How AI Is Reshaping How Google Works And What That Means For eCommerce Brands

With the release of Google AI Overviews in October of 2024, Google search has changed dramatically. To understand how, this research published on July 22, 2025 by Athena Chapekis and Anna Lieb at Pew Research deserves a thorough read: Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears in the results.

Here are their key findings:

About six-in-ten respondents (58%) conducted at least one Google search in March 2025 that produced an AI-generated summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

Google users who encountered an AI summary only clicked on 1% of the links suggested in the summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

AI search results saw a 62.5% higher likelihood that a user would end their browsing session after receiving an answer to their question. (Pew Research, 2025)

8% of one or two word searches resulted in an AI summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

60% of search queries that began with question words such as “who,” “what,” “when” or “why” resulted in an AI summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

36% of searches that include both a noun and a verb generated an AI summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

What can eCommerce brands learn from this research?

AI Overviews are primarily affecting natural language, longer-tail searches, many of these being searches with high user intent.

Users are no longer clicking links in AI search results at nearly the same rate as standard search results

What do these findings mean for eCommerce brands?

Zero-click search means SEOs will be putting more weight into metrics like impressions that are further removed from a company's bottom-line. Due to this, I believe we'll see less investment in SEO made by small businesses who prefer a more direct marketing approach. The good news that comes from the research is that it gives a clear to-do-list for how to optimize your website for AI search.

How To Optimize Your eCommerce Website For AI Search

The Research

60% of search queries that began with question words such as “who,” “what,” “when” or “why” resulted in an AI summary. (Pew Research, 2025)

A Data-based Action You Can Take Based On The Research

Optimize your brand/website for all “who,” “what,” “when,” “why” or “how” questions related to your brand, products, or services.

Recommendation for best SEO practices:

For technical products that answer complex questions:

Create a single FAQ page with FAQ Schema. Create a page for each FAQ and link to each page from the main FAQ page.

For short, simple answers:

Keep all of your Q&A right there on the FAQ page. Now the next logical question would be, “How do I find what questions are being asked about my brand, products, and services?”

How do I find which questions are being asked about my brand, products, and services?

Use the data you already have

Emails, Chats, Calls

Audit the history of communication you have with customers.

Site Search & FAQ

If you have data around what users are searching for in the search bar, take a look.

If you don’t have access to your Site Search data, you can set this tracking up in a few different ways:

Google Analytics

Connect Google Analytics/GA4 to track site search queries:

Go to Admin → Data Streams → Web → Enhanced Measurement → make sure “Site search” is toggled on.

Set up your query parameter

q or search in Shopify URLs, e.g. ?q=hats

search_query in BigCommerce URLs, e.g. ?search_query=boots

s in WooCommerce URL’s, e.g. ?s=belts&post_type=product

Search Apps and Third-Party Tools

Most third-party search and navigation apps will capture this data for you and present it to you in the dashboard.

Shopify Search and Filter Apps

BigCommerce Search and Filter Apps

WooCommerce Search and Navigation Extensions

Google Tag Manager

You can log on-site search queries via Google Tag Manager events if you’re already using GTM. For a detailed guide, ask ChatGPT: “How do you log on-site search queries via Google Tag Manager events?”

Reviews & Testimonials

Audit your reviews and testimonials for explicit, or implied questions that customers have asked

Use SEO & Question Discovery Tools

Google Search Console

Check what queries you’re already getting impressions for, then filter down to “people also ask” style queries.

AnswerThePublic / AlsoAsked

These tools map out common “who/what/why/how” questions around your keywords.

Note: both of these tools offer 3 free searches per day.

Reddit, Quora, and Forums

See what questions your audience asks when they’re not on your site.

Ask AI

Ask ChatGPT: “Give me a list of “who/what/why/how” questions are customers asking google and other AI about [brand, product, service]

Note: Before you search, click +, More, Web Search. Make sure it’s toggled on.

The Process In Action

Asking ChatGPT: “Give me a list of “who/what/why/how” questions are customers asking google and other AI about website development agencies.” gave us 30 questions immediately that we will be making FAQ for in the near future.

Conclusion

We hope this research and analysis is helpful. All of our content is written by a human being and we go to great lengths to check our sources for accuracy. We are careful to not to make any claim that can't be backed by data from an unbiased source. Bookmark our blog and check back regularly for more information that will help you make data-based decisions in your business.