# BrightEdge: ChatGPT names 28% fewer B2B tech brands per answer

Published: 2026-09-21T23:18:12.606Z · Source: BrightEdge Blog (https://www.brightedge.com/resources/weekly-ai-search-insights/b2b-tech-shortlist-tightening-where-buyers-start)
Source date: 2026-09-21
Flags: BrightEdge study — vendor-published
Entities: chatgpt, brightedge

ChatGPT named 27.9% fewer B2B tech brands per answer in September 2026 than in March, per BrightEdge — an average of 3.87 brands per response, down from 5.36, tracked across a fixed panel of the same non-branded prompts held constant over six months. The drop was steepest in informational answers (5.15 to 3.50 brands, down 32%), where Microsoft, Google and Amazon lost the most ground and IBM gained the most. Transactional answers moved the opposite way, rising from 2.02 to 3.34 brands per answer — a reversal BrightEdge's own analysis excludes from its headline finding.

Why it matters: A shorter list of brands per AI answer means each named slot is worth more than it was six months ago — losing a slot now means losing visibility to a smaller field, not just losing share of a stable one.

## What this answers

**Are AI answers naming fewer brands for B2B tech searches?**

Yes — per BrightEdge, ChatGPT named an average of 3.87 brands per B2B tech answer in September 2026, down from 5.36 in March, a 27.9% drop tracked across a fixed panel of the same non-branded prompts.

**Which B2B tech brands gained or lost ground in ChatGPT's answers?**

Per BrightEdge, Microsoft, Google and Amazon lost the most citation ground in informational answers between March and September 2026, while IBM gained the most.


Canonical: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/item/2026-09-21-brightedge-chatgpt-names-28-fewer-b2b-tech-brands-per-answer/
From Anything Engine Optimization (AEO Wire) — https://anythingengineoptimization.com/ · Standards: https://anythingengineoptimization.com/standards/