8 min read
In July I wrote about three ways to actually improve your brand's AI visibility. Since then I've been digging into two reports published this year that put hard numbers on why it matters.
The first is Semrush’s report on How AI tools shape B2B buying processes, which surveyed over 600 US B2B professionals in March and April 2026. The second is TrustRadius's 2026 B2B Buying Disconnect report, based on feedback from nearly 2,000 technology buyers.
Together they show AI turning up at every stage of the B2B buying journey. And they show where buyers go to check whether AI got it right.
AI now has a say in who makes the shortlist
Of the 519 Semrush respondents who use AI for work, 66% regularly use it to research vendors and solutions, and TrustRadius found 63% of buyers used AI at some point in their purchase journey.
92% say AI has shaped their vendor shortlist. 83% say it influenced their final decision. For 45%, the effect on the shortlist was significant.
So if AI leaves you out when a buyer asks for options, there's a fair chance you never get the call.
And brand awareness won't save you. Only 7% of Semrush respondents said they notice a vendor in an AI answer because they recognise the name. What made a vendor stand out was a close match to their use case (53%) and a clear, detailed description (50%).
Buyers still check AI's homework
Buyers don't take AI at its word. TrustRadius found 94% of buyers who use AI fact-check its answers at least some of the time.
AI search is being used as a starting point in the B2B buying process - when AI mentions a vendor, 71% go to that vendor's website and 63% search for the company on Google, according to Semrush. 38% check G2 or a similar review site.
Meanwhile, the old sources of authority are fading. Only 13% of buyers used analyst reports to make a purchase decision, a 63% fall since 2022 (TrustRadius).
So AI gets you onto the list - then your website, your search results and what other people say about you decide whether you stay there. This is why it’s essential not to look at only one marketing channel in isolation – they all must work together.
What this means for energy businesses
While these studies weren’t specific to the energy sector, at Aspect many of our clients sell complex technology bought by customers with carefully considered, long buying processes.
Chances are these buyers are behaving exactly like the wider B2B ecosystem. This poses some unique challenges in our sector:
Energy companies tend to describe themselves in broad terms. "Your energy transition partner." "End-to-end solutions across the asset lifecycle." A buyer asking AI for a corrosion monitoring supplier for North Sea platforms won't get matched to that. Remember, 53% said a close match to their use case is what made a vendor stand out in AI results.
The proof is often locked away. Case studies sit behind forms or in PDFs. Project wins live in press releases from 2019. Certifications and standards are buried three clicks deep. AI tools generally can't get past a form, and buyers checking your site after an AI recommendation won't dig around for long.
Trust carries more weight. When the product touches safety, compliance or critical infrastructure, buyers verify harder. That 94% fact-checking figure will feel familiar to anyone who's sat through an energy procurement process.
Four things energy businesses should do now
1. Make your positioning specific enough for AI to repeat
AI can only recommend you for the problems it knows you solve. Spell them out: who you work with and what you can offer them.
Try this: ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude what your company does and who your competitors are. If the answer is vague or wrong, your positioning probably is too.
2. Write for the questions buyers actually ask
Buyers type questions like "who provides integrity management software for offshore wind?" Give them a page that answers it. Build content around applications, asset types and regions, and write each section so it makes sense on its own. I covered how to structure it in my earlier article on AI visibility.
3. Put your proof where AI and buyers can find it
71% of buyers go to your website after an AI recommendation. Make sure it reflects and backs up what AI told them.
That means ungated case studies with named projects and real numbers. Certifications and standards on the pages where they matter. The same description of what you do on your website, LinkedIn and industry directories. If those sources disagree, AI and buyers notice, get confused, lose trust and ultimately go elsewhere.
4. Get other people talking about you
Trade press coverage, reviews, industry body listings, conference talks and partner pages give AI something independent to cite (this is where our Communications team can help). Keep your SEO in good shape too, since 63% of buyers will Google you after AI suggests you.
Where Aspect comes in
Most consultancies can help with one half of this. Strategy firms work on positioning and messaging. SEO agencies work on the technical side. AI search needs both, done together.
We've worked with energy and complex technology businesses from our offices in Aberdeen and Edinburgh since 2015. We know how an offshore operator's procurement team thinks, and we know how to explain an engineering product in words a buyer (and an AI model) will understand.
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