By Collin Cornwell, SVP, Growth Marketing, NP Digital

Some significant shifts are occurring in the B2B landscape that can’t be ignored. First, the way buyers engage in B2B relationships is changing. A recent Gartner sales survey found that 61 percent of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience to the traditional rep-driven process.

The survey findings, which were released in June 2025, show that independent research via digital channels has become the standard approach for businesses looking to buy. Essentially, the modern B2B buyer is starting to look a lot like a B2C customer: they go online first, supplement their search findings by talking to peers, and prefer to be well educated on their options before talking to sales.

The challenges presented by this change in B2B buyer preferences are amplified by the fact that online search is also going through a major shift. AI chatbots and large language models (LLMs) are becoming the dominant gateways to online information, forcing businesses to rethink their visibility strategies. Statistics shared by McKinsey and Company in October 2025 show that half of consumers are now intentionally seeking out search engines that leverage AI, with the majority saying those engines are the dominant digital source driving their buying decisions.

To surface in the conversational and generative AI tools that have become the first (and sometimes last) stop for many online searches, businesses must align their content, authority signals, and technical structure with how leading models ingest and prioritize information. Ranking in Google can no longer be the primary goal. To effectively connect with customers, B2B marketers must now build AI search optimization strategies that allow them to be cited, referenced, and recommended by AI as the most trusted answer.

Understanding the new players in AI search optimization strategies

Aligning with AI-driven discovery and decision-making requires implementing AI search optimization strategies that address new initialisms — AEO, GEO, and LLMO. As with SEO, these terms refer to optimization aimed at getting content to bubble to the top in search results. But with answer engine optimization (AEO), generative engine optimization (GEO), and large language model optimization (LLMO), the target is AI-driven search results.

AEO is an AI search optimization strategy focused on getting content placed in the AI overviews that search engines like Google now typically place at the top of their results page. To thrive in this arena, marketers need to keep in mind that search engines are no longer just assessing online content but extracting it. Therefore, getting included in AI overviews requires not only providing trustworthy content but also structuring that content in a way that facilitates extraction.

GEO is focused on developing and deploying content that can serve as a source for generative AI platforms. This practice pushes beyond AEO to provide the type of content that convinces AI you are authoritative and worthy of being cited.

LLMO focuses on providing the type of content that tools like ChatGPT or Gemini can use in their conversational responses. To shine here, you need an AI search optimization strategy that acknowledges and adjusts to the ways LLMs understand, interpret, and surface information about businesses or the products and services they provide.

AI search optimization strategies that foster AI-driven discovery

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the integration of AI into the search world doesn’t mean you need a whole new SEO strategy. The addition of new interfaces hasn’t changed the fundamentals. AI-driven search tools have the same goal as search engines of the past: keeping users happy by giving them useful content. If your efforts are already optimized for providing that kind of content, you have a strong foundation upon which to build an AI search optimization strategy.

Start by making sure you have the fundamentals in place. You’ll need human-first content that satisfies search intent with original insights, real experience, and clear expertise. You’ll also need formats people prefer, including visuals and videos, as well as a clean structure and markup strategy designed to help search platforms understand your content.

If all that is in place, you’ll simply be adding components to help you leverage AI search for a greater impact. How you do that will depend on your goals.

Focusing on AEO will help you to appear in response to direct, question-based search intent. You’ll want to invest here if your goal is to be the answer to “What is…?” or “Why does…?” queries. And you can connect with that search behavior by building on your SEO foundation with content that provides structured, scannable sections such as FAQs, lists, and clear definitions.

If your goal is to connect with businesses looking for deeper context on topics in your field, you’ll want to focus on GEO, which typically handles broad informational or exploratory searches. You can improve your odds of showing up in those types of searches by crafting long-form content that is deep, clear, backed up by links to sources, and packed with classic E-E-A-T signals.

LLMO is for those who want to hit searches launched with open-ended queries and conversational prompts people pose to AI-powered search tools like Gemini and ChatGPT. Strategies that work here will key on producing comprehensive guides that provide expert insights, employ consistent terminology, and deliver entity-rich content.

The shifts happening in the search world, which involve both how businesses search and how search tools develop results, require businesses to revamp their marketing strategies or risk falling behind. SEO strategies need to be expanded into AI search optimization strategies that include the components needed to land brands in AI-driven search results. Businesses that invest in these strategies now will future-proof their brand’s discoverability and build a solid presence in the next generation of search.

— With more than 25 years of experience spanning integrated design and digital marketing, Collin serves as SVP of Growth Marketing at NP Digital. He plays a key role in defining the agency’s narrative and spearheading growth initiatives that strengthen brand positioning, expand market presence, and amplify industry recognition.