B2B SEO Case Study: How We Got Cited in Google's AI Overview for Our Own Category in Two Months

This B2B SEO case study covers one site over two months. Curio Digital, a B2B web design and SEO agency, published a list of 17 B2B web design agencies on July 21, 2026. It reached page 1 for "b2b web design agency" on September 17 and was cited in Google's AI Overview the next day.

We ran this test on our own site, so we can show every number and every date. We also show what happened after the citation, including the part where it stopped.

Our view after doing this: for a new B2B site, a fair list post that includes your competitors and you is one of the fastest ways to get cited by AI. It still has to rank first, and it still needs upkeep once it's cited.

Where We Started in June 2026

In June 2026, our site had no AI presence at all. We rebuilt curiodigital.io that month, removed 14 old blog posts, and launched new service pages.

On June 30, Ahrefs found zero citations of our site on any AI platform. Search Console showed 63 queries where we ranked, and only 24 of them were on page 1.

We used our own site as the test because we control every page and every data source. Nobody has to approve what we publish here.

The table below shows where we started and where we were at the end of September.

What We Published and How We Structured It

We published 21 new blog posts between July and September 2026. Each post targeted a search that a B2B buyer would make, and each one linked to the service page it supports.

That order came from our Director of Strategy, who sets how we build SEO for a site with no rankings. In her words: "Our first step is determining what you want the site to rank for, specifically starting with the high intent, commercial keywords."

The post that got cited was 17 B2B web design agencies. It targets "b2b web design agencies," a search from people who are building a shortlist. It names 15 other agencies plus Webflow's partner directory, and it lists Curio Digital in the same format as everyone else.

The same rule applied to every post we wrote. "All content must target keywords that indicate the user is part of the target audience and internally link back to the related landing page." For this post, that page was our web design service page. For this case study, it's our SEO and AEO services for B2B teams.

What We Think Made the Page Easy to Cite

We can't see why Google picks one source over another. We can describe what the page had when it was cited.

• A comparison table at the top of the list. Each agency has a row with its primary focus, platform, and the type of client it fits best.
• Key Takeaways above the body. Five short bullets that each make sense on their own.
• Plain descriptions of each agency. Two or three sentences per agency, with facts a reader can check on the agency's own site.
• A how-to-choose section and a question-led FAQ. These answer the questions a buyer asks right after reading a list.
• Curio listed with its competitors. We included ourselves and said so, which made the list a fair comparison.

None of this needs special code. Google says a page needs no extra markup or files to appear in AI Overviews; it has to be indexed and eligible to show a snippet. We cover the wider method in answer engine optimization for B2B SaaS.

Page 1 on Sep 17, Then the AI Overview a Day Later

The citation came one day after the post reached page 1. Semrush position tracking showed the post at position 9 for "b2b web design agency" on September 17, 2026. On September 18, the same tool showed it cited in the AI Overview for that search.

That search gets 2,400 searches a month, according to Semrush. By September 30, four of our tracked keywords had an AI Overview citation, and all four pointed to the same post or our homepage.

Here is the full timeline:

• June 1, 2026: we start rebuilding curiodigital.io.
• June 30: Ahrefs finds zero AI citations of our site.
• July 21: we publish the 17-agency list.
• September 17: the post reaches position 9 for "b2b web design agency."
• September 18: the post is cited in Google's AI Overview for that search.
• September 30: Ahrefs counts 21 AI citations across five pages of our site.
• November 4: the AI Overview for that search no longer cites us (Ahrefs SERP snapshot).

From publish to citation took 59 days. That is the "two months" in the title.

Why AI Can Recommend You Without Sending a Click

This is the part that makes this an AI SEO case study as much as a ranking one. AI visibility and website visits moved in opposite directions for us. In Q3, our impressions in Google AI features went from 99 to 7,070. In the same quarter, visits referred by AI tools fell from 145 to 120.

