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How AI tools shape the B2B buying process: A survey of 600+ US business professionals

How AI Tools Are Revolutionizing the B2B Buying Process: Insights from 600+ U.S. Professionals

The business-to-business (B2B) buying landscape is undergoing a significant transformation thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). A recent survey of over 600 U.S. B2B professionals highlights how AI tools are rapidly becoming an integral part of vendor research and decision-making processes.

AI Adoption in B2B Workflows

The survey found that an impressive 84% of B2B professionals use AI tools at work, with many leveraging these technologies daily. This widespread adoption points to AI’s role as a critical productivity and decision support asset in modern B2B environments.

AI’s Influence on Vendor Selection

Perhaps more strikingly, 92% of those surveyed indicated that AI impacts their vendor shortlists. AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are leading the way in shaping how buyers discover and evaluate potential suppliers. These tools analyze vast amounts of data and provide targeted insights, helping businesses make more informed decisions efficiently.

AI Across the Purchase Journey

From the initial discovery stage all the way to final purchase decisions, AI is involved in every step of the buyer journey. By automating research and offering predictive analytics, AI enhances visibility into vendor capabilities and compatibility with business needs. Despite this technological shift, the survey also confirms that traditional verification methods—like checking references and past experiences—remain essential.

Key Insights

  • Why is AI so influential in B2B buying? AI accelerates research and provides precise, data-driven recommendations that streamline vendor evaluation.
  • Which platforms dominate the research phase? ChatGPT and Google Gemini are the most relied upon, reflecting trust in their advanced AI capabilities.
  • Does AI replace traditional buying checks? No, AI complements but does not substitute comprehensive digital presence and traditional due diligence.
  • What does this mean for vendors? Having a strong, authentic digital footprint remains crucial for gaining trust alongside AI-influenced visibility.

Conclusion

The integration of AI into the B2B purchasing process is reshaping how businesses find, assess, and engage vendors. As AI tools continue to evolve, companies that blend advanced technology with robust traditional practices will thrive in acquisition strategies. Vendors must prioritize maintaining credible digital presences and engaging authentically with buyers to capitalize on this AI-driven transformation.

This dynamic underscores AI not merely as a trend but as a foundational element reshaping the future of B2B commerce.


Source: https://www.semrush.com/blog/how-ai-shapes-b2b-buying/

How to build an AI-powered content gap analysis workflow

How to Build an AI-Powered Content Gap Analysis Workflow for Better SEO Results

Content gap analysis is a crucial strategy for businesses aiming to improve their organic search visibility and outperform competitors. Leveraging AI along with powerful SEO tools can transform this process from manual guesswork into a highly efficient, data-driven workflow. This article outlines a comprehensive approach to building an AI-powered content gap analysis workflow that prioritizes content strategies aligned with your business goals.

Introduction

Every digital marketer understands the importance of identifying content opportunities that competitors have captured but your website has not. However, doing this analysis manually can be time-consuming and prone to errors. By combining industry-leading tools like Semrush, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics with AI assistance, organizations can unlock valuable insights faster and make smarter content decisions.

Step 1: Identifying Competitors and Collecting Data

Start by selecting relevant competitors within your niche who rank for keywords important to your business. Using tools such as Semrush and Google Search Console, gather comprehensive data about keyword performance—such as search volume, rankings, click-through rates, and traffic sources. Google Analytics also provides useful metrics on how current content is performing, allowing you to benchmark against competitors accurately.

Step 2: Cleaning and Organizing Data

Raw data collected from various sources often requires cleaning to remove duplicates, irrelevant entries, and inconsistencies. This ensures the dataset is reliable and ready for analysis. Then, cluster opportunities based on search intent categories (informational, navigational, transactional) and business relevance, simplifying prioritization.

Step 3: Scoring and Prioritizing Opportunities

Use AI-powered tools like Claude to score each content gap opportunity. Scoring criteria include potential traffic gains, keyword difficulty, business alignment, and competitive landscape intensity. This scoring allows you to objectively prioritize content ideas that are most likely to yield significant SEO benefits.

Step 4: Generating Actionable Recommendations

The final step integrates AI insights to suggest what types of content to create or improve upon. Recommendations might include optimizing existing pages, developing new articles, or addressing underserved topics that meet users’ search intents. This actionable output helps marketers focus their content creation efforts for maximum organic growth.

