GOOGLE IS MAKING AI DISCOVERY SOMETHING RETAILERS CAN MEASURE
On September 16, Google made AI performance insights in Merchant Center available in the U.S. and four other countries. Retailers can see how their brands and products appear across experiences such as AI Mode and AI Overviews, including how their visibility compares with other brands.
Google also invited eligible U.S. retailers into a beta that lets shoppers ask product questions inside YouTube ads. Think about that for a second: a customer can start asking the questions you'd normally answer on your website without leaving the video they're watching.
These are retail tools, so this announcement doesn't mean your accounting firm or manufacturing business just got a new dashboard. But I think the direction is relevant well beyond a shopping cart. More of the research can happen before the buyer arrives at a place you control - and this is becoming a huge topic with nearly every client we work with.
PEOPLE STILL WANT SOMETHING REAL BEHIND THE ANSWER
Research released September 17 by Bazaarvoice and Bluefish found that 90% of the active AI users surveyed considered it important to know that an AI product recommendation came from real customer reviews and photos.
The survey included more than 1,700 adults across several regions, all screened for active AI use. These companies sell reviews and AI marketing services, so they have an obvious interest in the answer. I still think the finding is useful: an impressive recommendation doesn't eliminate the desire to see what happened when a real person bought the thing.
These are consumer shopping results, so I wouldn't apply them to every business purchase. My bet is that buyers will keep using AI to get better prepared, and clear answers and visible evidence will help them evaluate you. If you’re anything like me, referrals are king, and AI hasn’t infiltrated that part of my decision making experience yet.
SO OUR BIG QUESTION: WHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY LOOK LIKE FROM THE OTHER SIDE?
Let's make this practical. Say you're responsible for three commercial buildings and need a new HVAC company. You could ask an AI to compare local providers, check whether they offer after-hours service, look for experience with multiple locations, and identify questions to ask before signing a maintenance agreement.
Now picture three companies it may suggest.
One says it provides “innovative, customer-focused solutions” with “an unwavering commitment to excellence.” There is a stock photo of people shaking hands. Everyone in the pressed pantsuits appear delighted to be in the stock photo.
Another lists the buildings it services, explains what happens when equipment fails after hours, shows a few recent jobs, and describes what its maintenance agreements include.
The third has a great reputation locally, but its website still talks about a service it stopped offering two years ago. Its best work lives in the owner's phone and its strongest customer stories get told at lunch.
I'd want the second company to get a call. The third might be the best company in the market, but the information available makes that harder to see. And the first one describes at least 60% of all B2B websites these days.
An AI could still get that comparison wrong. But a buyer, with or without AI helping, has much more to work with when a business explains itself clearly.
If the thing that makes your company special only comes out 20 minutes into a sales conversation, people have to get to that conversation to hear it. The internet (and your website) were supposed to be “the front porch of commerce.” But are you really inviting people to your front porch?
The vast majority of companies have an opportunity here. They know their work. They have customers who would vouch for them. They can explain exactly why one job went well and another was more complicated. Getting some of that knowledge out where a prospective customer can find it may be more valuable than publishing another generic article about trends in the industry.