AI and B2B Buying: Elevating the Invisible Funnel

by impaca.ai team

According to Forrester, about 89% of B2B buyers have adopted generative AI and now consider it one of the top sources for self-guided research at every stage of their buying journey—research, RFP drafting, vendor comparison, and validation.(forrester.com) This dramatic shift means that critical buying interactions are happening outside marketers’ direct view.

GenAI: The New First Touch

Generative AI has become as influential—if not more—than traditional search. Forrester finds that AI-generated traffic now accounts for 2–6% of total organic B2B traffic, growing over 40% per month, with forecasts suggesting it could hit 20% by end of 2025.(digitalcommerce360.com)

In practice, this means buyers expect answers, not links—and that expected reliability often outweighs accuracy or completeness. As you rely on GEO, you're not just optimizing for visibility—you’re shaping perception.

The Disconnect: Buyers Decide Before You Know It

Forrester warns that “a lot of [buying] activity is happening outside of the vendor’s view.”(forrester.com) This means your brand could be omitted from consideration entirely—even by highly qualified buyers—if you're not part of AI's narrative.

GEO: Reclaiming Influence in the Invisible Funnel

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) gives marketers the tools to regain context and control. With it, you can:

Monitor where your brand appears in AI answers.
Analyze buyer prompts in real-time: what questions they ask, and where they mention you—or not.
Benchmark visibility against competitors across AI platforms.

The Invisible Funnel: From AI Answer to Closed Deal

Here’s how influence unfolds now:

Buyer asks AI an industry-specific question.
AI mentions one or more vendors—but perhaps not you.
If omitted, your brand never enters consideration.
If included, you shape trust and intent—without a click.
Optimized GEO turns inclusion into pipeline acceleration.

Marketers need to quantify this pathway to reclaim influence and ROI.

Why Marketers Must Act

GenAI reshapes discovery faster than any prior channel shift.
Ignoring AI visibility means surrendering influence to early narratives.
Early GEO adopters will lead pipelines and decisions before clicks ever matter.

Bottom Line

The question is no longer whether buyers explore via AI—it’s whether they find your brand when they do.

GEO isn’t just an optimization tactic—it’s the invisible funnel. Be seen, be cited, be chosen.