How AI Changed the Way B2B Buyers Search

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way users engage with search engines, directly impacting click-through rates (CTR), user behaviour, and overall engagement for both Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). For B2B companies, AI reshaping search behaviour is also changing how potential buyers find information, research suppliers, and evaluate their options online. As AI-driven features, such as Google’s AI Overviews (AIO), become more prevalent, search strategies must adapt to maintain visibility and effectiveness.

If you are unfamiliar with AIO, it is a feature in Google Search that uses artificial intelligence to summarize search results. Instead of just showing a list of links, Google now provides a short, AI-generated answer at the top of the search results, pulling key information from multiple sources.

How B2B Research Used to Work

Before AI became part of search, B2B buyers typically found suppliers through referrals, trade shows, and traditional Google searches. They would gather information from multiple sources and, from there, compare products or services. Once they had narrowed down their options, they would then contact each supplier directly.

The process was still time-consuming even though Google made research faster. This was because buyers still had to browse different pages and read the information. For B2B businesses, this research involved several people, with different team members reviewing suppliers before the company moved forward.

What Buyers Do Now

People today have reshaped their search habits by making use of voice assistants like Google Voice, Alexa, and Siri. Users now interact with search engines through conversational queries rather than traditional keyword searches, asking questions like “Which suppliers provide the right equipment for my manufacturing facility?” or “How do I improve my website’s SEO?” According to Oberlo, 71% of users prefer voice search because it’s faster and more convenient than typing. This shift has pushed search engines to prioritize user intent over exact-match keywords, favouring content that delivers clear, concise answers.

These changes in B2B buyer behaviour are also affecting how buyers research suppliers. Instead of relying only on traditional search results and individual company websites, buyers now use AI tools to gather information, compare options, and narrow down potential suppliers.

Similarly, AI-driven search results now serve users’ needs instantly, often without requiring them to click through to a website. As with voice search, AI Overviews extract key information from top-performing content and present it directly in the search engine results page (SERP). This means businesses must not only rank well but also ensure their content is formatted for AI consumption—structured, authoritative, and aligned with user intent. As search behavior continues to evolve, marketers and businesses that adapt to these AI-driven trends will be better positioned to maintain visibility and drive engagement in an increasingly competitive search landscape.

What This Costs a Company That Is Invisible

These changes mean that businesses need to rethink their online strategies. With AI affecting how often people click on both paid ads and organic search results, companies must adapt to ensure they remain visible and can attract customers. This might involve focusing more on creating high-quality content that AI will highlight or adjusting ad strategies to compete with AI-generated answers.

For a B2B company, being invisible in AI search can mean missing valuable opportunities. For instance, if your business or website is not mentioned by an AI tool, you can lose a potential customer who is looking for a product or service you offer. When a buyer asks an AI tool to recommend suppliers or explain solutions in a specific category, companies that are not mentioned may not be considered.

This, however, does not mean traditional search or referrals no longer matter. It just means that AI is becoming another point where buyers can discover and evaluate a company.

What Still Works: Referrals and Trade Shows in an AI-Search World

While AI search gives buyers another way to find suppliers and research their options, it does not replace traditional sales channels. Referrals, trade shows, and personal connections still play an important role in B2B buying. These channels often introduce buyers to a business and its offerings. For instance, if a buyer meets a supplier at a trade show, they may search for the company online to learn more before deciding whether to move forward. That decision process includes multiple interactions with your business both online and offline.

This is why companies should think of AI search as an additional touchpoint rather than a replacement for existing B2B marketing activities. A referral or trade show conversation starts the process, while search and AI-generated answers help buyers research the company and its offerings before taking the next step. Here’s how complex the journey might look like, spanning over months, and even years:

Where to Start

Getting started with AI search visibility does not have to be complicated. Start by identifying the questions that often come up in sales calls and customer service conversations. These can include questions about products, technical requirements, and applications. Check these questions regularly and take note of when your company appears, when your competitors are mentioned, and whether the information shown about your company is accurate. Once you have determined the usual questions your customers ask, you can then create helpful content.

Next, check what shows up in AI tools when you ask these questions. You can monitor whether your company is mentioned in AI-generated answers through AI visibility tracking. Glowtify’s AI visibility tracking feature can show you how your company appears during the research stage. It can also help you see which questions and topics are related to your business so you can improve your content and address visibility issues.

