New research reveals how shoppers are using Google’s AI Overviews across different shopping categories and phases of their buying journey. According to a BrightEdge analysis of thousands of eCommerce keywords, AI Overviews are influencing how people research products, but when it comes to making the final purchase, users still turn to traditional search results. Over a 6-week period, AI Overview visibility spiked to 26% in September before dropping back to 9% in October, and even after the pullback, only 30% of those AI placements were retained.
The headline finding? AI results appear most often for research and evaluation queries, while traditional search listings continue to win clicks at the bottom of the funnel when users are ready to buy. The categories that kept their AI Overviews tell us exactly what Google sees as “research-worthy”:
High retention categories:
- Grocery & Food: 56%
- TV & Home Theatre: 43%
- Small Appliances: 37%
Low retention categories:
- Furniture: 3%
- Home Décor: 7%
- Apparel: 23%
How Users Research Products vs. How They Make Purchase Decisions
Google appears to be using AI Overviews strategically – heavily surfacing them for educational or comparison-based queries, then scaling them back when transaction-focused searches peak. It also aligns with Google’s wider holiday approach: November is for discovery and research and December is when conversion happens.
AI Overviews typically appear for long-tail, mid-funnel terms where users explore different options, compare features and gather information:
- “best [product]”
- “[product] vs [product]”
- “how to use [product]”
- “which [product] is right for me”
But when the intent shifts to bottom-funnel, i.e. “buy”, “price”, specific product names – Google leans back on traditional search results and transactional keywords were removed from AI Overviews almost entirely. In short: users browse with AI, but they buy through classic search listings. Think about your own shopping behaviour. When you’re researching a new laptop, you might ask “what’s the best laptop for graphic design?” – perfect AI Overview territory. But when you’re ready to buy, you search for “MacBook Pro 16-inch best price” – and you want traditional search results with product pages and pricing.
How to Win Both Research and Purchase Phases
From our standpoint, this is the strongest signal yet that SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) must work in tandem. Google isn’t replacing search with AI. It’s layering AI on top of search to support earlier stages of the journey. Organic search still holds its position as the most commercially valuable place to win customers, but you need to be present in both phases.
AI Overviews rely on well-structured, informative content that clearly answers mid-funnel questions. Your comparison guides, “best of” pages, problem-solving content, and educational resources about your product category feed the AI layer. If your site provides that kind of clarity, AI pulls you into view during research season.
When it comes to driving final conversion, December is dominated by traditional search, so your transactional pages, product listings, schema, UX, and search-optimised structure still determine whether you win the click – and the sale. If you cover both layers – AI-visible content and purchase-ready pages – you’re positioned to guide users through the entire buying journey.
What Should You Do Next?
The brands that will benefit most are the ones with both sides covered – optimising content for AI visibility while maintaining strong traditional SEO foundations. The winning strategy is straightforward:
- Build strong, helpful mid-funnel content for AI
- Maintain strong SEO foundations for the transactional phase
- Treat November as the research window
- Treat December as the conversion window.
The Last Word
The opportunity is clear: be present at both moments. Help people learn about your category through AI-friendly content, then capture them with strong traditional search presence when they’re ready to buy. If you want to refine your approach and strengthen both your AI visibility and traditional search performance, get in touch with the Herdl team.