How AI picks an industrial supplier
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity do not rank suppliers like Google. Here are the concrete signals they use to recommend a company.
When an industrial buyer asks a generative AI "who is the best laminated steel supplier in Quebec?", the model is not doing a Google search. It blends training memory with a few live retrieved sources (RAG) and ranks suppliers using signals that differ sharply from classic SEO.
1. Structured data and JSON-LD
Models prefer pages where facts are explicitly declared: Organization, Product, Service, FAQPage. A supplier page with full JSON-LD (NAICS, certifications, service area) is cited 3-5x more than the same content in free-form HTML.
Without schema the AI has to guess. With schema, it copies.
2. Cross-source consistency (E-E-A-T)
An AI cross-checks name, address, certifications and capabilities across your site, LinkedIn, official registries, vertical directories and government databases. Any drift reduces citation probability.
Action: keep legal name, business number, postal address and certification list strictly identical across every public source.
3. Authoritative, quotable sources
LLMs prefer to cite verifiable third-party pages: MERN, Investissement Québec, ISED, ISO/IATF/AS standards, technical write-ups. Being listed in a recognized directory beats a sponsored post.
4. Freshness and depth
RAG engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT Search, Gemini, Copilot) read in real time. A recently updated page with dated numbers and deep vertical coverage (capacity, tonnage, lead times, service zones) is selected over a generic page.
5. AI crawler accessibility
Check your robots.txt and llms.txt: if GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot or Google-Extended are blocked, you are invisible to the matching models — no matter how good your site is.
Key takeaways
- → AI ranking depends on structured signals, not keywords.
- → Cross-source consistency matters as much as the content itself.
- → Without explicit crawler access (llms.txt + robots.txt), no visibility.
FAQ
Does the AI use Google to pick a supplier?
No. ChatGPT Search, Perplexity and Gemini run their own indexes. Bing partly feeds ChatGPT. Google ranking is only an indirect signal.
Do you have to pay to be cited by an AI?
No. AI citations are based on structural quality and source reliability, not on advertising. No generative engine sells organic placement today.