84% of Executives Now Buy on AI's First Suggestion

Nearly half of all executives believe artificial intelligence will replace Google for business research by 2030, according to research from Bospar PR. That forecast, published December 10, 2025 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's CO— platform, frames a hard commercial reality: small businesses that ignore generative engine optimization (GEO) risk disappearing from the places where purchasing and partnership decisions are increasingly made.

The stakes are already measurable. Separate Bospar research found that 84% of decision-makers buy based on AI's first suggestion. "When 84% of decision-makers are already buying based on AI's first suggestion, visibility in AI results isn't optional anymore," said Curtis Sparrer, Principal and Co-Founder of Bospar PR.

Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity deliver direct, personalized answers instead of the pages of links Google returns. That shift breaks the logic of traditional search engine optimization, which relied on targeted keywords, backlinks, and metadata to win a first-page ranking. Generative engine optimization — the emerging discipline of optimizing content for AI visibility — depends less on keyword ranking and more on being perceived as a credible, authoritative source.

The target is twofold. Businesses want their information cited inside AI-generated responses on chatbot platforms, and they want placement in the "AI summary" that now sits at the top of traditional search results pages. The second matters as much as the first. "Even if consumers don't go directly to ChatGPT … to ask a question, they often cut off their Google searches after seeing the AI summary," explained Debra Vilchis, President of Fishman PR.

Start with an audit

The U.S. Chamber's guidance tells business owners to interrogate the machines directly. Ask an AI tool prompts such as "What is [your company]?", "Who founded [your company]?" and "Who are the top companies in [your industry]?" The answers reveal how AI models currently perceive the brand — accurate, outdated, incomplete, or absent entirely.

For a more structured analysis, Bospar developed Audit*E, a tool that evaluates how eight major AI platforms represent a brand. It provides visibility scoring, competitive benchmarking, and tailored recommendations for improvement.

Owned media comes next. Business owners should revisit their website's "About" page and their company's LinkedIn profile. "When something is published clearly and cleanly on your site, it shows up in AI outputs," Sparrer explained.

Structure content for machines

Vilchis said a strong GEO strategy should follow the EEAT principles — experience, expertise, authority, and trust — "which are the main things that generative engines are looking for." The practical instruction: lead with direct, informative statements, then support them with context and credible citations.

Technical fundamentals still apply. Schema markup, metadata, and clear headings help AI tools accurately interpret pages, just as they helped Google's crawlers. The cost of neglect is stark. "If your content is not structured and contextualized in a way that allows AI models to 'understand' and trust it, you risk being invisible," said Chris Hutchins, Founder and CEO of Hutchins Data Strategy Consultants.

Earned media is the new backlink

AI platforms learn about a company from more than its own website. They learn from what others publish about it. "Third-party sources provide the external validation that gives AI platforms confidence," Sparrer said. "Strategic PR that creates those authoritative mentions is now the foundation of AI visibility."

Vilchis agreed, noting that journalistic links are prioritized by AI. That makes it "important for brands to have their messages and executives featured in earned media." In practice, press coverage functions in the GEO era the way backlinks functioned in the SEO era — as the trust signal that decides who gets cited.

The basics still decide the outcome

GEO demands a different tactical playbook than SEO, but the fundamentals of good digital content have not changed, the Chamber's guidance stresses. Vilchis emphasized consistency of messaging across platforms, which helps AI systems shape the right narrative about a company. Hutchins advised publishing regularly, maintaining a coherent voice, and aligning content with the broader mission.

Credibility, clarity, and audience relevance remain the decisive factors in search visibility. "Brands that [are] useful, human-centered, and consistent will continue to rise above the noise," said Hutchins. "The tools evolve, but trust, clarity, and authenticity remain nonnegotiable."

For small businesses, the near-term calculation is simple: the 2030 horizon Bospar's executives cite is five years out, but the 84% first-suggestion buying behavior is already here. Companies that audit their AI presence now, clean up their owned media, and build earned coverage will enter the generative search era visible. Those that wait may find the machines have already formed their opinion — or formed none at all.