How does E-E-A-T influence AI search and recommendations?

AI systems evaluate credibility using signals similar to E-E-A-T. They look for demonstrated experience, technical expertise, external validation, and trustworthy data before recommending a manufacturer. Companies with weak E-E-A-T are often excluded from AI-generated answers, even if their SEO fundamentals are solid.

Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor in Google search?

E-E-A-T is not a single ranking factor, but a framework used to assess content quality and source credibility. Strong E-E-A-T improves rankings indirectly by reinforcing trust, relevance, and authority signals used by search algorithms and AI systems.

How can manufacturers demonstrate experience online?

Manufacturers can demonstrate experience by publishing real case studies, process explanations, application examples, and visual proof of production capabilities. First-hand operational detail signals experience far more effectively than marketing claims.

What role do certifications and standards play in E-E-A-T?

Certifications and standards act as strong authority and trust signals. They validate claims externally and help AI systems verify that a manufacturer meets industry requirements. When structured clearly and referenced consistently, certifications significantly strengthen E-E-A-T.

Can smaller manufacturers build E-E-A-T without a strong brand name?

Yes. E-E-A-T is based on credibility and clarity, not company size. Smaller manufacturers can compete by publishing precise technical content, being transparent about capabilities, maintaining consistent entity information, and earning validation through directories, associations, and certifications.

Why AI Is Delivering Better Quality Manufacturing Leads Than ThomasNet or PPC

Written by Kathy Hennessy

Fact checked by Steve Condit

Published: January 30, 2026

Your inbox is full. Your CRM is busy. Your reports look impressive. So why does it feel like your sale reps aren’t closing new business?

For many manufacturing companies, lead generation programs create a lot of motion, but not a lot of momentum. Online directories, paid ads, and listing services promise exposure and deliver volume, yet only a small fraction of those “leads” ever become real sales conversations.

We hear it once too often from our clients in the manufacturing industry. They are shown charts full of rising numbers while their sales team quietly struggles to turn those leads into quotes, and those quotes into orders. Marketing looks busy, but sales reps get frustrated, and ROI remains unclear. The point is, activity is not the same as ROI. And busy is not the same as profitable. Anyone who’s ever run a machine shop knows that lesson well.

At Marketing Metrics Corp., we believe lead generation should be judged the same way you judge equipment investments: If it doesn’t produce measurable output, it’s not doing its job.

That’s why reviewing lead quality, not just lead quantity, is one of the most important marketing decisions your manufacturing business can make.

If you are investing thousands of dollars every year in lead generation with trade shows, online directories like ThomasNet, Google ads, sponsorships, or so-called “premium listings”, there’s a question that matters more than all the reports combined:

Which of these leads actually turned into revenue?

Not clicks. Not form fills. Not “inquiries.” Real, solid, revenue.

Why AI-Generated Leads Are Different, and Better

This is where things start to change. As we outlined in our AI Search vs. Traditional Search for Manufacturing blog post, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini are being used differently than search engines. People ask Google: “quick release pin manufacturers”. They ask ChatGPT: “What type of fastening device, featuring a self-locking ring, should you use to ensure assemblies are firmly held and prevent unintentional disconnections?” That difference matters. A lot.

Why AI Leads Tend to Be Higher Quality

AI-generated leads typically come from users who:

Are further along in the buying process
Have a specific technical need
Want recommendations, not just listings
Are looking for trusted suppliers, not ads

As referenced by Christopher Mims in THE WALL STREET JURNAL ON 1/30/26, People referred to a site by ChatGPT stayed longer and were more likely to make a transaction, compared to those referred by Google’s search engine.

These referrals are valuable: Compared with users who were sent to a website by Google, those sent by ChatGPT tend to spend more time on a site, view more pages and are more likely to complete a transaction.

Why is this important? Look at the trend.

A similar story. As of this past September, people were sent to websites via chatbot-provided links more than 230 million times a month, according to Similarweb, a digital market intelligence company. That’s three times the number of monthly referrals from just a year before.

