AEO by industry · B2B & ecommerce
Get recommended when buyers ask AI.
Buyers ask AI for the best tool before they visit your site, and it answers from review sites and communities. Here is the plain-English playbook, plus a guide for each type of business.
Buyers ask AI for the "best CRM for a small agency" or "Shopify alternatives" before they ever visit a website. The engines answer from G2, Capterra, comparison articles, and Reddit, not mainly from your homepage. Our research shows most of what AI quotes comes from sites other than your own. This is the shared playbook for B2B and ecommerce brands, plus a guide for each type. It is part of answer engine optimization.
01
Common ground
Four things that are true for every B2B brand.
No matter what you sell, these four things decide whether AI recommends you. Get them right first. The guides further down the page build on them.
Review sites are your credential
For software and B2B, G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius are what AI checks first. Your rating and review count there carry more weight than your own homepage.
Comparison content wins
AI leans on 'best of' roundups and 'X vs Y' pages. If those name your competitor and not you, you are invisible, even with a better product.
Buyers ask communities
Reddit, Slack groups, and forums are where real buyers compare tools, and AI quotes them heavily. An authentic presence there shows up in answers.
Intent is use-case specific
'Best CRM for small agencies' is a different question than 'best CRM'. Pages built for a specific segment and use case get named for it.
Key takeaway
Strong review profiles, comparison content, community presence, and use-case pages matter for every B2B and ecommerce brand. The exact platforms change; these do not.
02
Where AI looks
How each engine recommends a tool.
AI search engines do not keep their own list of tools. They search the web, then build a recommendation from what they find, and each one reads a different set of sites. Ranking on Google is the entry ticket, not the whole game.
| Engine | Where it looks | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini | Google Search | Pulls top-ranking pages and 'best of' roundups. Classic SEO still gets you here. |
| ChatGPT | Mostly Bing, plus review sites | Leans on G2, Capterra, comparison articles, and Reddit threads. |
| Perplexity | Its own search, likes fresh pages | Leans on recent reviews, comparison pages, and well-sourced content. |
| Grok | Reddit and X | Quotes buyer discussions in industry and product subreddits. |
| Claude | Brave Search | The toughest one. Wants provable claims: real docs, pricing, and reviews. |
In our CRM recommendation experiment, the tools AI named had strong G2 and Capterra profiles, showed up in comparison articles, and had use-case pages that matched the exact question. A polished homepage alone was not enough.
03
Playbook
The moves that work everywhere.
These moves work for any B2B or ecommerce brand. They go past a polished website into what actually earns an AI recommendation.
Own your G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius
Claim your profiles, keep them current, and run a steady review program. For B2B, your review rating is the credential AI checks first.
Get into comparison and 'best of' content
Publish your own 'X vs Y' and alternatives pages, and earn a spot in other people's roundups. This is what AI quotes when someone asks for the best option.
Be present in communities
Answer honestly in the subreddits and forums where your buyers compare tools. AI quotes these threads, and salesy posts get spotted and ignored.
Build use-case and segment pages
One page per 'best [tool] for [who]'. Specific pages get named for specific searches that a generic homepage never will.
Back every claim with proof
Case studies, real docs, and public pricing. AI is starting to fact-check claims, so provable ones win over marketing language.
Stay fresh and mentioned elsewhere
Update key pages, keep reviews coming, and earn mentions elsewhere. Most of what AI quotes comes from sites other than your own.
Key takeaway
A polished homepage is not the game. AI wants strong review profiles, comparison content that names you, community proof, and use-case pages built for a specific buyer.
04
Your business
Find the guide for your type of business.
The playbook above works for every B2B and ecommerce brand. The review sites, proof, and buyer questions do not. Each guide below covers the platforms that matter, what builds trust, and the content that gets you named in your category.
B2B SaaS
G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius, with comparison, alternatives, and use-case pages ('best X for small agencies') getting named in AI answers.
Ecommerce
Reddit, YouTube, and editorial 'best' lists, with product reviews, product details AI can read, and buying-guide pages.
Startups
Product Hunt, Crunchbase, and G2, with early reviews, press, and category-defining and 'X vs Y' pages.
Small business
Google, Yelp, and industry directories, with reviews, local signals, and how-to and pricing pages.
MSPs & IT services
Clutch, G2, and Gartner Peer Insights, with partner certifications (Microsoft, CompTIA) and compliance (SOC 2, HIPAA) pages.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Part of the AEO by Industry guide. See also how each AI engine recommends differently and the full AEO guide.