Although the ability to buy something “online” has been around since the 1980s, it did not really enter into the broader consumer behavior until the mid-1990’s. Since then, the model has largely been unchanged from the traditional “Search, Click, and Convert” model and, in general, it’s been measured the same way by online marketers. But AI-Assisted search and shopping has transitioned us to a “Prompt and Citation” and product summary/recommendation model ushering in a fundamental change in how consumers interact with information online and how businesses capture value.
Here is a breakdown of the differences:
1. The Traditional Model: Search, Click, and Convert
In this legacy framework, the search engine acts as a librarian or a switchboard operator.
- The Search: The user inputs fragmented keywords (e.g., “best ergonomic chairs 2024”). The engine provides a list of potentially relevant “blue links.”
- The Click: This is the critical “toll booth.” The user must leave the search engine to visit a third-party website to find the actual answer or product.
- The Convert: Conversion happens on the destination site (a purchase, a sign-up, or a lead form).
- The Value Driver: Traffic volume. Success is measured by Click-Through Rate (CTR) and the ability of a website to get an eCommerce conversion or retain a visitor once they arrive.
Here’s an interesting fact from Google’s own internal data. It takes around 8 searches, on average, for someone to complete a complex task using this traditional model. Based on that, we can see the possible advantage of AI-Assisted search and why it’s grown so much over that past year.
2. The AI-Assisted Search Model: Prompt and Citation
In this AI-driven framework, the engine acts as an analyst or an assistant.
- The Prompt: Instead of keywords, users provide intent-rich, natural language instructions (e.g., “Compare the top three ergonomic chairs for a person with lower back pain and tell me which one is best for a home office under $500”).
- The Synthesis: The AI processes information across dozens of sources and provides a direct, synthesized answer immediately.
- The Citation: Instead of a list of links to explore, the AI provides specific “footnotes” or citations. These serve as validation and deep-dive points rather than the primary method of discovery.
- The Convert: Conversion may happen directly within the AI interface (via plugins or integrations like Agentic Commerce) or through a highly qualified click on a citation for the final transaction.
Now, let’s talk about AI for a bit. Of course many people will say they don’t trust AI when asked. However, their behavior when they engage with AI during search and online shopping behavior say something very different.
In a recent article published in Live Science, their study found that AI product summaries are likely to majorly influence buying decisions. Does this raise interesting and potentially disturbing questions about how much we trust AI-generated content? Maybe. But that does little good to debate the when the fact remains that the presence of AI does indeed influence buying decisions.
The study selected examples of product reviews with either very positive or very negative conclusions, and 70 subjects were assigned to read either the original reviews of common consumer products or the summaries of reviews that chatbots generated. Those who read the original reviews said they would buy the given product in 52% of cases, while those who read the AI-generated summaries said they would make a purchase 84% of the time.
So what does that mean for your eCommerce marketing?
Well, if you sell a product or products that solve specific problems and you’ve traditionally marketed to the top of the funnel where people are researching solutions to the problem your product addresses, do this.
Pull up a new browser, maybe do it in incognito mode or in a browser that you’re not logged in and do a search as your target audience would when trying to research problem solving solutions.
Do you see an AI Overview (answer)? Yes? Is your brand, website or product mentioned or given as a possible solution (citation). Yes? Good, keep doing what you’re doing. If not, then you’re at a huge disadvantage regardless of where your website “ranks” using traditional search/SEO. This is because fewer and fewer people are bothering to search websites for answers anymore. In fact, depending on the industry, the majority do not click the blue links anymore.