Not All Leads Are Created Equal

In manufacturing, a “good lead” usually means:

A real company (not a Gmail address and a vague job title)
A legitimate need for your products or services
Decision-making authority, or at least access to it
A project with a budget and definite intent

Unfortunately, many marketing programs stop at simply counting leads, not qualifying them. That’s how you end up celebrating numbers that don’t translate into revenue. Or as one Wisconsin plant manager once told us: “We don’t need more leads. We need fewer… but better.” Exactly.

Fewer Leads. Better Leads. Better Sales Conversations.

At the end of the day, your marketing and lead generation programs should support sales teams, not distract them. If your current reports look impressive but your pipeline says otherwise, it’s time to shift the conversation from “How many leads did we get?” to “Which leads actually mattered?” That’s where real growth happens.

The Problem With ThomasNet and Google PPC Leads

Let’s talk about two common lead generation sources of frustration: ThomasNet and Google PPC ads.

ThomasNet “Leads”

ThomasNet can create visibility, but many manufacturers tell us the same thing about their leads from this source:

Some are trying to sell you on their products or services (freight, machine shops from China, etc.)
Students doing research
Overseas inquiries that can’t be fulfilled
Requests wildly outside your capabilities
And this one is the worst – spam!

In our experience, and as discussed in our When Leads Aren’t Really Leads blog post, many ThomasNet inquiries may look good on paper but rarely turn into requests for quotes, let alone customers.

Google PPC Leads

Pay-per-click ads can work, but they often attract:

Shoppers comparing prices only
Competitors “checking you out”
People who click first and think later

The campaign budget depletes fast because you pay for every click, whether the person is a purchasing manager or someone killing time on a lunch break. We wish Google offered a “serious buyers only” checkbox. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

Our Competitive Advantage: We Review Every Lead Manually

At Marketing Metrics Corp., we do monthly reviews to evaluate each lead generated from your website and ask simple, business-focused questions:

Was this a real company?
Did sales follow up?
Did it turn into a request for quote?
Did it become a legitimate or real sales opportunity?

You will not find us hiding behind dashboards or spewing marketing jargon. We sit down with you and tell it like it is: “These 12 leads were real sales opportunities. These 18 were noise and possibly include spam.”

That insight allows us to:

Adjust your marketing strategy
Focus on channels that produce real buyers
Reduce wasted time for your sales team

And yes, your sales team will thank you.

How an AI Audit Helps You Get Found and Chosen

Many manufacturers don’t realize this yet, but AI tools don’t pull information the same way Google does. If your company isn’t showing up in AI-generated answers, you may be invisible to a growing segment of serious buyers.

Our AI Audit and Gap Analysis looks at:

Whether AI tools recognize your company
What they say about you and your competitors
Gaps in your website content, authority, and clarity
What needs improvement for AI to confidently recommend your company

Think of it like this:

Google helps people find websites. AI helps people choose vendors. Being chosen is the goal.

Free AI and Digital Marketing Audit — No Pressure, No Jargon

If you’re curious whether:

AI tools can find your company
Your current leads are real opportunities
Your marketing dollars are working as hard as your machines

We invite you to schedule a free AI / Digital Marketing Audit and consultation with Marketing Metrics Corp.

No sales pitch. No buzzwords. Just clear answers and practical recommendations from an experienced digital marketing team that understands manufacturing.

We have the experience and the toolkit to help you achieve this. Book a consultation with the digital marketing experts at Marketing Metrics Corp. or call us at 1-262-691-9229.

View Success Stories

See how we’ve helped other clients reach their goals.

From $4M to $24M: Strategic Marketing That Fueled Growth and a Successful Exit

“We grew from $4 million to $24 million in annual revenue during our 17-year partnership.”

Dan Erschen, President
Wisconsin Metal Parts, Inc. & Lean Manufacturing Products, Inc.

Robotics Automation Company Lands $60 million New Customer

“The $60 million-dollar new order was the result of an online inquiry generated through sophisticated, proven digital marketing techniques.”

Mike Loomis, President
ACRO Automation

Fastener Company Integrates Website With Catalog, CAD, Product Configurator, Shopping Cart & ERP System

Challenge: Generate more sales leads and revenue for their stock and custom fastener solutions.

Heat Treating Company Upgrades Website To Help Solve Hiring Challenges

Challenge: ThermTech, a commercial heat-treating company, needed help recruiting staff to meet customer demand and promoting their world-class services.