HubSpot ranked on Google for "best CRM" before ChatGPT launched — so why does AI also recommend it?
gaganghotra_ · x · 2026-10-07
A thread on X raises a pointed question about AEO: HubSpot was already on page 1 of Google for "best CRM software" weeks before ChatGPT launched in November 2022.
So when AI assistants now recommend HubSpot as the best CRM, is it the payoff of two-plus years of AEO work — or simply because it was already one of the best CRM platforms on the market? The author extends the point across industries: companies that dominated their space before Nov 2022 are still the ones AI recommends for "best" queries today.
The implication is uncomfortable for challengers: AI recommendations may largely inherit brand equity built in the search era rather than rewarding new AI-era optimization efforts.
More from Venture
- Ramp spend data shows AEO tools booming over 8 months, Peec AI overtakes AirOps — gaganghotra_ · 2026-10-07
- Why Competitors Win ChatGPT Answers: OpenAI's Private Beta Product Feed Program — gaganghotra_ · 2026-10-07
- OpenSEO open-sources AI Visibility to undercut Semrush at $10/month — gaganghotra_ · 2026-10-07
- Dev sells buyer-intel via x402: 3 source-backed B2B leads per 0.25 USDC call — Commercial_Slip264 · 2026-10-07
- Ex-Ramp engineers raise $20M for Melius after scrapping first product — TechCrunch AI · 2026-10-07
- Dan Ives: investors underestimate a $4T tech spending wave; top picks Nvidia, Microsoft, Palantir — matt_slotnick · 2026-10-07