Key Insights

  • What advantage does AI bring to content gap analysis? AI accelerates data processing and improves accuracy in scoring and prioritizing opportunities.
  • Why combine multiple tools like Semrush and Google Analytics? Each tool offers unique data points that together provide a holistic view of keyword performance and user engagement.
  • How does clustering by search intent help? It organizes content opportunities by user needs, aiding in targeted content creation.
  • What is the business impact of this workflow? It ensures content strategies are aligned with actual market opportunities, driving measurable SEO results.

Conclusion

By adopting an AI-powered content gap analysis workflow, businesses can enhance their SEO strategies with precision and efficiency. This approach not only uncovers hidden content opportunities but also aligns marketing efforts with business objectives, ultimately boosting organic search visibility and driving sustainable growth.


Source: https://searchengineland.com/build-ai-powered-content-gap-analysis-workflow-481781

How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity

How to Get Your Business Recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity: A Guide to Boosting AI Visibility

Introduction

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the way consumers find local businesses. Recent data reveals that 45% of consumers now use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for their local business searches, a dramatic increase from just 6% one year ago. Despite this trend, only a small fraction of local businesses—roughly 1.2%—are currently recommended by AI platforms like ChatGPT. This presents a unique opportunity for businesses to position themselves to gain visibility and trust within these AI-driven discovery systems.

Understanding AI’s Role in Business Discovery

AI-powered platforms have become trusted advisors for consumers seeking recommendations. These tools analyze vast amounts of data to provide personalized suggestions that align with user needs. However, gaining recommendation status requires more than online presence; it hinges on establishing a trustworthy and authoritative identity that AI algorithms can recognize and rank highly.

What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?

To address these challenges, marketing strategist Zues Ordaz has introduced a new approach called Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), GEO focuses on optimizing content and online signals specifically for generative AI platforms. This includes:

  • Creating authoritative, high-quality content that AI models favor
  • Managing citations and business listings strategically
  • Building and maintaining online trust signals

This specialized approach ensures AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity discover and prioritize your business in their recommendations.

How Businesses Can Implement GEO Strategies

Businesses interested in leveraging GEO should begin by auditing their existing online content and citations. Enhancing the quality and relevance of information—such as reviews, product descriptions, and service details—can significantly improve AI recognition. Additionally, actively engaging with customers to cultivate positive reviews and maintaining accurate citation data across platforms builds credibility essential for AI algorithms.

Key Insights

  • Why is AI-driven business discovery growing so rapidly? The convenience and personalized experience offered by AI tools encourage more consumers to use them for local searches.

  • What makes trust important in AI recommendations? AI platforms prioritize trusted sources to ensure users receive reliable and accurate suggestions, making trust a core factor of visibility.

  • How does GEO differ from traditional SEO? GEO is tailored to optimize for AI generative models rather than traditional keyword-based search engines.

  • What practical steps can businesses take to improve AI recommendations? Creating authoritative content, managing citations diligently, and fostering online trustworthiness are critical steps.

Conclusion

As AI continues to influence how consumers find and choose businesses, adopting Generative Engine Optimization is becoming increasingly crucial. Businesses that proactively engage with these strategies can benefit from enhanced visibility on platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, gaining a competitive edge in an evolving digital landscape. Utilizing resources such as Zues Ordaz’s free GEO guide available through his AI Prompt Vault can provide valuable tools and insights to navigate this new frontier effectively.


Source: https://martechseries.com/predictive-ai/ai-platforms-machine-learning/how-to-get-your-business-recommended-by-chatgpt-gemini-and-perplexity/

New Angelfish Marketing Study of 1,052,053 AI Citations Reveals What AI Reads to Recommend B2B Software

What AI Reads to Recommend B2B Software: Insights from Angelfish Marketing’s Study of Over One Million AI Citations

Artificial intelligence is becoming a major influencer in how businesses discover and evaluate B2B software. A recent study conducted by Angelfish Marketing analyzed more than a million AI-generated citations to uncover the key sources AI platforms consult when recommending B2B software solutions. The findings reveal critical insights that B2B companies can leverage to enhance their visibility in AI-powered recommendations.

Understanding AI’s Information Sources

The study showed that AI predominantly relies on third-party content rather than brands’ own websites when suggesting B2B software. Platforms like YouTube and Reddit emerged as particularly influential sources where many AI citations are drawn from. In fact, only about 13-32% of cited sources came from a brand’s own web content.

This means that while having a strong brand website and content is important, it is not sufficient on its own for appearing in AI recommendation systems. Instead, B2B companies should consider a broader content strategy that includes reputable third-party platforms to widen their digital footprint.

