How Is AI Changing the Research and Buying Journey From Search to Purchase?

Are consumers starting product research with AI instead of Google?

Many start with AI, but few use only AI. In the Semrush survey of shoppers who have tried AI tools:

• 43% had discovered a new brand through AI.
• 47% used AI to narrow their options, then turned to Google for reviews or pricing.
• 40% researched or compared with AI but bought elsewhere, and 39% asked AI for recommendations, then shopped on marketplaces.
• Only 20% used AI throughout the whole process.
• 68% visited brand websites as often as before, or more.

The sample was people who already use AI, so the figures describe AI users rather than all consumers. Across the market, Similarweb found visits to AI platforms in the US grew by 28.6% between January 2025 and January 2026. Referral traffic from those platforms stayed flat. More research is happening in AI, but not all of it turns into clicks.

How people use ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to research and compare software

Software buyers typically use assistants to:

• Define requirements: "What should a CRM for a 20-person agency include?"
• Build a shortlist: "Best CRMs for agencies with Outlook sync."
• Compare: "[Tool A] vs [Tool B] for pipeline reporting."
• Check fit and risk: pricing, integrations, security certifications and known complaints.
• Draft evaluation material: scoring criteria or questions for demos.

Each assistant draws on different sources. ChatGPT's search draws on third-party search providers, Claude's web search uses Brave, and Perplexity shows its sources prominently. So the same question can produce different shortlists. Buyer phrasing matters too, as covered in whether buyer phrasing changes AI recommendations more than the platform.

How B2B buyers use LLMs for procurement and early-stage research

B2B buyers use AI early and heavily. Forrester's State of Business Buying 2026 survey of about 18,000 buyers found that 94% of business buyers use AI during the buying process; its 2024 survey had already found B2B buyers adopting AI-powered search at three times the rate of consumers. Common uses:

• Market scans: which vendors serve a need, by size, industry or region.
• Requirements and RFP drafting: turning a problem into criteria.
• Due diligence: security, compliance, financial stability and references.
• Summarising vendor material: assistants inside workplace tools can summarise documents and websites for procurement teams.

Buyers often have a ranked shortlist before contacting any vendor, so accurate descriptions in AI answers matter well before sales conversations begin. Procurement questions are covered in what procurement buyer questions to use to measure AI search visibility.

How fintech buyers use AI models to research products and services

Financial products are high-stakes, so buyers use AI to compare and understand rather than to decide alone:

• Comparing rates, fees and features: accounts, cards, loans, payment providers.
• Understanding terms: what a fee means, what protections apply.
• Checking legitimacy: whether a provider is regulated, and its reputation.

Assistants tend to be cautious in finance and lean on established comparison and news sites. A 2025 study of more than 109,000 citations in banking and payments answers found a handful of personal finance publishers and news outlets dominated. Fintechs need accurate listings on those sites, clear fee and rate pages, and visible regulatory information.

Which AI assistants do B2B buyers use for vendor research?

Usage varies by company and region. G2's 2026 survey of more than 1,000 software buyers found 82% had sourced software recommendations from an AI chatbot, and many business buyers use AI tools their employer provides. Among consumers, ChatGPT is the most widely used. Semrush's survey of AI-using shoppers found 64% used ChatGPT monthly, 49% Gemini and 39% Meta AI. Google's AI Mode and AI Overviews were used by 28% and 22%. In workplaces, employees may also use the assistant in the company's software suite, such as Microsoft Copilot or Gemini in Google Workspace. Some technical buyers also use Claude or Perplexity, so ask your own buyers which they use. The practical answer is to track several and ask your own buyers.

How can you tell whether your customers use AI platforms to research and buy?

1. Ask on forms and in calls: add "AI assistant (ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.)" to "How did you hear about us?"
2. Check analytics: Google Analytics 4's AI Assistant channel, plus server logs, since app visits often lose their referrer.
3. Watch branded search, which often rises after AI mentions.
4. Ask sales and support what prospects say they learned from AI.
5. Survey customers briefly about how they researched their purchase.

Combine these into a simple quarterly view of how much AI features in your buyers' journeys, and compare it across products, segments and regions.

What does this mean for businesses at each stage?

What might an illustrative journey look like?

Consider an illustrative buyer looking for a standing desk. They ask ChatGPT which standing desks suit a small flat and a tall user. The answer names five brands and explains height ranges and desk depths. A follow-up about motor noise and warranties narrows the list to three. The buyer then searches Google for reviews of two of them and checks prices on a marketplace. Finally, they visit one brand's website to confirm the height range and delivery time, and buy there, a week after the first question. The brand's analytics show a direct visit and a branded search. Its intake survey is the only place the ChatGPT step shows up. The brand won because it was named in the first answer, described accurately, and its site confirmed what the assistant had said.

What do people ask about AI and the buying journey?

Is AI replacing search for product research?

Not replacing, but sharing the work. Most AI users still use search engines, reviews and marketplaces to verify and buy.

Where in the journey does AI matter most?

Discovery and shortlisting, where assistants name a small number of options.

Do buyers trust AI recommendations?

Conditionally. Most rate their trust as moderate and check reviews, prices and websites before buying.

What should businesses change first?

Make sure assistants describe you accurately and can find clear facts about your products, then track how often you are named.