TheSEO Market Research 2026
Why only 10 to 15 companies per sector remain relevant
In this TheSEO survey of 2,000 professionals, see how AI search engines like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are consolidating the market. Find out why only 10 to 15 players remain truly visible in each sector and what you need to do now to be among that group.
AI search engines compress market to 10 to 15 visible players per sector
In this survey among 2,000 professionals from 12 sectors we see a clear movement. AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity show on average only 5 to 10 purchase options When someone asks for the best solution. The outcome is sharp. In almost every industry, only a small group of 10 to 15 companies really relevant in user perception.
How we surveyed 2,000 professionals about AI search behaviour
This research combines a quantitative survey with qualitative in-depth interviews with marketers, entrepreneurs and decision-makers. The key question was always the same. If people search less classically and more often ask an AI agent for the best option, what does that mean for visibility, competition and growth.
Basis of the study
In total, 2,000 professionals participate in the survey. They operate in 12 sectors, including ecommerce, furniture and interiors, healthcare, construction, hospitality professional services, financial services, software and SaaS, logistics, retail, automotive and education. Some are directly responsible for marketing and growth. Another part takes decisions on procurement or supplier selection.
- 1 45 per cent of respondents were from the Netherlands, 28 per cent from Belgium and 27 per cent from other European countries.
- 2 63 per cent work at companies with fewer than 50 employees, 21 per cent at medium-sized organisations and 16 per cent at larger companies.
- 3 Almost seven in 10 respondents are directly involved in decisions around marketing, visibility or digital sales.
How many people are already starting out in AI
We asked respondents how often they themselves use an AI tool to find a product, service or supplier. In total, 71 per cent do this at least a few times a month from simple questions like the best mango wood dining table to choosing a software package or healthcare provider.
Why only 10 to 15 providers per sector are really relevant at the end of the day
AI agents do not present a list of 50 results but a small selection. In most conversations, they stick to 5 to 10 concrete options. . Some of the users explicitly ask for a few more suggestions. This creates, in the user's experience, a fixed group of 10 to 15 names that keep recurring.
The consolidation index runs from zero to one. The closer to one, the smaller the group of providers that keeps coming back in AI answers. In our scenario analysis, we see that in almost all sectors, a fixed group of about 10 to 15 names remains that consumers recognise and trust, precisely because AI agents call these names over and over again.
How this feels in practice for the user
Suppose someone asks in an AI chat. Which 160-by-80-centimetre mango wood table is best for a family with children. For example, the agent gives seven concrete options, with a brief explanation for each brand and model. Then the user sometimes asks for five additional alternatives.
This process repeats itself in other categories. The best marketing tool for a small agency. The most trusted home care provider in Utrecht. The strongest gift card platform to sell a voucher. Within a few years, a small set of names will stick in users' minds that keep coming back. These are the brands that are future-proof.
- ✓ AI systems show a limited selection rather than a long list of results.
- ✓ Brands that are frequently mentioned build trust at an accelerated rate.
- ✓ The rest fade into the background, even if they are still technically findable.
From mango wood table to gift card and home care
To understand how broad the impact is, we looked at concrete situations by sector. These range from a 160-by-80-centimetre mango wood table to selling a gift card or finding a suitable home care provider. The same movement arises everywhere. AI agents provide a concise set of names and users choose from these.
The question of the best mango wood table
In the furniture category, we see the impact very tangibly. Users often ask AI for a concrete combination. For example, a mango wood dining table 160 by 80 centimetres, suitable for four people, easy to clean and preferably produced sustainably.
In test runs, we saw that AI agents rarely show more than eight concrete models. If you then explicitly mention that you want more options, a limited second wave of four to six alternatives comes up. In total, this causes the same brands and shops to run all the time. For the rest of the players, no matter how good their tables are, the user simply never gets to their site.
The battle for gift card traffic
In the world of gift cards and digital credits, we expect a strong shift towards AI answers. Instead of searching for all sorts of loose terms around gift cards, a user will soon simply ask. Where is the best place to sell my gift card and what is a safe price.
In this survey, 64 per cent of ecommerce and finance respondents indicated that they expect only a handful of platforms to remain per country mentioned by AI agents as trustworthy and transparent. They assume that 20 smaller initiatives will soon see virtually no organic traffic, even if they are still technically online.
Choosing a reliable home care provider
Families and referrers already use AI to search for home care providers in a specific region. For example, they ask. Which home care organisations in Utrecht have good ratings, speak clearly and are strong in personal attention.
In our discussions with care managers, 57 per cent to that they expect only a small set of names to remain per region that AI agents spontaneously point to as first choices. Organisations that invest in clear positioning, transparent explanations and good content are much more likely to fall into that shortlist.
From experiment to standard channel for orientation and purchase
In the coming years, the starting point of a buying journey will increasingly shift from classic search engines to AI agents. This has direct implications for how you design marketing, content and data. The timeline below shows how respondents roughly assess the shift.
How respondents themselves look to the future
During the survey, we asked not only about behaviour now but also about expectations. What do entrepreneurs, marketers and decision-makers think will happen to their industry if AI agents become standard.
