How AI is Reshaping Search and Shopping
As we stand on the cusp of a new era in retail, one thing is clear: AI isn’t just disrupting search—it’s completely reinventing its future.
At Lily AI, we’ve been at the forefront of this transformation, emphasizing the critical importance of understanding natural language and consumer intent.
The Shifting Sands of Product Search
Today’s consumers are no longer confined to traditional search engines when looking for products. They’re increasingly searching on:
- Generative AI answer engines, like Perplexity and ChatGPT
- Retail media, such as Amazon and Walmart
- Social media, including TikTok and Instagram
In our recent session at SMX Next, we spoke about the changes happening in search today, no doubt accelerated by advancements in AI. These changes are happening across channels and can be measured by changing consumer behavior as well as the advertising dollars that follow.
While consumer search behavior is diversifying and evolving, Google still commands approximately 70% of search ad spend today. This means for retailers and brands, it’s still a “Google world.” As Google’s dominance slowly gives way to a more diverse and fractured search environment, it’s critical that brands and retailers adapt to both a changing world today–and tomorrow.
The AI-Fueled Vibe Shift
In our session Vibe shift: Elevating shopping ads with AI-powered natural language search, we delved into these critical issues and how to address them:
- The State of Product Search and Advertising: We explored how AI is reshaping consumer search behavior and its implications for retailers.
- Preparing for an Increasingly Feedless GMC Future: As Google moves towards a more AI-driven approach, retailers need to adapt and harmonize advertising, product, and e-commerce strategies.
- Lily AI’s Attribute Platform Live Demo: We showed how easy it is to ensure Shopping Ads and Organic Listings are always enriched with Lily AI’s customer-centric attribute data.
The Enduring Principles in an AI-Driven World
The more things change, the more things change the same time. When it comes to advertising relevance and search engine optimization, certain principles will become more crucial than ever:
- Content Quality is the New Content Quantity: High-quality, authentic information is key in an AI-curated world.
- Natural Language is the New SEO: Understanding and aligning with natural consumer language is critical for success.
Since Lily AI was founded, we’ve been deeply committed to empathizing with consumers as we emphasize the importance of understanding natural language and intent. Looking ahead as we navigate this new era of product discovery, retailers must embrace the changing consumer behaviors shaped by AI, technology, and media. By focusing on high-quality, customer-centric content and leveraging tools like Lily AI’s attribute platform, retailers can stay ahead in this rapidly evolving digital retail landscape.
The future of product discovery is here, and it speaks the language of the consumer.
