Rankings are moving again, and AI is talking buyers out
A survey of 2,338 US shoppers found 57.5% say an AI chatbot talked them out of a purchase. Meanwhile Google rankings are shifting again this week.
Read the whole week in one goThe spam update really landed over the weekend
Why your traffic moved
Google rankings are moving again this week
Search rankings started shifting Tuesday and the movement carried into Wednesday, according to Barry Schwartz, who tracks this daily. Google has not announced an update, so there is no confirmed cause yet. If your positions moved, this is not something you caused.
Who this affects: Anyone who gets visitors from Google search.
- Check your Search Console clicks against last week before changing anything.
- Our take: wait a few days before rewriting pages.
Getting into AI answers
Most shoppers say a chatbot talked them out of buying
A survey of 2,338 US consumers by Semrush's Exploding Topics team found 57.5% of AI users said information from a chatbot made them decide not to buy something. Among weekly AI users that rose to 69.7%, and 47.54% of all consumers said they sometimes check an AI chatbot about a seller before buying.
You can win a customer on Google and still lose them when they ask ChatGPT whether they should buy.
Who this affects: Anyone selling a product or service online.
- Ask ChatGPT what it says about your business today.
- Our take: put pricing and comparisons in plain text on your site.
Maps and your listing
Google may soon set your opening hours from plain text
Google Business Profiles (your free listing on Maps and Search) is testing a way to set your opening hours by typing them out in ordinary text instead of filling in each day. Barry Schwartz reported the test, spotted by Ayman Ali. It is only a test, so most listings will not see it yet.
Who this affects: Any business with a Google listing showing opening hours.
- Open your Business Profile and confirm this week's hours are right.