"AI is becoming a big part of online commerce. Referral traffic to retailers on Black Friday from AI chatbots and search engines jumped 800% over the same period last year, according to Adobe, meaning a lot more people are now using AI to help them with buying decisions. But where does that leave review sites who, in years past, would have been the guide for many of those purchases?"
"The nature of the content means it's often purely informational, with most articles being designed to answer a question: "What's the best robot vacuum?" "Who has the best deals on sofas?" "How do I set up my soundbar?" AI does an excellent job of answering those questions directly, eliminating the need for readers to click through to a publisher's site."
Referral traffic from AI chatbots and search surged on Black Friday, driving many shoppers to rely on AI for buying decisions. Product-recommendation publishers that depend on search traffic face steep declines because AI directly answers informational queries, reducing click-throughs. Buying still requires visiting retailers and feeling confident about choices, so review sites may retain some influence but in a diminished capacity. Several media companies have reduced or closed review-focused properties and shifted strategies. Some publishers are responding with legal action against AI firms as the ecosystem adjusts to AI-driven commerce.
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