A Query Design Guide for Getting Chosen by AI
In B2B GEO strategy, registering just your service or company name isn't enough.
Designing queries around the contexts buyers actually consult AI with —
problems, process improvement, tool comparison, and adoption decisions — is the starting point for getting chosen by AI.
B2B buyers don't necessarily start by asking AI "should I contact Company X?"
Instead, they ask things like "where should we start with sales DX?", "what CRM tool would you recommend for a small business?", "what's the difference between a marketing automation tool and an SFA?", or "which is better for us, A or B?" — consulting AI within the context of a problem, a process improvement, a tool comparison, or an adoption decision.
At Genview, we design these queries across three stages: TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU.
For why GEO strategy matters for B2B in the first place, see our B2B GEO overview page.
TOFU
Awareness
Doesn't yet know your service
MOFU
Comparison
Comparing multiple options
BOFU
Pre-Adoption
Confirming final concerns
TOFU: The Stage Before They Know Your Service
TOFU is the stage where a user hasn't yet settled on a specific service or company name.
At this stage, you're checking whether your service becomes a candidate for a business problem or improvement theme.
For a CRM, that might be "how to make customer management more efficient"; for a marketing automation tool, "how to nurture leads"; for SaaS generally, "tools to make sales activity more efficient" — build queries starting from the user's problem or business goal.
If you don't appear here, AI may not recognize you as a "leading service that solves this problem."
MOFU: The Comparison Stage
MOFU is the stage where a user is comparing multiple services or companies.
At this stage, you're checking whether AI can explain why your company would be chosen over competitors.
Register category-comparison or competitor-comparison queries like "compare recommended CRM tools," "compare marketing automation tools for small businesses," or "what's the difference between Company A and Company B?"
At MOFU, what matters isn't just whether you're a comparison candidate, but which evaluation criteria you're discussed under — features, price, track record, support, integrations, ease of use, and so on.
BOFU: Right Before Contact or Adoption
BOFU is the stage where a user is confirming their last remaining concerns, right before contacting you or adopting your service.
At this stage, you're checking whether AI can accurately describe your service.
Examples include "what are the reviews for [Company]?", "is [Company] easy to use for a small business?", or "should I choose [Company] or [Competitor]?"
At BOFU, check whether AI is providing incorrect or outdated information about pricing, implementation time, scope of support, compatible systems, industries you specialize in, and fit.
How to Think About Queries to Register for B2B
For B2B, we recommend covering at least the following five contexts.
Context
Purpose
Example Query
Problem
Check if you're a candidate to solve a business problem
"How can I make sales activity more efficient?"
Process improvement
Check if you're recommended for a specific operational theme
"What tool makes customer management more efficient?"
Category
Check if you're recognized within your service category
"What CRM tools would you recommend?"
Comparison
Check whether you're chosen for a reason against competitors
"Which is better, Company A or Company B?"
Reputation
Check whether pre-adoption concerns are answered accurately
"What are the reviews for [Company]?"
It's important to register queries using the words a decision-maker would actually consult AI with — not just your service or company name.
Ready-to-Use Query Examples
TOFU Awareness-Stage Query Examples
How can I make sales activity more efficient?
What should I do to nurture leads?
What tools make customer management more efficient?
How do I drive results in B2B marketing?
What should I do to increase the number of deals?
How do I increase upsell opportunities with existing customers?
How do I automate follow-up after an inquiry?
How can I strengthen alignment between sales and marketing?
Where should a small business start with DX?
How do I fix sales management that depends too much on individuals?
MOFU Comparison-Stage Query Examples
Compare recommended CRM tools
Compare marketing automation tools for small businesses
What B2B sales support tools would you recommend?
What's the difference between an SFA and a CRM?
What's the difference between a marketing automation tool and an email platform?
What should I look for when choosing a customer management tool?
Compare services strong in sales DX
What's an easy-to-adopt B2B SaaS tool?
What's the difference between Company A's and Company B's CRM tool?
Which is better for a small business, Company A or Company B?
BOFU Inquiry/Adoption-Decision Query Examples
What are the reviews for [Company]?
What are [Company]'s case studies?
Is [Company] easy to use for a small business?
Is [Company]'s pricing expensive?
What kind of company is [Company] a good fit for?
What's [Company]'s support like?
Can [Company] integrate with our existing systems?
Which would you recommend, [Company] or [Competitor]?
What are the pros and cons of adopting [Company]?
What should I check before contacting [Company]?
Summary
In B2B GEO strategy, it's important to design queries around the context a buyer actually consults AI with — not just your company or service name.
At TOFU, focus on the problems and process-improvement themes of users who don't yet know your service. At MOFU, focus on the criteria used by users comparing multiple services. At BOFU, focus on pre-contact or pre-adoption concerns and reputation checks.
Registering queries across these three stages lets you check how your service is recognized, recommended, and compared within AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it enough to register only queries that include our company name, like "what are the reviews for [Company]"?
Named queries (BOFU) are essential for checking how AI describes your company, but they're not sufficient on their own. Many B2B buyers consult AI about a business problem — like "how to make sales activity more efficient" — before they even know your service name. Registering unnamed TOFU and MOFU queries as well lets you check whether AI presents you as a candidate at the earliest stage of consideration.
Q. If we're listed on comparison sites or review sites, will AI recommend us?
Being listed on comparison or review sites contributes to AI's recognition of you to some degree, but it doesn't guarantee a recommendation on its own. Since AI builds its picture of a service from multiple sources, consistent information across your own site, comparison sites, and external media builds trust. Alongside query design, it's important to keep your own site's service information and case studies well organized. See our B2B GEO overview page for more.
Q. How can I check whether our registered queries are producing results?
With Genview, you can continuously measure appearance status across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and more, for each registered query. You can track numerically how AI's description of you changes, and whether the gap with competitors narrows, before and after implementing a strategy, through two metrics: Query Improvement (matched, misrecognized, or not mentioned) and Brand Perception Improvement (recognition match rate). We recommend starting with the 14-day free trial to check your current AI perception and establish a baseline. See full pricing details.