Does AI recommend B2B service firms? Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test of 56 answers
In this test, yes. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, we asked a leading AI assistant, with web search, to help a buyer and name specific firms where relevant: it named firms in all 56 answers, about 14 per answer by our count. The lists weren't stable, though. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, when each question was asked twice, about 60% of the firms named for a question (pooled across all 28 questions) appeared in both answers. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, the 52 answers with sources cited firms' own websites in about 45 answers, other websites in 49 and review or partner directories in 16.
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Step 1 of 2What did we ask?
In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, we asked buyer questions of the form "who is the best partner for this job": 4 for each of 7 groups of B2B firms. Examples:
- "What are the best operations consulting firms for mid-market manufacturers?"
- "Which firms help a SaaS startup get SOC 2 compliant quickly?"
- "What are the best fractional CFO firms for a Series A startup?"
- "Which agencies do account-based marketing for enterprise sales teams?"
In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, we asked each question twice to a leading AI assistant, with web search. The instructions were the same each time: help a buyer at a US company find a vendor or partner; recommend specific companies by name where relevant; use web search when it helps and cite sources. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, that made 56 answers.
How often did AI name specific firms? How stable were the names?
| Group | Answers | Named at least one firm (approx.) | Firms per answer, average (approx.) | Firms named in only 1 of 8 answers (approx.) | Same firms on a repeat ask (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERP and CRM implementation partners | 8 | 8 | 11.9 | 19 of 50 | 64% |
| Cybersecurity and compliance firms (SOC 2, HIPAA, managed detection) | 8 | 8 | 15.0 | 23 of 58 | 54% |
| Operations and management consultancies | 8 | 8 | 21.1 | 25 of 73 | 61% |
| Startup accounting, R&D tax credit and fractional CFO firms | 8 | 8 | 17.9 | 17 of 52 | 59% |
| B2B marketing agencies | 8 | 8 | 12.4 | 25 of 52 | 52% |
| Sales consulting, outsourced SDR and sales training firms | 8 | 8 | 11.4 | 12 of 41 | 69% |
| For comparison: B2B software (CRM, project management, proposals, customer success) | 8 | 8 | 10.0 | 7 of 34 | 67% |
| All 56 answers | 56 | 56 | 14.2 | 60% |
"Same firms on a repeat ask" pools the group's questions: the firms named in both answers to a question, added up across the questions, divided by the firms named in either answer, added up the same way and rounded. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, single questions ranged from 27% to 90%.
What stands out:
- AI named many firms. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, answers listed about 11 to 21 firms on average, depending on the group. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, each service group had about 41 or more different firms across its 8 answers.
- Many names were one-offs. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, about 3 to 5 in 10 of the firms named in each service group appeared in only one of the group's 8 answers. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, marketing agencies had the most: about 25 of 52. So in this test, a firm could be on the list in some answers and missing from others.
- Software lists had fewer one-offs. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, about 7 of 34 software products were named just once. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, the software repeat rate (about 67%) was within the service-group range (about 52% to 69%).
Which websites did the answers cite?
In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, AI searched the web in 52 of the 56 answers. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, those same 52 answers linked their sources.
| Website type | Answers citing it (of 52) |
|---|---|
| Other websites (not matched to a named firm or a directory) | 49 |
| A named firm's own website (approx.) | 45 |
| Review directories or a platform's partner directory | 16 |
How we sorted the sources: a site counts as a firm's own when part of a named firm's name appears in its web address. That match is approximate, so some firm sites may sit under other websites. Directories come from a fixed list of review sites and platform partner directories. Other websites is everything else, for example vendor blogs, media, research sites, job boards and lists. We didn't sort those further. A citation shows that an answer linked a page. It doesn't show that the page decided which firms were named.
In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, firms' own websites were cited (approx.) in all 8 ERP and CRM answers, all 8 marketing agency answers, all 6 accounting answers with sources, 7 of 8 operations answers, 6 of 7 sales answers and 5 of 7 cybersecurity answers. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, marketing agency answers and sales answers each cited a directory only once. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, the other 4 answers had no recorded web search and no linked sources. The test doesn't show where their content came from.
What this means for your firm
These are suggested steps, based on what the answers in this test cited. The test didn't measure whether any of them gets a firm named.
- Publish a page that answers your buyer's exact question. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, firms' own websites were cited in about 45 of the 52 answers with sources. Suggested: a page that says plainly who you serve, on which platform, for which industry and company size, with dated proof.
- Be present on other websites in your field. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, other websites (not matched to a named firm or a directory) were cited in 49 of the 52 answers with sources. Suggested: offer writers in your field useful data or a clear point of view. Never pay for a place in a list on the strength of this page.
- Keep directory profiles complete. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, review and partner directories were cited in 16 of the 52 answers with sources. Suggested: keep your profiles accurate, but don't rely on them alone.
- Check more than once. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, counting each firm once per question and pooling all 28 questions, about 40% of the firms named for a question appeared in only one of its two answers. Single questions varied. Suggested: track your firm over repeated checks before you decide anything.
Limits
- A single assistant on a single day. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, all 56 answers came from a leading AI assistant, with web search. We didn't test other assistants or other days. Results there may differ.
- Our instructions asked for names. The assistant was told to recommend specific companies by name where relevant. We didn't test answers without that instruction.
- Small sample. In Answersky's Oct 15, 2026 test, each group had 4 questions, each asked twice. This shows a pattern, not a ranking. This test can't tell a firm where it would appear in a buyer's own chat.
- Named and cited. "Named" means a firm's name appears in the answer text. "Cited" means the answer links to a page as a source. A citation doesn't show that the page decided which firms were named.
- Approximate counts. We counted firm names by matching each answer against a list built from the answers themselves. Own-site matches use parts of firm names found in web addresses. Directories come from a fixed list. These counts are close, not exact. We don't publish the names.
- Not a promise. Nothing on this page guarantees that any change gets a firm named.
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Read more: the full study, what to fix first for AI search and which websites AI cites when buyers ask.
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