James Dooley:
Hi, today I’m joined by Szymon Słowik, and we’re talking about how the customer journey is changing in the AI era. Szymon, can you explain what you’re seeing and how this is shifting for businesses?

Szymon Słowik:
It’s changing very fast and very fundamentally. Traditional search is still dominant and Google remains the biggest traffic source, but user behaviour inside Google has changed. On top of that, people now use AI tools like ChatGPT and other large language model interfaces. Instead of typing short category keywords, users ask detailed questions. For example, they ask what running shoes they should buy, where they will run, how often, their experience level, preferences, delivery options, and returns. The journey ends directly on product recommendations, not category pages. Analytics already shows this. Users land on product pages far more often, which means the entire customer journey has shifted.

James Dooley:
That makes sense. Click volume might be lower, but sales can remain stable or even increase. From an ecommerce perspective, what changes are you making on sites? Are product pages now the main focus?

Szymon Słowik:
Category pages are still important for structure and semantics, but product pages were neglected for years because rewriting product descriptions at scale was too expensive. Now, with generative AI used correctly, we can create high quality, intent aligned product content at scale. Freshness, specificity, and intent alignment on product pages matter far more today. Product feeds and structured data are just as important, because machines consume information differently. They want clean, structured, easy to access data. So SEO focus is shifting from categories to products, and this is the biggest change right now.

James Dooley:
I see a big divide in the SEO industry. Some say SEO is dead because clicks are down. On many of my sites, clicks are down, but conversions are up. Traffic is more educated and further down the funnel. Are you seeing the same pattern?

Szymon Słowik:
Yes. Many people still focus on vanity metrics like clicks, because clients expect them in reports. But demand hasn’t disappeared. Google and AI tools now handle more of the early research stages, so we don’t see those interactions in analytics. What we do see is fewer clicks, but much higher intent. Users arrive ready to buy because they already researched brands, alternatives, and quality elsewhere. Conversion rates improve because this traffic is far more qualified.

James Dooley:
That’s exactly what I’m seeing. With AI reshaping the journey, what advice would you give ecommerce owners heading into 2026?

Szymon Słowik:
Stop obsessing over top of funnel traffic. Shift focus to middle and bottom of funnel. Don’t chase huge keyword volumes. Focus on answering real customer questions about products, comparisons, alternatives, and use cases. Let competitors educate the market. Enter the journey at the decision stage. That’s where AI sends users when they are ready to buy. Brand reputation inside large language models is also becoming critical.

James Dooley:
That’s a great takeaway. The customer journey is very different now. Clicks may be fewer, but they are worth far more. Thanks for sharing your insights, Szymon. It’s been a pleasure.

Szymon Słowik:
Thank you. It was great to join.