Research shows that 32% of buyers discover new B2B vendors using generative AI chatbots. This is why an answer engine optimization (AEO) strategy for B2B businesses is essential . AI-driven answer engines help buyers discover, evaluate, and shortlist vendors. The same research found that buyers start with an average of 7.6 potential vendors and narrow this to 3.5 before making their final decision.

For B2B brands, this change introduces a new visibility challenge: if their expertise isn’t surfaced, summarized, or cited by answer engines, they risk disappearing from the earliest — and most influential — stages of the buying journey.…