How is AI changing the buying journey?

AI is changing how we search, compare and make decisions. The question you should ask yourself is whether your company is positioned for that shift.

In a short space of time, AI has gone from buzzword to a natural part of the buying journey. It affects how we find products, how we filter information and how we make decisions. Google has launched AI Mode, ChatGPT gives recommendations in real time, and new terms such as GEO, Generative Engine Optimization, are appearing.

So what does this mean for your company? The most important thing is to understand what the shift involves and how you can act on it.

How do Swedes use AI when they shop?

More and more people use AI as part of their research. ChatGPT has more than 800 million users every week, and around 30 per cent of all Google searches return an AI-generated answer. According to recent reports, one in three AI users in Sweden has made a purchase based on a recommendation from an AI model – a figure that is higher still among younger audiences.

For Gen Z it is common to draw inspiration from AI, social media and influencers long before they even land on a product page. At the same time, figures from Adyen show that more than half of Swedes feel AI makes it easier to filter information when shopping online.

In short: the buying journey no longer starts in a traditional search box or a shop window. It starts in an AI interface. And when AI gives an answer, the user listens.

What is Google AI Mode?

Google's AI Mode is a feature that places AI-generated answers directly in the search results. Instead of links alone, the user gets a summary created by generative AI, often with product suggestions and relevant sources.

This affects both SEO and advertising. It is no longer enough to rank highly. Your website needs to be structured so that AI can interpret it and, not least, judge you to be a credible source.

What is Shopping Research in ChatGPT?

OpenAI has launched Shopping Research, a mode where users can ask ChatGPT for help finding and comparing products directly in the chat. The model draws on information from partners such as Klarna and Shopify alongside brands' own pages.

For brands, that means ChatGPT has become a new place where purchase decisions are made. It is not enough for the products to exist in a web shop. They need to be readable for AI, categorised correctly and adapted for both SEO and GEO. If you are not there as an option, you risk leaving the space to someone else.

How can Growbit help you?

We help companies adapt to a landscape where AI is a natural part of the customer journey. It is not about starting over, but about updating how you work so it matches how people actually search and decide today.

We can help you with:

• optimising product data for AI platforms such as Google AI Mode and ChatGPT
• adapting content so it appears in AI-generated answers, not just in traditional search results
• setting a strategy for content, feeds, structure and SEO that works as a whole
• understanding how new behaviour affects your brand, your advertising and your conversion

AI is not just a tool for users. It has become a new player in the decision-making process. We help you be visible where the decisions are made.

Want to know what this could mean for your company? Get in touch and we will take it from there.

08-490 094 89

hello@growbit.se