How many customers are already ordering through AI and what to do about it
More and more people start their purchase with a neural network question rather than with a search. It’s not hype—it’s a change of habit. For local businesses, this means: a recommendation in a response is more important than the tenth position in the search results. Whoever is not responsible is invisible.
Below is what is changing in behavior, who is being hit the hardest, what is not working, and where to start before competitors are firmly established in the recommendations.
What changes in behavior
Previously: search, compare, call. Now: one answer, “here are two normal ones,” a call to the first one. Fewer tabs, less chance of “catching up” with retargeting.
Voice scripts accelerate the shift. ChatGPT in the car, speaker at home. Gemini in the app. ChatGPT at work. Three entry points, one principle: name in response or zero.
The market does not divide “online and offline”. The client asked the AI in the parking lot and went to someone else's clinic. You will only find out about this from an empty post, not from site analytics.
Numbers without magic
The exact “AI market shares” in the US and Europe are not publicly available, but the behavior is visible in the field: owners increasingly hear “I was advised by others,” managers say “I found it through a neural network.” This is not a Slack survey, this is calls and CRM.
Google Analytics will not show the source of “ChatGPT said to call here.” Google Ads will not show a loss in the organic “who to choose.” A separate rhythm is needed: GEO Score, three test requests, gap with a leader.
Young audiences often start with ChatGPT. Older - with ChatGPT and Gemini. Closing one channel means giving away half of the niche without a fight. The trend does not ask your age target in Google Ads.
B2B is also trending: “implementation contractor” in Gemini and ChatGPT. They need cases, deadlines, licenses in HTML - not “we are a reliable partner.”
Every month without an AIO layer, a competitor accumulates signals: FAQs, cards, mentions. It’s more expensive to catch up in six months than to build a base now. Not dates on the calendar - the mechanics of accumulation.
Voice script in the car: “make an appointment with a dentist nearby.” ChatGPT names 1-2 clinics. If you are not there, the client goes to his neighbor. No click to your site.
ChatGPT at work: “contractor for a turnkey site in [city].” B2B is also in trend. We need cases, deadlines, contacts in HTML - not PDF with a presentation.
Children of parents ask AI about clubs, clinics, tutors. A family business without an FAQ is losing a generation that doesn’t scroll through the search results.
Aggregators and marketplaces in “where to buy” answers are a trend for e-commerce. Your store without a Product schema remains unanswered, even with advertising.
Why is a trend different from hype?
The hype is passing. The habit of “ask AI before buying” remains. Those who are not in charge are outside the funnel and are not “a little behind.”
Every month without an AIO layer, a competitor accumulates signals. It’s more expensive to catch up than to build a base now.
Redesign without robots.txt, FAQ and cards - a beautiful showcase in a closed shopping center. The trend is passing by.
Who hits the hardest?
- Local services: repairs, clinics, salons, delivery;
- B2C with a choice of “who to trust”;
- Niches with typical questions about price and term.
B2B with long cycles is also affected: “contractor for …” increasingly begins with AI. Waiting for it to “settle down on its own” means giving away the niche.
What doesn't work
Only advertising without AIO layer. Blog about AI instead of price list and FAQ. Closing bots out of fear. Redesign to align cards and technical access.
Five signs you're out of trend
- Clients ask “are you on ChatGPT?” - you don’t know the answer.
- SEO report is green, in Gemini they call the neighbor.
- You wait “until they get used to AI” - your competitors already have the answers.
- Redesign is a priority, robots.txt has not been looked at for a year.
- No GEO Score and test requests once a month.
The trend doesn't ask if you're ready. He takes applications from those who have assembled the AIO layer.
What they do themselves and where they break them
Waiting for it to settle down
Competitors are hoarding signals. You lose applications silently.
Blog about AI instead of price list
Ten articles, prices in PDF. The model does not quote the file.
Redesign first
Beautiful showcase, robots.txt was not touched. The trend is passing by.
Advertising only
The click is paid, the response ChatGPT is someone else's name. Double waste.
What works
Monthly GEO Score. Matched cards. FAQ for commerce. Open bots. Full audit once a quarter. Implementation according to technical specifications, not chaos. Leadsy operates six platforms in one cycle. More details: How it works.
Forecast without dates
The share of requests through AI will grow until answers become more familiar than searches. A business without AIO will remain in advertising and word of mouth while competitors take away “free” recommendations.
People ask AI because it’s faster than scrolling through the search results. The habit is already there—the question is whether your brand is responding.