Our Director of Strategy explains why this matters for B2B. "Most top of funnel searches will no longer earn a click, so there's no opportunity to move those users down your funnel or add them to a retargeting audience."

The value shows up somewhere else. A prospect contacted us after Claude recommended Curio during their research. Our analytics showed zero visits from Claude that quarter, so the lead never appeared as an AI visit in GA4.

That is why we stopped judging AI search by clicks alone. "We're focused heavily on how they mention and represent our clients in commercial intent questions like 'what's the best software for X?'"

We now track AI visibility with three sources:

1. Search Console shows impressions in Google AI features.
2. Ahrefs counts citations of our pages by AI platform.
3. A prompt tracking tool runs 25 buyer questions every week across six AI engines and records which brands each answer names.

We also ask every new lead where they first heard about us. That question caught the Claude lead when no report did.

What Happened Next

The citation did not last. In the Ahrefs snapshot of the "b2b web design agency" results from November 4, 2026, the AI Overview cites seven other sources and not our post. Search Console shows the post at an average position of about 13 for that search from October 13 to November 9, down from about 9 in the weeks before.

We had seen it coming. By October 23, Ahrefs already listed our post sixth among the sources cited. Here is what we're doing about it:

• Adding internal links to the post from newer posts on hiring and comparing agencies.
• Fixing small errors on the page that came back after we moved the site to a new CMS.
• Earning mentions on other sites. AI tools often cite lists written by neutral publishers, so we're asking those publishers to consider Curio for their lists. Our guide to off-site mentions for AI search covers how.

We'll update this post with the results.

What We'd Repeat for a Client

The same steps work on a client site, in this order:

1. Start with the searches buyers make right before they hire. For an agency, that is a list or comparison search. For a software company, it is "best [category] software" or "[competitor] alternatives."
2. Write a fair list that includes competitors. A list that names only you reads as an ad, and readers trust it less.
3. Make every section easy to quote. Put the answer first, use a comparison table, and add a short FAQ.
4. Track citations every week from day one. Search Console, a citation tool, and a set of buyer prompts give you a baseline before anything changes.
5. Plan for the citation to move. Schedule a refresh, add internal links, and work on mentions on other sites before the citation lapses.

What This Means for Your SEO and AEO Plan

One site and two months is early evidence, and we can't promise the same timing for every site. It shows that a new B2B site can get cited by AI within weeks, when the page targets a buyer search and ranks on page 1 first.

We wrote this the way we'd want other SEO case studies written: with dates, sources, and the setback.

If you want to see the same kind of detail for conversion work, read our B2B SaaS CRO case study.

Frequently Asked Questions About Our B2B SEO Case Study

Are case studies good for SEO?

Yes, when they include dated results and named data sources. Specific, checkable facts give Google and AI tools something concrete to cite, and they help buyers judge an agency before a call. Our case study targets "b2b seo case study," a search from people comparing SEO partners.

How long does it take to get cited in Google AI Overviews?

It depends on the search and on how strong the other results are. For us, it took 59 days. The post went live on July 21, 2026, and was cited on September 18, one day after it reached page 1. We can't promise that timing for every site or keyword.

Can a new website with low domain authority get cited by AI?

Yes. Our site was rebuilt in June 2026 and had zero AI citations on June 30. By September 30, Ahrefs counted 21 AI citations across five pages. The post that got cited reached page 1 first, so ranking well still seems to come before the citation.

Why didn't AI Overview citations bring more traffic?

Many people read the AI answer and never click. In Q3, our impressions in Google AI features rose from 99 to 7,070, while visits referred by AI tools fell from 145 to 120. We measure AI visibility with citation tracking and by asking leads how they found us.

How do you track whether AI tools cite your site?

We use Search Console for impressions in Google AI features and Ahrefs for citations by AI platform. A prompt tracking tool runs 25 buyer questions every week across six AI engines. We also ask every new lead where they first heard about us.