Top takeaways:
- Understand buyer behaviour: Know how industrial buyers research suppliers, what information they need and where AI fits into their journey.
- Combine SEO and AEO: Optimise your content for both traditional search engines and AI-generated results rather than treating them as separate strategies.
- Create useful, credible content: Technical information, FAQs, case studies and evidence of expertise can help answer questions and build trust.
- Keep your information up to date: Accurate specifications, certifications, capabilities and reviews make it easier for buyers and AI tools to understand your business.
Industrial buying has traditionally been built around existing and developing relationships. Think trade shows, referrals, sales teams and long-standing supplier connections, which have all played an important role in how manufacturers have traditionally won business. However, as the modern age continues to adapt and evolve, so does buyer behaviour, and it’s increasingly happening online.
Potential customers and new markets are searching for suppliers, comparing capabilities, reading technical specifications and using AI tools more than ever before to answer questions about products and services. This means your business has already been profiled and considered long before anyone gets the opportunity to speak with a sales team. As a business, it’s important to consider how AI is changing the way industrial buyers research, and what this means in the future for manufacturers.
How industrial buyers are currently researching
The journey from discovery to enquiry is no longer so simple to map; buyers are more multifaceted and pickier than ever, with an abundance of brands to choose from. For example, a procurement manager could be researching a specific manufacturing process, while an engineer searches for technical specifications on certain materials or capabilities. On the other hand, a business owner may be comparing several suppliers based on expertise, location, lead times and previous work, and each of them is taking the time to extensively research before making a final decision.
AI is only making this process even more pronounced, steering more users away from traditional search engines as their primary method of research. Gartner conducted a survey and found that 69% of B2B buyers use AI throughout the sales funnel. For manufacturers, being visible at the point of enquiry is no longer enough; they need to understand how content and knowledge should translate for AIO (AI Overview) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) in order to be recognised as a market leader.
Is SEO obsolete if AEO is on the rise?
Recently, there have been many debates comparing SEO to AEO and whether traditional methods are no longer as important. But search engines still reign supreme, and rather than competing, we should consider how they work together as part of a comprehensive strategy.
SEO is undeniably important to help search engines understand, crawl and rank websites, while AEO focuses more heavily on providing clear, direct answers that can be pulled together through AI-generated results and overviews.
Good AEO would fail to thrive without proper SEO behind it, as AI-generated answers still rely heavily on information that needs to be discovered, understood, and evaluated across the web. Well-structured, keyword-research-led FAQs are a good example of catering to both SEO and AEO.
Ultimately, they both rely on the same fundamentals, covering useful content, technical optimisations, clear site structure, keyword research, and how trustworthy a brand is. So, there’s no need to abandon SEO in favour of AEO; instead, we should look at how content can target both under one approach.
How can manufacturers utilise AI in their strategy?
1. Make technical information easy to find
Your brand should be able to clearly communicate your USPs, capabilities, processes, specifications, and certifications across your website in helpful and bite-sized pieces, allowing AI tools and buyers to quickly understand who you are and what you do.
2. Answer the questions customers are asking
It’s important to think beyond a product or service landing page and get into the mind of your ideal customer and what they’re looking for. Strong keyword research and helpful content, such as FAQs and digestible guides, can influence decisions and have a higher chance of showing on AIOs.
3. Capture users throughout the buying journey
Someone new to the industry is probably thinking differently from an experienced engineer during their research. A website should capture these different factions of buyers and support them through each phase of the sales funnel.
4. Keep information up to date
Failing to take advantage of industry trends and outdated content, especially specifications, capabilities, certifications, and poor reviews, can all hinder trustworthiness, making it much more difficult for AI to accurately represent your business.
5. Action creates impact
Case studies, project examples, diagrams, photos, videos, and detailed information all provide evidence to back up your content and business. Buyers are often visually-driven, so evidence-based content provides credibility and confidence for your brand.
6. Continue to invest in SEO
Despite the need to strategise for AI, traditional SEO practices still remain an important and strong part of how a site ranks. Technical on-page and off-page SEO not only keeps your site healthy but is the backbone for visibility across search engines and AI discovery.
7. Measure more than just enquiries
As AI alters the way buyers convert, manufacturers should also look beyond their last-click enquiries. Monitor which pages, topics and search journeys are helping potential customers discover and understand your business.
8. Credibility is key
AI tools require reliability to provide useful answers, and buyers need confidence that a brand is trustworthy. Displaying certifications, accreditations, industry expertise, customer reviews, and case studies are all ways to demonstrate credibility and boost domain authority.
Looking to adopt AI strategies into your marketing?
At Fenti, we provide professional expertise for manufacturing and industrial businesses to help implement highly effective SEO and AEO strategies alongside web development, PPC, and wider services to achieve your tailored goals. Still have questions about how to adjust to your buyers’ behaviour? Get in touch with a friendly member of our team today.