Normal order
- Free audit and GEO Score.
- Critical edits: bots, NAP, FAQ.
- Repeated cutting in a month.
- Full audit or turnkey if there is a gap with a competitor.
Where to start today
A trend doesn't wait until you're done with the design. First visibility, then display. Base: AIO And ChatGPT.
Build an AIO layer now - cheaper than winning back the gap when half of the niche is already in the recommendations. First the audit, then the edits. Not the other way around.
Advertising without AIO is a double waste: the click is paid, the ChatGPT response leads to someone the model knows better. The trend doesn't cancel Google Ads, but without an AI layer, you're feeding other people's customers.
Mini checklist: GEO Score once a month, three test requests, one phone number everywhere, FAQ from calls, bots are open. Five points - and at least you are in the game, and not guessing.
Waiting “for customers to get used to it” means handing over the habit to competitors. They are already in the answers. You are still at the “let’s do a redesign” stage.
“We already have clients” and “AI recommends us” are two different things. The sundress is not scalable, the recommendation in the answer is yes.
Leadsy runs six platforms in one cycle: no need for six contractors and six reports that don’t add up.
After the audit, three queries out loud in the niche. Other people's names three times - you are not in the trend, you are outside the funnel.
The free cut does not oblige you to purchase the implementation. But it shows whether you are giving away the niche now. Fortune telling is more expensive than the tariff.
A column in Google Business Profile, a case study on VC, a normal FAQ - not “hype”, but places where the name is associated with a niche. One article is better than ten press releases with one text.
Who should be involved in AIO in the company: the owner approves the facts, marketing - FAQ, developer - robots and schema. One freelancer “on text” will not close the chain.
Don't wait for a law or a "mandatory button." Customers are already asking for AI. The question is whether your brand resonates with the answer.
Questions: FAQ. Pricing with turnkey implementation: LeadsyLabs.
Don’t expect “everyone must be in AI” regulation. The clients are already there. The question is whether your brand is the answer or not.
Mini checklist: GEO Score, three test requests, one phone number everywhere, FAQ from calls, bots are open, repeat in a month. Six points - you're in the game.
Advertising without AIO feeds strangers in recommendations. The trend does not cancel Google Ads - but without an AI layer, you pay per click, and the answer leads to a competitor.
Typical: “let’s do a redesign, then we’ll work on AI.” Six months later, the competitor in ChatGPT is stable, you have a new storefront and old robots.txt.
One normal case on VC or Medium is better than ten identical press releases. The name is associated with the niche - the model sees this.
A free audit in the form below is a shortcut to any changes. Without numbers, any advice from a chat is a domain lottery.
A local business without AIO in a year is like a store without a sign on a new street. People walk by but don't know your name. The AI is already calling neighbors.
Redesign without robots, FAQ and cards - a new storefront in a closed shopping center. The trend is passing by while you choose the font.
Column, Gemini on the phone, ChatGPT at work - three inputs, one principle: name in the answer or zero. Not “we’re a little behind.”
Marketplaces and aggregators in AI responses are a separate pain point for e-commerce. Product schema and presence on the site, not just the llms.txt file.
Who runs AIO in the company: owner - rhythm and facts, marketing - FAQ and cards, developer - robots and schema. One freelancer “for texts” will not close the chain.
Don't wait for the "everyone must be in AI" law. Clients are already asking. The question is whether your brand is the answer or someone else’s.
Bunch of articles: AIO, ChatGPT, GEO Score. A trend is a reason to pack a layer, not a reason to panic.
Typical: “first redesign, then AI.” Six months later, the competitor is stable in ChatGPT, you have a new logo and the old Disallow. Order: audit, critical, showcase.
One case on VC or Medium with numbers is better than ten press releases. The name is associated with the niche - the model sees this when making requests in ChatGPT.
The trend does not cancel offline: the client heard the name in ChatGPT and came to the point. No name - didn't come. The sign does not replace the recommendation in the response.
“We’ll wait for regulation”—competitors aren’t waiting. They hoard FAQs and cards. You lose submissions silently while you discuss the design.
Six platforms in one Leadsy cycle are not six contractors. One report, one queue of edits. The trend multiplies channels and does not complicate life during the normal process.
Mini-checklist for the quarter: GEO four times, three ChatGPT tests every month, one gap with the leader, red edits, not “want to”.
The free cut in the form below is the first step. Without numbers, any advice about the “AI trend” is a domain lottery.