Finally, review your existing content to see whether it answers the questions your buyers are asking. Look at all your pages to find areas that may need more detail or clearer information. Update existing content instead of creating everything from scratch.

The Rise of AI Overviews and Their Impact on Clicks on Website Pages

AI Overviews are changing how users interact with search results. However, older CTR statistics should not be treated as a current 2026 benchmark because the presence and behavior of AI Overviews continue to change.

Newer Semrush research shows that AI Overviews are expanding beyond informational searches. In a six-month analysis of more than 600,000 keywords, the share of commercial-intent SERPs showing an AI Overview grew by 71% between November 2025 and April 2026.

This matters to B2B companies because commercial searches often happen when buyers are researching and comparing potential suppliers.

As these AI-generated results become part of commercial search, companies need to consider how their visibility may affect the early stages of the buying journey, not just the number of clicks reaching their websites.

How AI is Shaping Search Behaviour

AI search behavior has changed how people search and make buying decisions. Users now turn to AI tools for answers, recommendations, and research instead of relying only on traditional search results. These changes are also affecting how B2B buyers find and evaluate suppliers.

#1 B2B Vendor Research: B2B buyers now use AI to gather and compare information without visiting multiple websites anymore. Semrush’s 2026 B2B research found that 66% of surveyed B2B professionals regularly use AI to research products, vendors, or solutions.

#2 Commercial Search: AI Overviews are appearing more often for searches where people are researching products, services, and options. Semrush’s 2026 commercial-search study found that commercial SERPs with AI Overviews increased by 71% between November 2025 and April 2026.

#3 AI Visibility: Buyers now ask AI tools to recommend suppliers, compare options, and provide answers without clicking through a list of websites. This has shortened the research process and influenced which companies buyers consider.

#4 Multiple Search Channels: Customers now use AI to find potential suppliers, gather information, and read reviews before making a decision. Now, B2B companies need to maintain visibility across multiple channels rather than focusing on only one.

#5 Conversational Queries: Users have now moved from short, fragmented keywords to more detailed and natural-language questions. Instead of searching for terms such as “industrial equipment supplier,” an inquiry might be more specific, like the example below, from one of Glowtify’s customers, Pro-Ingredients.

How User Engagement Is Changing

AI-driven search features are shifting user attention away from traditional websites and towards instant answers:

• Zero-Click Impressions: With more users finding answers directly in search results, zero-click searches are becoming a key performance indicator (KPI). SEO professionals are now encouraged to measure success beyond clicks, focusing on metrics like visibility, brand awareness, and upper-funnel engagement.
• AI Visibility: Buyers now get information about a company directly in an AI tool without needing to visit its website.
• User-Generated Content: AI Overviews increasingly incorporate user-generated sources, such as reviews and community-driven content.
• AI-Generated Summaries: Users now get key information from an AI-generated summary instead of opening several search results, reducing the need to visit individual websites during the early stages of research. Here’s an example of what an AI summary looks like:
  

• More Direct Questions: Users are asking search tools more specific questions to get information that matches their needs. Instead of scanning multiple results, they can ask follow-up questions and refine their search based on the answers they receive.

What Are Businesses Doing and How Can We Face This Change?

To navigate the evolving landscape shaped by AI, businesses are implementing several key strategies:

#1 Emphasizing High-Quality, Personalized Content: AI algorithms prioritize content that is relevant and valuable to users. By focusing on creating personalized experiences, companies can enhance user engagement. For B2B companies, this can include content that answers specific industry questions and addresses different buyer needs.

#2 Leveraging AI for Content Creation and Optimization: Marketers are increasingly adopting AI tools to streamline content generation and improve efficiency.

#3 Optimizing Advertising Spend with AI: AI-driven tools enable businesses to analyze user behaviour and adjust ad targeting in real-time, leading to improved ad performance and cost efficiency.

#4 Investing in AI Technologies: Recognizing the transformative potential of AI, companies are allocating more resources toward AI integration. For marketers, this includes tools that help track how a company appears across AI-driven search experiences.

Traditional SEO and SEM strategies still have a role to play. Companies can continue optimizing content for search engines while also paying attention to how AI systems interpret and present that content.

As AI reshaping search behavior continues to affect B2B research, companies need to consider both traditional search visibility and visibility in AI-generated answers. The goal is not to replace referrals, trade shows, SEO, SEM, or a company’s website—it is to make sure buyers can find useful and accurate information wherever they choose to research.

Want to understand how your business is showing up in AI search and beyond? Run a free audit right now.