Why Third-Party Platforms Matter

Third-party platforms offer community engagement, user reviews, tutorials, and discussions that AI apparently values when determining software recommendations. YouTube provides video explanations and demonstrations, while Reddit supports candid user conversations and feedback. This richer, user-generated content ecosystem helps AI models evaluate software more holistically beyond official marketing messages.

Strategic Implications for B2B Marketers

To tap into AI recommendation engines effectively, B2B marketers should:

  • Build visibility and credibility on key third-party platforms such as YouTube and Reddit.
  • Encourage user-generated content and authentic reviews.
  • Supplement website content with engagement on trusted external sites.

Key Insights

  • What percentage of AI citations come from brands’ own websites? About 13-32%, indicating significant reliance on external content.
  • Which third-party platforms are most influential? YouTube and Reddit lead as trusted sources referenced by AI.
  • How can B2B companies improve AI visibility? By expanding content presence beyond their own sites to include community-driven platforms.
  • Why does AI prefer third-party content? Because it offers diverse, authentic perspectives that help AI assess software more thoroughly.

Conclusion

The Angelfish Marketing study highlights a major shift in how AI curates information for B2B software recommendations. For companies aiming to harness AI’s growing role in purchasing decisions, a multi-channel content strategy that integrates official brand messaging with trusted third-party content is essential. This approach not only boosts AI visibility but also builds deeper, more authentic engagement with potential buyers. Moving forward, B2B marketers should prioritize presence and credibility across a range of platforms to stay competitive in AI-driven marketplaces.


Source: https://martechseries.com/content/new-angelfish-marketing-study-of-1052053-ai-citations-reveals-what-ai-reads-to-recommend-b2b-software/

Perion Expands Its Distribution Partner Program, Partnering With Acrossmedia241 to Bring Outmax, Its AI agent, to Greece and the CEE Region

Perion Extends Its AI-Powered Advertising Reach Through Strategic Partnership With Acrossmedia241

In an exciting development for digital advertising, Perion has officially expanded its distribution partner program by partnering with Acrossmedia241, a prominent digital media company based in Greece. This strategic alliance aims to introduce Perion’s AI-driven agent, Outmax, to the markets of Greece and the broader Central and Eastern European (CEE) region.

Expanding Digital Marketing Capabilities

Perion is known for leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize advertising efforts across multiple digital channels. With Outmax, the company’s AI agent, advertisers can better tailor campaigns to meet specific business goals efficiently. The collaboration with Acrossmedia241 allows Perion to tap into a well-established network, particularly in sectors such as tourism and media, that are vital to these regions’ economies.

Acrossmedia241’s established presence in Greece and the CEE region provides a strong distribution channel that integrates seamlessly with the workflows of agencies and brands. This integration promises enhanced performance optimization and greater alignment with client objectives, unlocking new opportunities for advertisers to connect with their target audiences more effectively.

Partnership Launch and Industry Significance

The partnership will be publicly unveiled at the upcoming Programmatic & Beyond Conference in Athens—an important gathering for digital marketing professionals focused on programmatic advertising innovations.

This move highlights a trend toward more collaborative ecosystems in ad tech, where strategic partnerships can accelerate market penetration and technological adoption. For Perion, working with a robust regional digital player like Acrossmedia241 significantly enhances its ability to deliver AI-driven solutions tailored to local and regional market dynamics.

Key Insights

  • Why is this partnership important? It expands Perion’s AI advertising technology into new, promising markets with strong digital media infrastructures.
  • What benefits does Outmax bring? Outmax’s AI capabilities optimize campaign performance, making advertising efforts more precise and impactful.
  • How does Acrossmedia241 contribute? Acting as a distribution partner, Acrossmedia241 leverages its regional expertise and relationships to enhance Perion’s market reach.
  • What is the timing significance? Launching at the Programmatic & Beyond Conference aligns with an industry-focused event, amplifying visibility and engagement.

Conclusion

Perion’s extended partnership with Acrossmedia241 marks a significant step in broadening the deployment of AI-powered advertising technologies across Greece and the CEE region. This collaboration is set to benefit advertisers by providing advanced tools through trusted local distribution channels, paving the way for smarter, data-driven marketing campaigns. As the digital advertising landscape continues to evolve, such regional partnerships will likely become increasingly crucial for companies aiming to deliver customized, high-performance ad solutions globally.


Source: https://martechseries.com/sales-marketing/programmatic-buying/perion-expands-its-distribution-partner-program-partnering-with-acrossmedia241-to-bring-outmax-its-ai-agent-to-greece-and-the-cee-region/