SaaS in AI Search: Who’s Ranking (+ How to Steal Their Spot)

Backlinko's publication of a comprehensive guide on SaaS in AI search, highlighting the dominance of AI chat in B2B buyer shortlisting, reveals that 87% of decision makers rely on AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. This shift in buyer behavior underscores the importance of optimizing for AI-driven search results. For website owners, this means that traditional SEO strategies may no longer be sufficient to capture the attention of potential buyers. As AI chat becomes the primary source for shortlisting software, website owners must adapt their content and SEO strategies to cater to the unique requirements of AI-driven search. This includes understanding how AI chat tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are influencing search results and adjusting their content accordingly. To stay ahead, website owners can take the following actionable steps: (1) monitor AI bot traffic to their site using tools like llms.txt to track AI-generated traffic, (2) optimize their content to answer specific questions that AI chat tools are likely to ask, and (3) leverage backlinking strategies that prioritize AI-driven search results, as highlighted in Backlinko's guide, to improve their visibility in AI chat-driven shortlisting.