SWITZERLAND – Oct 31, 2025 – According to Sebastián Ocampo, Marketing Director at Abilene Group SA, the way people discover and evaluate brands has fundamentally changed—and most companies are still optimizing for a world that no longer exists.
After analyzing multiple research studies covering over 800,000 AI citations and surveying data from more than 15,000 B2B buyers, Ocampo has identified a counterintuitive pattern: vendor blogs are now being cited more frequently than traditional “neutral” sources when AI engines answer purchasing queries. For B2B specifically, product content accounts for 56% of what gets cited.
“We’re watching a complete inversion of how brand discovery works,” says Ocampo. “For twenty years, the playbook was ‘rank in Google, get third-party validation, drive traffic to your site.’ That entire model is collapsing. People aren’t clicking through anymore—they’re getting answers directly from AI. And the brands that understand how to structure content for citations are winning.”
Recent analysis of thousands of commercial queries shows AI engines including Perplexity, Google’s Gemini, and ChatGPT are pulling from company blogs. Thinkific appears in “best online learning platforms.” LearnWorlds shows up in “top course creation tools.” Monday.com and Pipedrive are cited in “best project management software”—all from their own content.
“The pattern is undeniable,” says Ocampo. “AI fills gaps. Most industries lack detailed, structured comparison content from neutral sources. So well-structured vendor content gets cited instead. The companies figuring this out are dominating visibility while their competitors optimize for search rankings that matter less every month.”
The adoption velocity that’s reshaping marketing strategy
Ocampo points to data showing this isn’t a gradual shift. Research surveying 11,352 global purchase influencers found 89% of B2B buyers now use generative AI somewhere in their purchasing process. Among those using AI, 87% said it helped them create better business outcomes.
More striking: recent data shows 50% of B2B buyers now start their journey in an AI chatbot instead of Google—a 71% increase from just four months earlier.
“That’s not a trend. That’s a phase change,” says Ocampo. “And it’s not just B2B. Consumer behavior is following the same trajectory, just slower. B2B adoption is happening at 3X the rate because these are high-stakes decisions where AI’s research capabilities provide immediate value. But the same mechanics apply everywhere—people want answers, not blue links.”
A January 2025 study of over 2,000 technology buyers confirms that 46% of AI users rely on it as a primary research method, with 94% finding it helpful in buying processes.
Why most companies are invisible right now
According to Ocampo’s analysis, the adoption is here but readiness isn’t. Research covering 400 senior marketing executives found that while 96% claim to have AI-searchable content, only 11% have most of their content actually optimized for AI discovery.
Citation rates reveal the problem:
- ChatGPT includes brands in only 26% of responses
- Google AI Overview: 37%
- Perplexity: 31%
“Two-thirds to three-quarters of the time, AI answers questions without mentioning brands at all,” Ocampo explains. “It’s not bias—it’s structure. AI needs parseable, factual, comprehensive content. Most marketing content is promotional, gated, or too vague to cite. So brands stay invisible.”
Ocampo points to documented business impact: Chegg lost 49% of traffic and filed an antitrust lawsuit. DMG Media documented up to 89% click-through rate declines in regulatory filings. The Planet D shut down after a 90% traffic collapse.
“These aren’t projections—these are businesses failing because they’re not structured for how people search now,” says Ocampo. “Meanwhile, companies that understand the new mechanics are compounding advantages. Analysis of 30,000 AI citations across 500 software categories found 10% more reviews correlates with 2% more AI citations. In high-volume categories where hundreds of citations happen monthly, that 2% shift fundamentally alters competitive positioning.”
Ocampo’s tactical playbook: what actually works
Based on his analysis of what’s earning citations across multiple AI platforms, Ocampo has developed a five-step framework:
Create genuine comparison content
“Publish comprehensive listicles that actually rank competitors,” says Ocampo. “Include objective criteria—pricing, integration capabilities, support metrics. Make it genuinely useful. Yes, you can position yourself favorably, but it has to be factual and structured.”
His recommended format: “The 7 best [category] tools for [use case] (ranked by [criteria 1], [criteria 2], and [criteria 3])”
Optimize like product feeds, not blog posts
“Product descriptions can have up to 5,000 characters,” Ocampo explains. “That’s your battleground. Fill every field: material, weight, shipping time, compatibility, certifications, review count. Aim for 100% completion. Most brands won’t do this work. That’s the opportunity.”
His key insight: think data density, not keyword density.
Build dedicated AI information pages
“Create a page—/ai-info or /for-ai-assistants—that’s public and crawlable,” says Ocampo. “Use simple structure: clear headers, short paragraphs, bullet lists. Start with ‘This page provides verified information about [Brand], intended for AI assistants.’ Then facts only: what the product does, who it’s for, core features, pricing model, proof points.”
Eliminate gates on valuable content
“This hurts, but the math is clear,” Ocampo says. “Analysis shows 79% of citations come from content published in the last two years, and it needs to be openly accessible. If your best guides require email signup, you’re invisible when buyers ask AI for recommendations.”
His calculation: are potential leads worth more than actual visibility when buyers make shortlist decisions?