- 1 58 per cent expects the number of classic searches that actually lead to a purchase on their site to drop significantly.
- 2 44 per cent thinks that two or three competitors in their niche will soon get much more market share because they are more common in AI answers.
- 3 36 per cent is already actively working on how their brand can be reliably and consistently mentioned in AI reviews.
The common thread. Many companies see the movement, but only a minority already have a focused strategy in place. That is precisely where the opportunity lies for those who start early.
How to drive visibility in AI agents right now
If soon only a limited number of names per sector will be really top of mind, you will want to belong to that group. That requires a different way of thinking about content, data and technology. Below are three pillars that we see recurring at TheSEO.
Most sites still write primarily for classic search results. Yet AI agents look primarily at structure, completeness and context. That means you need content that fully covers user queries, with clear definitions, scenarios and examples.
- ✓ Write guides and pages that explicitly answer questions in natural language, as a user would ask in an AI chat.
- ✓ Use clear headings, summaries and fold-out sections so that a model can easily understand the structure.
- ✓ Make use of FAQ sections with clear question-answer pairs that literally match what people will soon ask in an agent.
Within TheSEO, we compile this into an AI content blueprint. In doing so, we also test what a page roughly looks like in AI answers, using our own AI snippet previewer.
Companies most often reflected in AI answers are almost always organisations with unique data, proprietary tools or distinct frameworks. Models can reference these much more easily than a generic list of features.
- 1 Develop calculators, checklists and small tools that make your data characteristic of your brand.
- 2 Clearly document these tools with descriptions, documentation and examples so that AI agents understand when they can cite you as a resource.
- 3 Combine this with a llms.txt file in which you explain which content and tools are safe to use.
For companies already expecting a lot of traffic through AI, this is not a detail but a strategic choice. The question then becomes not just. how do we score in search results, but more importantly. what unique insight do we add to the answer an agent gives.
AI agents try to be cautious. They would rather give a slightly safer recommendation than an extremely risky option. That means brands with clear credentials, transparent explanations and well-established reputation are more likely to be mentioned.
- ✓ Make sure your case studies, reviews and references are well structured on your site, with concrete figures and outcomes.
- ✓ Clearly describe who you are there for and the situations you are not serving. AI agents like brands with a clear profile.
- ✓ Supplement this with schema data around organisation, services and reviews so models can easily assess your reliability.
In practice, we see that brands with a strong commitment to transparent evidence, for example in healthcare or B2B software, are more quickly seen as safe choices in AI reviews.
TheSEO AI visibility scan
Many organisations feel that a shift to AI is taking place, but do not yet have a clear picture of their position. In our AI visibility scan, we measure three dimensions.
- 1 How well your content matches natural language questions people ask in agents.
- 2 What unique data, tools or frameworks you already have or can easily develop.
- 3 To what extent your brand is a logical and safe response in the eyes of a model.
We combine this scan with insights from this survey so that you not only see where you stand now but also what steps are needed to soon be among that small group of relevant players in your sector.
Want to know how your organisation scores in AI visibility
Use the insights from this research as a starting point and let TheSEO create an AI visibility analysis. We combine technical SEO, AI content strategy and unique data into a concrete growth plan.
Frequently asked questions about AI agents and market consolidation
A number of questions kept recurring in the survey. Below, we answer them briefly. That way, you can translate the insights directly to your own organisation.
Will classic search engine optimisation disappear altogether
No, but the role is shifting. Classic search results remain important if people want to consciously compare and research. What does change is that much of the initial orientation is through AI agents. Therefore, it makes sense to think of SEO as part of a broader AI visibility strategy rather than as a stand-alone discipline.
How can a small company ever get among those 10 to 15 players
Small businesses in particular can benefit if they choose an extremely clear niche and build unique data. A specialist in mango wood tables with strong service, detailed explanations and proprietary tools is more likely to be mentioned than a generic shop with a bit of everything. AI agents like clearly defined expert positions.
Should I already pay for sponsored positions in AI agents?
Most forms of sponsored results in AI are still in their infancy. It is therefore wiser to get the basics right now. Think strong content, unique data and a clear brand promise. As paid positions are rolled out further, you will be in a better position if your foundation is already right.
What is the first concrete step if I am serious about this
Start by taking stock of three things. What questions are your ideal customers already asking AI agents. What pages, tools or data on your site really help with that. And what gaps do you still see between the two. From TheSEO, we help organisations develop this analysis into a concrete roadmap, including content roadmap and technical improvements.
AI readiness index by sector
In addition to overall consolidation, we looked at how ready different sectors are for a world where AI agents carry the first layer of orientation. This AI readiness index combines content quality, unique data, technical foundation and brand trust. The values below are based on responses from the 2,000 respondents and our own expert assessment.
What a customer journey with AI as a start looks like
Based on the survey responses, we drew a typical customer journey in which an AI agent is the starting point. This funnel shows where companies still have influence and where AI systems mainly filter.
The user asks a concrete question in an agent, such as best mango wood table for a family of four in a smaller living room.
The agent combines models, data and previous interactions and shows five to 10 options. This is the moment when your brand does or does not come into focus.
