution well.
For example, I asked ChatGPT, “What is the best customer data platform for a large manufacturing firm with global retail clients?” and got this response:
Choosing the right Customer Data Platform (CDP) for a large manufacturing firm with global retail clients means you’ll want a solution that excels in these areas:
- Scale & reliability — high data volume, many touchpoints, possibly high-velocity data (real-time or near real-time)
- B2B / enterprise support — multiple people per client/account; region-specific regulation; partner and reseller models; supply chain data; channel data etc.
- Integration with operational systems — ERP, order management, supply chain, retail client portals, logistics, finance
- Data privacy, governance, and security — multiple jurisdictions, data residency, auditability, role-based access
- Flexibility & extensibility — you’ll likely need custom enrichment, predictive analytics, ability to push data back to systems (CRM, marketing, sales, operations)
Clearly, there are business buyers out there that will use this type of output to create an RFP. It is in the B2B marketer’s best interest to ensure that the content that ChatGPT and other answer engines provide are aligned with their solution
Where to Start
To get started, B2B marketers need to start practicing “prompt management” , a process for generating, organizing, and refining content prompts to produce information AI models can easily cite.
A lot of website content is developed for people visiting specific pages, rather than considering AI engines as “site visitors.” AI engines look for different formats of content, preferring information that is concise, sounds like an answer, contains data, and frontloads the important details. The AI is also producing answers for specific people— and so B2B marketers should consider who might be on the other end. This is where ICPs come in handy to produce different searcher personas. There might be a more technical persona, one with more seniority, etc.
B2B marketers then can audit their content and produce a “prompt library” of content that’s developed to appeal to AI and the different personas using it.
Be an AEO Early Adopter
It’s important for B2B marketers to start getting insights about answer engine activity. Understanding AI bot traffic on the site, looking at responses on the answer engines to see if there are any that could be influenced, and studying the effect of answer engines on the customer journey are all important inputs to a good AEO strategy.
When even the slightest edge can make the difference, B2B marketers must consider being early adopters of Answer Engine Optimization. Search Engine Optimization is a cornerstone of B2B marketing, so now is actually the perfect time to get smart about how to get placed in AI search.
Andrea Duffy-Cabana is the Senior Director of Paid Media at Anteriad where she helps B2B marketers maximize the value of their paid media strategies.
