Increasingly, purchasing decisions no longer begin with Google, but with ChatGPT, Gemini & Co. And what AI says about your company primarily depends on one source: your customer reviews. This article summarizes the key findings of recent studies by McKinsey & Company (2025) and Kevin Indig, Citation Labs & Clickstream Solutions (2026) — and shows what workshops, practices, hotels, retailers, and hairdressers should do now.
50 %
of consumers already actively use AI search — across all age groups
74 %
of final purchasing shortlists come directly from the AI response — without further review
64 %
of users do not click on a single website during the entire research process
The new gateway to the internet
Today, anyone looking for a restaurant, a workshop, a doctor, or a hotel increasingly asks an AI first — and instead of ten blue links, they receive a ready-made recommendation with two or three names. McKinsey therefore calls AI search the "new gateway to the internet."
The pace of this shift is considerable: Already today, about half of all Google searches contain an AI summary — by 2028, it is expected to be over 75 percent. By then, AI search is projected to influence approximately 750 billion US dollars in consumer spending, according to McKinsey.
Share of Google searches with AI summaries
Today
2028 (Forecast)
Source: McKinsey & Company, 2025
Experts call the new discipline behind this GEO — Generative Engine Optimization: optimizing to be found and recommended by AI systems.
How AI knows what it says about your company
AI assistants answer questions based on trained knowledge and by actively looking up current sources. In both cases, your own website plays hardly any role. Over 90 percent of the sources on which AI answers are based are external sources.
What AI answers are based on
Reviews & independent content
Other third-party sources (directories, trade, etc.)
Company's own website
Share of sources cited by AI systems, rounded. Source: McKinsey & Company, 2025
What an AI says about your company therefore depends on what trustworthy external sources say about you — above all, real customer reviews. An AI does not "believe" your advertising: it compares many independent voices. Reviews are to AI what word-of-mouth is to your regular customers — the most credible proof of quality.
The AI shortlist decides
A behavioral study with 48 participants and 185 documented purchasing tasks — from laptops to insurance — shows how strongly AI recommendations already influence purchasing behavior (Kevin Indig, Citation Labs & Clickstream Solutions, April 2026):
- 74 % of final shortlists were adopted directly from the AI response — without further review.
- 64 % of searches were completed without a single website click.
- 93 % of purchasing decisions for laptops in the example were for only three recommended brands.
“I don't know the provider, but the AI says they are the cheapest. That's enough for me."
— Participant in the behavioral study about an unknown provider
For these customers, if you're not on the AI list, you simply don't exist. There's no page 2 where you might still be found — the shortlist is the decision.
Reviews: Your strongest lever
Both studies lead to the same conclusion: customer reviews are the most effective lever you have at your disposal. Four measures with the greatest impact:
- Continuously collect new reviews. AI systems prefer information that is frequently and currently confirmed. A steady stream of new reviews signals that this company is active and relevant.
- Respond to every review. Responses generate additional, consistent first-hand content and show that feedback is taken seriously.
- Be present at all locations. AI compares many sources — every location without fresh reviews is a gap in the overall picture of your company.
- Keep an eye on developments. Only 16% of companies systematically monitor their AI visibility — those who measure have the advantage.
Self-test: Does AI recommend your business?
Ask ChatGPT or Gemini as your customers would — e.g., "Best hairdresser in [Your city]?" Are you mentioned? With what description? The result shows you where you stand today.
Collect more reviews now →Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?
GEO is the optimization of a company to be found, cited, and recommended by AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity — analogous to SEO for traditional search engines.
Why are reviews so important for AI search?
Over 65% of the sources that AI answers in many industries rely on are reviews, testimonials, and independent content. The company's own website, however, accounts for only 5–10% (McKinsey, 2025).
How do I find out if ChatGPT recommends my business?
Ask an AI the question your customers would ask, e.g., "Best car repair shop in [city]?" If your business is not mentioned, the AI lacks trustworthy external signals — especially current reviews.
What can I, as a small business, specifically do?
Systematically collect reviews (e.g., via NFC chip or QR code directly on-site), respond to every review, maintain all locations, and regularly measure developments. This is exactly what shoptimizer was developed for.
Sources: McKinsey & Company: "New front door to the internet — Winning in the age of AI search," October 2025 · Kevin Indig, Citation Labs & Clickstream Solutions: Behavioral study on purchasing decisions with AI assistants, April 2026 (48 participants, 185 purchasing tasks) · futurezone.at / Alexander Rus (Evergreen Media): "How does ChatGPT know what it says about a brand?", 2026.
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