[2026 Survey] Approximately 70% of Companies Have Not Confirmed Their Own Display in Generative AI Search

Kotatsu Inc. (Headquarters: Utazu-cho, Ayauta-gun, Kagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Takashi Abe) conducted a survey on the current status of generative AI search optimization (LLMO) among 63 applicants of its webinar "How to Differentiate with LLMO for In-house Production" held from February to April 2026. While it is becoming common for people to search for company and service names using generative AI like ChatGPT and Gemini, many companies express that "they are aware of SEO, but haven't gotten around to generative AI search optimization." This survey visualizes the current state and challenges of LLMO adoption based on responses from 63 practical staff, mainly involved in in-house video production.

Survey Result Summary

【Key Findings of This Survey (4 points)】

1. Approximately 70% have not confirmed their company's display in generative AI Total of 44 people: 36% "have hardly ever checked" + 33% "became aware for the first time this time"

2. The biggest challenge for information dissemination is "no knowledgeable person in-house" (33 votes) Even with production capability, strategic planning and improvement are not functioning.

3. Intent to engage with LLMO is split between "cannot judge yet" (43%) and "first, in-house production" (37%) It's not "not doing it," but rather "cannot decide."

4. Implementation timing is "undecided" for 78% However, approximately 16% (10 people) are already considering short-term implementation. Signs of entering an initial phase.

Background and Purpose of the Survey

Amidst the spread of generative AI search (AI Search), interest in LLMO (Generative AI Search Optimization) is growing among corporate marketing personnel. However, there is little domestic data indicating how many companies are actually taking action and what the barriers are.

Kotatsu Inc. operates a business supporting LLMO and video marketing. Based on the feedback from their appearance at an Adobe-sponsored webinar from February to April 2026, they hosted their own webinar. Many applicants were practical staff involved in in-house video production, and many expressed, "We are interested in LLMO but don't know where to start."

This survey was conducted to quantitatively grasp the current stage of these practical staff and to visualize the reality of the "education phase" in the LLMO market. We hope this specialized survey for experts on the same topic will be useful for understanding the current state of the industry.

Survey Overview

Item | Content ---|--- Survey Name | Survey on Corporate Response to Generative AI Search Optimization (LLMO) Survey Organization (Entity) | Kotatsu Inc. (Self-conducted survey) Target | Applicants of Kotatsu's webinar "How to Differentiate with LLMO for In-house Production" (a specific segment focused on practical staff for in-house video production and marketing) Survey Period | February 2026 - April 2026 Survey and Aggregation Method | Internet survey using webinar application form, simple tabulation Valid Responses (n) | 63 people

*This survey is a specialized study targeting a specific segment of webinar applicants. It does not represent the entire market, but serves as reference data indicating the level of interest among those concerned with LLMO.

Survey Result ①｜Respondent's Position (n=63)

Practical members (26 people, 41.3%) and those who "want to organize information first" (25 people, 39.7%) accounted for approximately 81% of the total, indicating a composition centered around frontline practical staff. Management/decision-makers accounted for only 11 people (17.4%).

Position | Number of people | Percentage ---|---|--- Involved as a practical member | 26 people | 41.3% Want to organize information first | 25 people | 39.7% Considering as a practical manager | 7 people | 11.1% Involved in management/decision-making | 4 people | 6.3% General employee (for information gathering) | 1 person | 1.6%

【Analysis】While practical staff responsible for implementing measures are central, a structure with few decision-makers was observed. A challenge for promoting LLMO initiatives as an organization is to ensure understanding permeates from frontline staff to management.

Survey Result ②｜Confirmation Status of Company Information Display in Generative AI (n=63)

A total of 44 people, approximately 70%, responded with "have hardly ever checked" (23 people, 36.5%) and "became aware for the first time this time" (21 people, 33.3%), revealing that the vast majority of companies do not grasp how they appear on AI platforms.

Confirmation Status | Number of people | Percentage ---|---|--- Have hardly ever checked | 23 people | 36.5% Became aware for the first time this time | 21 people | 33.3% Have checked several times | 14 people | 22.2% Checking regularly | 5 people | 7.9%

【Analysis】The core respondents are practical staff with video production skills, but a marketing perspective on how AI evaluates their videos and content is largely lacking. They "create" content.