However, despite these advancements, analysts believe Google's core search business remains vital for many functions, and early AI successes from retailers won't significantly impact this. Alphabet continues to invest heavily in AI tools to embed itself in retail ecosystems, with Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for retail and Conversational Commerce tools. The shift towards generative AI search could democratize opportunities for brands and companies, potentially changing the SEO and SEM model.
Key takeaways:
- Walmart is leveraging generative AI to improve its search capabilities, aiming to provide a one-stop shop for event planning rather than just individual item searches.
- Other retailers, including Instacart, Amazon, and Shopify, are also investing in AI-enabled search tools to enhance customer experience and accuracy of search results.
- These developments could potentially threaten Google's dominance in the search engine market, as customers may not need to use Google if they can find what they need directly on the retailer's platform.
- Despite the potential threat, Alphabet continues to invest heavily in AI tools, including its Gemini project, and has integrated AI into other retail ecosystems through products like Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for retail.