The user clicks through to a site, compares one more detail and then completes the purchase. This is where content, reviews and price on your site still play a direct role.
The key lesson. if you don't appear in step two, your brand doesn't exist in this customer journey. Therefore, driving AI visibility is more than a detail, it determines whether you appear in the funnel.
In the conservative scenario, the proportion of purchases that start in AI agents grows slowly but steadily. Classic search results remain an important source of traffic, but the most valuable visitors already start with a targeted shortlist from AI.
- 1 You retain some of your current organic visitors, but find that growth is stagnating.
- 2 Competitors now investing in AI strategy are slowly but surely getting more revenue from the same search query.
- 3 There is still time to adjust, but catching up after a few years becomes difficult.
In the accelerating scenario, the majority of buying trips will shift to agents within a few years. Respondents in software, finance and furniture ecommerce expect this scenario to be more realistic than it seems at first glance.
- 1 The top 10 to 15 providers per sector are grabbing a significantly larger market share than today.
- 2 Smaller players who are already extremely clear in their niche can penetrate the shortlist and thus actually benefit.
- 3 Those who wait until 2028 lose not only visibility but also bargaining power in collaborations and distribution channels.
Six concrete actions for AI visibility
If you want to turn the insights from the survey into action, these six steps will help you make a quick first move. They are based on patterns we see across multiple sectors.
Collect the questions customers are already asking. To your team, in reviews and in chat tools. Use these phrases as the basis for AI-focused content.
Build at least one page written specifically for people and agents at a time, with clear definitions, scenarios and answers.
This could be a calculation tool, an overview with average delivery times or a benchmark. The goal is for agents to be able to cite you as a source.
Use a llms text file to make it clear which content is safe to use and how your brand prefers to be referred to.
Use a tool like the AI snippet previewer to see what story a model is likely to tell about your page.
With a UX heatmap and scrollmap, you can see how visitors who enter via AI actually use your content and where they drop out.
Many organisations see AI visibility as something abstract. In practice, it's all about these very concrete steps that together determine whether or not you will soon be shortlisted.
Comprehensive frequently asked questions on AI visibility and market consolidation
The questions below are based on discussions with respondents and conversations during advisory processes at TheSEO. They help move from insight to strategy.
Does it still make sense to invest in classic search engine positions
Yes, because classic results and AI answers reinforce each other. Content that scores well in search results often also has characteristics that AI agents like to lean on, such as depth, structure and reliability. The shift is that you no longer judge optimisation solely on position in the list, but also on how an agent summarises your story.
What happens to brands that now rely mainly on brand awareness outside online channels
Strong offline brand awareness remains valuable, but AI agents have limited insight into it. They mainly look at digital signals. Even a well-known brand can be underrepresented in responses if online explanations, data and cases are not well established. Conversely, smaller brands can actually become more visible if they have their digital base in better order.
How to make sure AI agents explain our terms correctly
Provide clear, structured pages in which you explain terms and conditions in plain language, supplemented by examples. Avoid long legal blocks only. Use headings, summaries and question-answer structures, so models can paraphrase your terms correctly when a user asks about cancellation rules or payout rates, for example.
Can I use sponsored AI positions to make up for the shortfall in organic visibility
In the short term, this may be partial, especially if you need visibility quickly. In the longer term, organic AI visibility remains important, because users are becoming increasingly critical of sponsored suggestions. The strongest position is a combination of both. a natural mention in the core answer and a smart use of paid moments.
What is the risk if I do nothing and wait to see how AI develops
The biggest risk is not that you will suddenly be untraceable tomorrow, but that you will slowly shift into the background. As AI agents name a fixed group of providers more often, it becomes increasingly difficult to break that pattern. The chances of getting into the top 10 to 15 players get smaller the later you start with a clear AI strategy.
How do I measure whether my steps towards AI visibility are actually having an impact
There are three tracks to keep an eye on. qualitative signals, such as customers telling you they found you through an agent. behavioural data, such as higher conversions on AI first pages via tools like heatmaps and scrollmaps. and tests where you have your content evaluated by different models. Together, they give an increasingly sharp picture of your position.
Summary. what this research means for your organisation
The thread of the TheSEO AI Market Outlook is easy to summarise. as AI agents define the first layer of orientation, a compact group of 10 to 15 names per sector emerges that really matter. Those who want to belong to that group should consciously steer for visibility in these models.
More and more customers are starting with a query in an agent, not a listing in a traditional search engine. This applies to furniture, gift cards, healthcare, software and virtually every other sector.
AI agents show a small number of options. Brands that consistently return in that selection build accelerated trust and grab a larger share of the market.
Companies that clearly capture their data, tools and cases are more easily used by models as sources. That makes your brand more likely to be mentioned in answers.
It's not just about technical optimisation, but about positioning, content, pricing and promise. In other words. how you position your brand in a world where agents filter.
Organisations that invest now in AI-focused content, llms text files and unique data are building a lead that will soon be difficult for followers to catch up with.
With an AI visibility scan, content blueprint and tools like the AI traffic loss shield, AI snippet previewer and UX heatmap, you can translate these insights into concrete choices for your industry.