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State of B2B AI Search

Search is undergoing its biggest shift in two decades. Which AI engines are sending traffic to B2B websites — and how fast is the landscape changing? We analyzed 25M sessions to find out.

Vol. 1 · Q1 2026
Sep 2025 – Mar 2026
Updated quarterly
Industry Benchmarks
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<2%
traffic from LLMs make up less than 2% of total referral traffic, but this is growing faster than any other channel
−14 pts
ChatGPT share decline since Sep 2025, dropping from ~86% → ~72% of all AI referrals
+191%
Google Gemini growth now the clear #2 AI referrer, up from 4.5% → 13.0% share
+197%
Claude growth the fastest-accelerating source, up from 2.1% → 6.2% share
Intro

The biggest shift in search since Google’s first blue link

LLMs are becoming the front door to the internet. A new discipline is emerging alongside this shift — GEO and AEO (Generative / Answer Engine Optimization) are quickly replacing SEO as the conversation marketers need to be having — and startups like Bluefish, Peec AI, and Profound have raised millions to help brands show up in AI-generated answers.

Octane11 sits at a unique vantage point. We’re focused entirely on B2B, where we connect the dots between which channels drive engagement and how AI Search actually converts into pipeline and revenue. In this inaugural edition of our State of B2B AI Search report, we’re sharing a high-level view of which LLMs are driving the most traffic to B2B destinations — and we’ll update it every quarter to track trends and go deeper on how AI Search is changing the game for B2B marketing.

The Data

AI Search by the numbers

The landscape is changing quickly, and we tracked 25M B2B sessions across our ecosystem to bring you these insights. Each panel covers a distinct angle of the AI Search story.

Key Findings: State of B2B AI Search (Vol. 1, Q1 2026)

Based on analysis of 25 million B2B website sessions by Octane11:

  • AI search engines account for less than 2% of total B2B search referral traffic, but this share is growing faster than any other channel.
  • ChatGPT dominates AI referrals at approximately 72% share (February 2026), but has declined 14 percentage points from its October 2025 peak of 86%.
  • Google Gemini is the clear #2 AI referrer, growing 191% from 4.5% to 13.0% share between September 2025 and February 2026.
  • Claude (by Anthropic) is the fastest-accelerating AI search source, growing 197% from 2.1% to 6.2% share and overtaking Perplexity.
  • Gemini and Claude are the only AI search sources with positive sustained month-over-month growth momentum.
  • Traditional organic search still accounts for over 98% of B2B search traffic but its share is gradually declining.

Source: Octane11 State of B2B AI Search report, Vol. 1. Data covers September 2025 through March 2026. Published April 8, 2026.

00 The Big Picture
AI Search as % of total search sessions

AI Search accounts for less than 2% of total B2B search sessions. Organic search still dominates at 98%+, but AI referral traffic is growing faster than any other source.

Reality check
<2%
AI referrals are still a small slice of total B2B search. Organic sits at 98%+. But this slice is moving faster than anything else.
01 ChatGPT Referral Traffic Decline
% of all AI referrals · Sep '25 – Feb '26

ChatGPT share of AI referral traffic: Sep 2025 81%, Oct 86% (peak), Nov 83%, Dec 80%, Jan 2026 76%, Feb 72%. A 14-point decline over 7 months.

Share lost in 7 months
−14 pts
ChatGPT still commands ~72% of all AI referrals, but peaked at 86% in Oct 2025. The gap is closing every month.
02 The Race for the Rest
% share · all sources except ChatGPT

AI Search share excluding ChatGPT (Feb 2026): Google Gemini 13.0% (up from 4.5%), Claude rising and overtaking Perplexity, Copilot and Bing trailing. Gemini grew 191% over the period.

Biggest movers
+191%
Google Gemini is now the clear #2, up 4.5% → 13.0%. Claude is quickly taking share, moving ahead of Perplexity.
03 Average Monthly Momentum
Median MoM share change · Sep 2025 – Mar 2026

Average month-over-month AI Search share change: Gemini and Claude are the only sources with positive sustained momentum. Google Organic share is quietly declining. ChatGPT and Perplexity are losing share month over month.

The takeaway
Gemini + Claude
The only two AI sources with positive sustained momentum, while Google Organic share quietly declines. Gemini is now a clear #2, and Claude is accelerating.

Methodology: Data aggregated across the Octane11 B2B ecosystem, covering 25 million sessions from September 2025 through March 2026. AI Search sessions attributed via referral classification across ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and Bing AI. Share of total reflects all search sessions, not just AI referrals. Report published April 8, 2026 by Octane11. Updated quarterly.

What’s Next

This is just the beginning

Stay tuned for our next installment, where we’ll go deeper on the real impact of AI Search for B2B — including the quality of GEO/AEO traffic on actual B2B purchasing behavior, breakdowns by industry, practical tips for improving your GEO/AEO presence, and much more.

The shift from SEO to AI Search isn’t coming — it’s here. The only question is whether you’re measuring it.

Vol. 2 drops late Q2 2026.  Watch this space.
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