AI Traffic for B2B Brands Has Increased 190% Year-Over-Year (New Portfolio Data)
Across Eyeful Media’s portfolio of B2B brands, we’re seeing a sharp increase in AI referral traffic to our clients’ websites. Over the past 90 days, AI traffic referred from large language models (LLMs) — including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity — has increased 190% compared to the same period last year.
The analysis is based on aggregated Google Analytics 4 data from a sample of B2B companies across the Eyeful Media client portfolio.
The total volume of traffic is still relatively small when compared to traditional search. But the impact on conversions is already significant. According to a survey of 400 senior marketing executives across North America and Europe released by 10 Fold, AI-powered search now accounts for 34% of all new B2B leads.
What we’re seeing in our portfolio aligns with that trend: as AI-driven discovery increases, so does the conversion performance of the traffic it sends to our websites.
The implication is clear — AI interfaces are quickly becoming an important discovery layer for B2B buyers. Optimizing for this new search opportunity to drive more qualified traffic and leads will be key to future B2B growth.
AI Referral Traffic Is Growing Rapidly
Based on a sample of B2B companies across the Eyeful portfolio:
AI referral traffic increased 190% year-over-year over the last 90 days
Traffic sources include ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity as measured through Google Analytics 4
Note: This analysis does not include website visitors who engaged in Google AI Mode or AI Overview search results
Even without Google’s AI interfaces included, the growth rate is striking. What we’re observing is a shift in how buyers conduct research. Instead of searching multiple times and opening dozens of tabs, many are now starting their research inside AI assistants.
Buyers are increasingly asking evaluation and lower-funnel questions such as:
What is the best solution for X?
How does [Brand A] compare to [Brand B]?
Which SaaS platforms integrate best with X?
Content that answers these kinds of detailed questions with depth and specificity AI summaries cannot fully provide is helping to drive more B2B leads.
AI Lead Generation for B2B Brands is Increasing
While AI referrals still represent a small share of overall website sessions, their impact on conversions is outsized. Across our portfolio data, AI referral traffic influences website conversion events at a rate 534% higher than the average across all website channels.
This tells us something important about buyer intent. Users interacting with AI assistants are typically:
Researching potential solutions
Evaluating vendors
Asking product-specific questions
Moving deeper into the buying process
By the time they click through to a website, they often arrive well-informed and ready to take action.
AI Discovery Is Emerging Alongside Traditional Search
Despite the rapid growth of AI interfaces, traditional search remains dominant. As of early 2026, Google still controls roughly 88–90% of global search traffic, according to Search Engine Land.
But the distinction between AI search and traditional search is quickly blurring.
Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode are already transforming the search experience by providing summarized answers and conversational follow-up questions directly in results. Importantly, these AI responses are largely powered by high-ranking content from traditional search results.
That means AI discovery isn’t replacing search. Instead, it’s emerging as a parallel discovery channel where buyers explore questions, compare vendors, and gather insights before ultimately visiting websites.
Marketing Strategies B2B Businesses Should Focus on Now
The SEO playbook for B2B companies is evolving, but the fundamentals still matter. Growth still comes from the same core ingredients:
Helpful content
A strong technical foundation
Brand and site authority built over time
What’s changing is how buyers discover that content. Here are five areas B2B marketing teams should prioritize now.
1. Target real customer conversations
Start with the questions your customers are already asking. Sales calls, product demos, and support conversations contain some of the most valuable content opportunities. Turn those real customer questions into clear, problem-solving content.
2. Scale expert content without burning out your team
Many companies already have valuable expertise locked inside internal materials. Repurpose assets such as sales webinars, product demos, conference presentations, and internal sales decks into articles, guides, and FAQ pages that address real buyer needs.
3. Add structured data and schema markup
Schema markup helps search engines and AI crawlers better understand the context of your content. Implementing structured data across your site can improve both search visibility and AI citation potential.
4. Publish original insights AI can’t recreate
AI systems summarize existing information. They cannot create new data, original analysis, or lived experience. Publishing proprietary insights — research, benchmarks, case studies, and unique perspectives — turns your website into a primary source that AI systems reference.
5. Monitor AI citations and referral traffic
Understanding how your brand appears in AI responses is becoming a critical part of digital visibility. B2B marketers should begin monitoring:
Mentions in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity
AI-driven referral traffic in analytics platforms
emerging citation patterns across LLM responses
These signals provide insight into how buyers discover and evaluate your brand in AI-driven environments.
The Bottom Line
AI referral traffic is still small in absolute terms. But the growth rate and conversion performance make it impossible to ignore.
Across Eyeful Media’s B2B portfolio, we’re already seeing:
190% year-over-year growth in AI referral traffic
534% higher conversion influence compared to other channels
The first step to improving AI search results and traffic is to understand where and how your brand is being cited in LLMs. Maximize your visibility with our AI Search / GEO Readiness Audit.
FAQs:
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AI referral traffic refers to website visitors who arrive via links provided inside AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity.
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Users interacting with AI tools are typically further along in the buying journey and asking vendor-specific or product comparison questions.
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Publishing expert content, original research, structured FAQs, and implementing schema markup can help increase AI citations.