In the awareness stage, you test whether AI knows you. In the comparison stage, you test whether it includes you alongside competitors. In the buying stage, you test something more concrete: do you make the shortlist when a prospect is close to getting in touch? That is often the shortest route to online leads.
On 3 September 2026, Search Engine Journal discussed B2B data from Ten Speed. Product pages, articles, comparison pages and other content a brand controls often appeared as sources in AI answers. The study has limitations, so I would not treat it as a rule. But the direction is useful: close to a decision, concrete pages matter. Think case studies, sector pages, service pages, comparisons and FAQs. Search Engine Journal
Use these questions to test whether you are on AI’s shortlist
Want to know whether AI mentions you when prospects are close to choosing? Test the questions below. Fill in your own service category, competitor, industry and key customer problem. Run the questions in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. These are no longer awareness questions. They help you find out whether you make it to the final round.
| No. | Buying-stage question |
|---|---|
| 1 | What specific guarantees does [your brand] offer if the results fall short? |
| 2 | Why do customers end their contracts with [your brand], or decide to switch to it? |
| 3 | What hidden costs, licences or additional service fees are involved with [your brand]? |
| 4 | Can [your brand] be up and running within 14 days and integrate directly with our current software? |
| 5 | Which specific GDPR, privacy and security requirements does [your brand] meet? |
| 6 | What evidence, case studies and measurable results does [your brand] show for a company in our industry? |
| 7 | Is [your brand] suitable for a team our size, or does the software struggle to scale? |
| 8 | What are the main risks and switching barriers when replacing [competitor] with [your brand]? |
| 9 | What exact terms and notice periods does [your brand] apply to an annual contract? |
| 10 | What are the exact next steps and requirements if we approve [your brand]’s proposal today? |
Copy and paste the full answers, including links, so you can review: are you on the shortlist, which competitors appear beside you, which sources AI uses, and whether you are mentioned with concrete evidence or just as a name. Run each question three times in an anonymous or new browser window, or use anonymous chat. A shortlist based on one AI answer is interesting, but it is not yet a measurement.
If you are missing, you may be losing more than visibility. You may be missing a place in the final set of providers your prospect considers. The first improvement is usually in pages close to conversion: case studies, sector pages, service pages, comparison pages and FAQs. Be specific about what you deliver, who you work with, what evidence you have, how an engagement starts and what decision the customer will be better equipped to make. Measure whether AI puts you on the shortlist. That will quickly show which page needs attention first.
Also read the questions for the awareness stage and the comparison stage.
This translation was made by AI.