Vol. 1  ·  Q4 2025 / Q1 2026

State of B2B
AI Search

Which AI engines are actually sending traffic to B2B websites — and how fast is the landscape shifting? Proprietary data from across the Octane11 client portfolio, updated every quarter.

Sep 2025 – Feb 2026
Updated quarterly
Aggregated B2B client portfolio
<2%
AI search share today of total B2B search sessions — but growing faster than any other channel
−14 pts
ChatGPT share decline since Sep 2025, dropping from 85% → ~71% of all AI referrals
+161%
Google Gemini growth now the clear #2 AI referrer, up from 4.9% → 13.3% share

AI search by the numbers

Six months of referral data across the Octane11 B2B client portfolio. Each panel covers a distinct angle of the AI search story.

00 The Big Picture
AI search as % of total search sessions
Organic Search
AI Search
Organic
99%+
AI Search
<2%

AI referrals are still a small slice of total B2B search — but this slice is moving faster than anything else in the channel mix. The trajectory matters more than the current number.

Context
<2%
AI referrals are still a small slice of total B2B search. Organic sits at 99%+. But this slice is moving faster than anything else.
01 ChatGPT's Declining Share
ChatGPT % of total AI search sessions
ChatGPT
Gemini
Perplexity
Claude
Copilot
ChatGPT
~71%
Gemini
13%
Perplexity
9%
Claude
4%
Copilot
3%
Share lost in 6 months
−14 pts
ChatGPT still commands ~71% of all AI referrals — but peaked at 85% in Oct 2025. The gap is closing every month.
02 The Race for the Rest
% share · all sources except ChatGPT

Among non-ChatGPT AI sources, the race for #2 has a clear winner. Gemini has more than doubled its share in 6 months, while Perplexity — once the frontrunner — is quietly fading.

Gemini
13.3%
Perplexity
9.1%
Claude
4.2%
Copilot
2.8%
Other AI
1.8%
Biggest mover
+161%
Google Gemini is now the clear #2, up from 4.9% → 13.3%. Perplexity has quietly slid from #2 to #3.
03 Average Monthly Momentum
Avg MoM % share change · Sep 2025 – Feb 2026

Which sources are consistently gaining share month over month — and which are giving it away? Positive bars = gaining. Negative = losing.

Gemini
+1.4%
Claude
+0.8%
Copilot
−0.1%
Perplexity
−0.7%
ChatGPT
−1.3%
The takeaway
Gemini + Claude
The only two sources with positive sustained momentum over 6 months. Gemini is now a clear #2, and Claude is quietly picking up share every month.

Methodology: Data aggregated across the Octane11 B2B client portfolio. AI search sessions attributed via referral source classification. Share of total reflects all search sessions, not just AI referrals. Portfolio is skewed toward mid-market and enterprise B2B companies running paid media at scale. Updated quarterly — next edition: Q2 2026.

See your data

Is AI search sending traffic
to your site — or your competitors'?

Octane11 tracks every source driving traffic to your target accounts — including AI referrals — mapped to real pipeline. Book a demo to see your numbers.