When AI started getting us leads, and we didn't see it coming

"ChatGPT told me about you."

We heard that on two recent client calls, and it caught us off guard.

We have marketed our work building websites, web apps, mobile apps and business process systems online for years, through our website, social media, online directories and more. This was new.

These two companies came to us after finding Symph through ChatGPT and Perplexity.

We weren't trying to be found this way. We had no plan for getting recommended by AI assistants, and yet they were suggesting us to businesses looking for a technology partner.

A new way for businesses to be found

Everyone knows AI is changing industries from healthcare to finance. This was the first time we saw firsthand that it is also changing how businesses find a provider.

A company looking for a provider used to start with a search engine, and now that is not the only place it starts.

Beyond Simple Search Results

A traditional search engine returns links that match your keywords. You search for "web apps development company" and get a list of websites optimized for those words.

AI tools like ChatGPT work differently. They put together an answer from patterns, relevance and a broader understanding of the information. When someone asks, "Who can help build a business process system for my manufacturing company?", the tool recommends providers based on much more than keyword matches.

So the way businesses get discovered could be changing right in front of us.

Content with Purpose May Drive AI Visibility

Thinking about this new "marketing channel", we noticed something. For years we have made a point of sharing what we think and what we have learned about business, technology and innovation.

We have written about building websites and web apps that turn visitors into customers, mobile apps that connect businesses with their customers, and business process systems that make operations run better.

It is possible that all that writing is part of why the AI recommended us.

What this could change

This doesn't mean every company will start getting leads through AI, or that we will get more this way, but it does raise some questions.

• How will businesses build trust and credibility when AI helps more and more people make decisions?
• What role will content play when AI systems, not only people searching, judge your expertise?
• How might recommendations for your services change when they come through AI instead of a traditional search engine?

What we would do now

We are still working out what this means, but a few things seem clear for businesses in any industry.

1. Show your expertise openly. Write content that helps your audience understand your field, whether that's putting AI into business systems or anything else.

2. Talk about real problems. Whatever you sell, say clearly which problems you solve and what results you deliver.

3. Be present in a lot of places. Your website, social media and industry publications probably all feed into how AI systems understand what you can do.

Traditional marketing channels still matter, and we are watching this new one with interest. Businesses looking for a partner may lean more on AI to find one, and providers will need to understand that to stay visible.

We're curious: Have you discovered a business through AI recommendations? Or has your company been found through these new channels? Share this post and tell us how it went.

Story by Jice Ayop, Symph Content Marketing Intern 2025