AEO is already a big deal for B2B software. In G2's March 2026 survey of 1,076 B2B software buyers, 51% said they now start their research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google. 69% said they chose a different vendor than they first planned because that vendor was part of a chatbot's recommendation.
AEO (answer engine optimization) is the work of making sure that when buyers ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google who to choose, the answer names you and is right about you.
Here are the AEO statistics behind that answer, with their sources and dates.
| Number | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 51% | B2B software buyers who start research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google | G2, April 2026 |
| 69% | B2B software buyers who chose a different vendor than planned because that vendor was part of a chatbot's recommendation | G2, April 2026 |
| 94% | B2B buyers who use AI somewhere in their buying process | Forrester, Buyers' Journey Survey 2025 |
| 68% | US Google searches that ended without a click, January to April 2026 | SparkToro, using Similarweb data, June 2026 |
| ~20% | ChatGPT usage with direct commercial intent | Colin Fleming, OpenAI, Cannes Lions 2026 |
| 70% / 20% | Marketers who expect AEO to reshape their digital strategy / who have started on it | Acquia, September 2025 |
How many B2B buyers start with an AI chatbot?
G2 surveyed 1,076 B2B software buyers and decision-makers in March 2026 and published the results on April 15, 2026. 51% start their research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google. 69% chose a different vendor than they planned because the vendor was part of a chatbot's recommendation. In the same survey, one in three bought from a vendor they had never heard of before.
The 69% and the one in three matter most for software companies. A chatbot can change a buyer's shortlist before the buyer ever reaches a vendor's website.
How many B2B buyers use AI at all?
Forrester's Buyers' Journey Survey 2025 found that 94% of business buyers use AI in their buying process, up five points from 89% a year earlier. Forrester published it on January 22, 2026.
Forrester's 94% covers any use of AI while buying, not only the first search, so it is the broadest of these numbers.
How many Google searches end without a click?
SparkToro, working from Similarweb's desktop and mobile panel, found that 68.01% of US Google searches from January to April 2026 ended without a click to any website. It was published June 9, 2026. The panel does not include Google's mobile app, so the real share may be higher. Earlier years were measured with a different data provider, so compare the trend with care.
When Google shows the answer on the results page, in an AI Overview or a featured snippet, the buyer may never visit the sites behind it.
How much ChatGPT use is shopping?
At a Cannes Lions 2026 panel, "Winning the AI Discovery Era", Colin Fleming, CMO of OpenAI's business unit, said: "Roughly 20% of usage on ChatGPT has some direct commercial intent." The State of Brand reported it on July 7, 2026.
OpenAI sells ads in ChatGPT, so it has a reason to publicize this number. It is OpenAI's figure about its own product, so treat it as a claim rather than an independent measure. David Dugan, OpenAI's head of global ads solutions, gave the same 20% at Cannes, as reported by Marketing Dive on June 23, 2026.
Have marketers started on AEO?
Acquia surveyed 516 marketers in the US and UK in July 2025 and published the results on September 24, 2025. 70% agreed AEO will significantly reshape their organization's digital strategy within one to three years. 20% had started putting AEO work in place.
Acquia's survey is older than the others and covers marketers in general, not only B2B software.
Why I looked into this
In October 2026, a new signup in an app I built showed ChatGPT as the referrer. This caught my attention immediately.
I wanted to know whether that was a fluke or a trend, especially for B2B, where I expected AI search to lag consumer shopping. The B2B numbers above were a lot higher than I expected.
What should a B2B software company do about it?
If half your buyers start with a chatbot, the first answer they read about your category may not mention you, or may get you wrong. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google the questions your buyers ask, logged out, and note who gets named and which pages get cited. How to check what AI says about your company walks through each step.
If you would rather I did it, the free AEO teardown runs ten buyer questions against one competitor and shows you the answers. The method page explains how those answers are collected and scored.
Sources
All checked October 23, 2026.
- G2, "In the Answer Economy, Don't Win the Click — Win the Answer", April 15, 2026: company.g2.com
- Forrester, John Buten, "B2B Buyers Make Zero-Click Buying Number One", January 22, 2026: forrester.com
- SparkToro, Rand Fishkin, "In 2026, Less than One Third of Google Searches Still Send a Click", June 9, 2026: sparktoro.com
- The State of Brand, recap of the Cannes Lions 2026 panel "Winning the AI Discovery Era", July 7, 2026: thestateofbrand.com
- Marketing Dive, "What defines ChatGPT ads? 'Super intentional' users, OpenAI tells Cannes", June 23, 2026: marketingdive.com
- Acquia, "Survey: 70% Say AEO Will Reshape Digital Strategy, But Only 20% Have Started Implementation", September 24, 2025: acquia.com