This blog article is inspired by a recent Harvard Business Review piece and is created by The Repp Group to make B2B industrial marketers aware of critical changes they need to implement in their five-year-old marketing strategies if they want to stay competitive in the AI-driven era.
The Search & Marketing Landscape Has Changed Forever for B2Bs
Over the past year, buyers have shifted massively from traditional search engines to generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Perplexity. A recent consumer survey revealed that 58% now turn to Gen AI tools for product and service recommendations ... a dramatic jump from just 25% the year before. Not related to industrial, but critical to understanding the landscape … Another study showed a 1,300% increase in AI-driven referrals to U.S. retail sites during the 2024 holiday season.
These trends signal a profound change: your buyer’s journey no longer starts with a Google search or a visit to your website ... It begins with a conversation with an AI assistant. Prospects are asking questions like, “What’s the best industrial pump for food processing?” or “Which supplier offers corrosion-resistant valves for marine applications?” If your brand isn’t on the AI’s radar, your industrial brand does not exist.
Why Share of Model (SOM) is the New Share of Search
In the past, awareness was measured through surveys or online search volumes. Today, marketers need to understand their Share of Model (SOM) ... how often and favorably their brand appears in LLM responses. Unlike search engines, LLMs don’t serve up a ranked list of blue links ... they provide a single, conversational answer. That means missing from an LLM’s awareness effectively wipes you out of your buyer’s consideration journey..
Our industrial peers must realize: measuring SOM is now as critical as traditional share of search or share of voice. If an AI assistant never mentions your brand, your market presence becomes irrelevant no matter how strong your website SEO or paid search ads might be.
(I have typically measured this metric using my SEMrush subscription and have always used the term “brand visibility" which SEMrush measures extremely well. But, for this exercise, per Harvard Business Review, we will call it "Share of Model".)
The Human-AI Awareness Gap
Studies show a widening gap between traditional brand awareness (as measured by surveys or market share) and AI brand awareness (SOM). Many well-known brands have strong human recall but low SOM ... meaning they’re top of mind for people, but invisible to AI. For example, in the U.S. auto market, Tesla dominates both human and AI awareness thanks to feature-focused messaging. Meanwhile, established brands like Lincoln still have high consumer awareness but remain largely absent in AI responses due to content that emphasizes intangible attributes like heritage or style.
Industrial brands relying on past glory or brand equity built over decades are at risk. If your digital content doesn’t explain what problems your products solve, how they fit into specific use cases, and why they matter in practical terms, LLMs will ignore you.
Resolution Over Attention: The New Mandate
LLMs don’t care about flashy slogans or glossy branding ... they’re built to resolve problems. AI assistants prioritize brands that clearly articulate the job their products do. In industrial marketing, that means content must be ruthlessly practical and solution-oriented.
For instance, instead of generic messaging like, “We offer premium filtration solutions,” your website and digital assets should say, “Our self-cleaning filters reduce downtime by 40% in beverage processing lines.” Specifics matter. It’s what LLMs latch onto when choosing which brands to recommend.
How to Increase Your Brand’s SOM
- Publish Solution-Oriented Content
Create text, images, videos, and structured data that clearly connect your offerings to buyer problems. Go beyond product features ... explain how your solution improves efficiency, safety, or compliance in specific industrial contexts. - Own Semantic Niches
LLMs look for brands strongly associated with clear, narrowly defined topics. For example, if you manufacture explosion-proof enclosures, dominate content around “electrical safety in hazardous locations” ... not just generic electrical solutions. - Leverage Proof of Expertise
Reference standards, certifications, case studies, and third-party endorsements to build credibility. LLMs favor content with trust signals. - Use Structured, Clear Digital Storytelling
Like well-organized product pages, application guides, or troubleshooting charts. This helps LLMs parse relationships between your brand, products, and solutions. Get good at storytelling your brand. - Tailor Content to Priority LLMs
Each AI model prioritizes different signals. For example, ChatGPT may value practical options, Perplexity might emphasize flexibility, and Gemini could favor technical depth. Understand which LLMs your buyers are using most and optimize your content accordingly.
The Case for Structured Content in Industrial Marketing
Legacy industrial brands can absolutely thrive in this new landscape ... if they commit to structured, authoritative content that aligns with how LLMs process information. Cadillac, for example, has raised its AI visibility through campaigns that connected heritage with cutting-edge technology, proving that traditional brands can remain relevant. Your great brand legacy can do the same.
Industrial marketers should think like AI: what problems do your buyers need solved? What unique strengths does your solution offer? Build content that answers these questions with clarity and precision.
From Keywords to Concepts: The Fundamental Shift
Traditional SEO focused on keywords ... the new frontier is about concepts and relationships. LLMs don’t rely on keyword frequency alone ... they interpret context. So, content that explains how your pump design improves sanitation in dairy processing will resonate more than a page stuffed with "sanitary pumps" keywords.
Navigating SOM Variability
Keep in mind that SOM differs across LLMs. A brand could be highly visible on one model but absent on another. Casting too wide a net dilutes your efforts ... focus your resources on the models most relevant to your buyers. But maintain overarching principles: solution-focused messaging, semantic clarity, and structured data…and a great brand story woven into all.
Time to Rethink Your Industrial Marketing Strategy
The shift to LLM-powered search isn’t a minor evolution ... it’s a paradigm change. Your old playbook of SEO tweaks, paid search, consistent blog and aspirational branding isn’t enough. Precision, clarity, and practical value must be at the heart of every piece of digital content.
Industrial marketers who adapt quickly will earn a place in the AI-driven conversations shaping B2B purchasing decisions for the next decade. Those who don’t will simply vanish from their buyers’ radar.
Want to know more, go to What We Do or Contact Me in the menu above. Or give me a call at 269-375-0349.