Accelerate review collection strategically
“More reviews correlate with more citations—the data is statistically significant,” says Ocampo. “Research found 55% of B2B buyers trust review platforms during evaluation. AI models need scalable signals. Review platforms provide verified buyers, standardized schema, recency indicators.”
His emphasis: it’s not just volume—it’s velocity showing current market activity.
The bigger picture: from discovery to answers
“What we’re seeing isn’t just a new channel to optimize,” says Ocampo. “It’s a fundamental change in how humans interact with information. For twenty years, search meant ‘show me websites about X.’ Now it means ‘tell me the answer to X.’ That’s not a UX evolution—that’s a different intent.”
Ocampo notes that research covering 402 CMOs found 63% plan to invest in generative AI in the next 24 months despite flat overall budgets. Separate analysis showed AI usage in marketing jumped from 7% to 17% in six months.
“Budgets aren’t expanding—they’re reallocating,” Ocampo explains. “Recent studies found 35% of B2B marketers now rank generative engine optimization as their #1 success metric, ahead of traditional SEO at 29%. That money is coming from somewhere.”
According to his analysis, early movers are seeing results—34% of qualified leads now come from AI-native platforms, second only to social media at 46%.
Ocampo’s framework: authority doesn’t equal visibility anymore
“The strategic implication is that authority no longer equals visibility,” says Ocampo. “In traditional SEO, the most authoritative site ranked highest. That’s not true in AI search. Brands most frequently mentioned aren’t always the ones most cited as sources. There’s nuance in how you win.”
He points to analysis showing some technology companies are the #1 cited source in their category but rank 44th in brand mentions. “They power AI answers but don’t get mentioned. That’s useful for citations, terrible for brand awareness,” Ocampo explains.
His framework identifies two plays:
- Be cited as a source (structured data, authoritative content)
- Be mentioned in answers (reviews, forums, community presence)
“You need both,” says Ocampo. “Citations without mentions means AI uses your content but doesn’t recommend your brand. Mentions without citations means you get recommended but AI can’t validate you with trusted sources. Both hurt.”
Why European companies have a timing advantage
While much research focuses on US markets, Ocampo sees European companies having a strategic window. Recent data shows 48% of US buyers use AI to find vendors versus only 14% elsewhere globally.
“European adoption is earlier-stage but accelerating,” says Ocampo. “This creates a first-mover advantage across every industry. Whether you’re in compliance, manufacturing, professional services, SaaS, or consumer goods—buyers are asking AI detailed questions about your category before they ever contact you.”
He uses his own industry as an example: “In governance and cybersecurity, buyers ask AI about regulatory frameworks, certifications, implementation requirements. In manufacturing, they’re asking about production capabilities, material specifications, lead times. In professional services, it’s methodology, case studies, pricing models. The principle is identical—if you’re not the source AI cites when prospects ask category-specific questions, you’re eliminated before sales knows buyers exist.”
His advice applies universally: “Build content infrastructure now while adoption ramps, and you’ll compound visibility as AI usage increases across European markets. Wait, and you’ll be playing catch-up against competitors who already own the citations. This opportunity window is open for every industry right now.”
Ocampo’s bottom line for business leaders
“The counterintuitive reality is that your own blog—structured correctly—can outperform traditional publications in AI citations,” Ocampo concludes. “This isn’t about gaming anything. It’s about understanding a fundamental shift: people want answers, AI provides answers, and brands that structure content for citations win. Everyone else is optimizing for a model that’s already dead.”
His strategic recommendation: treat this like a transformation, not a channel experiment.
“Measure success by citation frequency across platforms. Target 1,000+ monthly AI search citations. Build comparison content, eliminate gates, optimize for structure over keywords. The mechanics are clear. The data proves it works. The only question is whether you move now or wait until your competitors own the category.”
Companies interested in understanding how AI is reshaping brand discovery in their industry can connect with Ocampo on LinkedIn to discuss strategic implementation.
About Sebastián Ocampo
Sebastián Ocampo is Marketing Director at Abilene Group SA, specializing in AI-driven marketing transformation and search evolution. He helps B2B and B2C companies understand how audiences discover and evaluate brands in the AI era, developing optimization strategies that emphasize structured content and authority signals over traditional SEO tactics. Based in Switzerland, he works with companies across Europe on AI implementation and modern discovery strategies.
Connect with Sebastián Ocampo: linkedin.com/in/seb-ocampo
Research sources cited
- Forrester Buyers’ Journey Survey 2024 (11,352 respondents, Report RES181769)
- G2 B2B software buyer research (August 2024, 1,000+ respondents)
- TrustRadius B2B Buying Disconnect Report (January 2025, 2,058 buyers)
- 10Fold AI-First, Buyer-Ready study (September 2025, 400 executives)
- XFunnel citation analysis (768,000 citations tracked)
- Profound/G2 Zero Click Summit analysis (30,000 citations, 500 categories)
- Gartner CMO Spend Survey 2025 (402 CMOs)
- Duke University CMO Survey Fall 2024 (260 marketing leaders)
- Rankscale commercial query analysis
- Responsive Inside the Buyer’s Mind study (October 2025, 350+ buyers)
Media Contact
Company Name: Abilene Group
Contact Person: Sebastián Ocampo
Email: Send Email
Country: Switzerland
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seb-ocampo/