From click to conversion: how AI optimises every stage of the eCommerce funnel

Updated October 2026: We first published this in September 2025, and AI search has moved on. Google’s AI Mode launched in the UK in July 2025 (Google) and has passed one billion monthly users (Alphabet, June 2026). Adobe’s data for March 2026 found that visitors referred to US retail sites by AI converted 42% better than other traffic (TechCrunch), which supports what we describe below about AI-driven visitors. The advice for each stage of the eCommerce conversion funnel still applies.

You’ll also see AIO increasingly called generative engine optimisation (GEO). At SOZO we don’t get hung up on acronyms, and we now deliver traditional and AI-driven search together as one joined-up search service.

The way customers discover, research, and buy products online is changing faster than ever. For years, SEO has been the cornerstone of eCommerce marketing, helping brands attract visitors from Google search. 

But today, the rise of AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity is reshaping the buyer funnel, and with it, how businesses need to think about visibility and conversion.

Read about the 5 trends shaping eCommerce in our latest eBook.

This blog explores how the most successful eCommerce brands are using AI Optimisation (AIO) to build on their existing SEO activities to transform their buyer journey, from first click to conversion and beyond:

• Awareness: SEO keeps you visible in Google rankings, while AIO (AI Optimisation) ensures your brand is cited in AI-generated answers. Together, they maximise discoverability across both traditional search engines and AI tools.
• Consideration: AI-driven visitors often convert at much higher rates (10–13%) vs the average (2–3%) metrics because they arrive pre-qualified, having already compared options using AI assistants.
• Decision: AI tools can give customers the final push to purchase. AI chat agents act like 24/7 shopping assistants, while AI-powered CRO tools such as Microsoft Clarity uncover actionable insights to optimise on-site check out experiences.

At SOZO, we believe that the future of eCommerce lies in combining the strengths of SEO and AIO (AI Optimisation). 

Together, they ensure your brand is visible across both traditional search engines and large language models (LLMs), while AI-powered tools help convert that visibility into measurable sales.

Read our blog on SEO v AIO and why you need both

Awareness: being seen in a changing search landscape

For most eCommerce brands, their funnel and buyer journey begins with awareness.

Historically, this has meant optimising your website to rank in Google through SEO. Google crawls and indexes billions of web pages globally, surfacing results based on keywords, relevance, backlinks and site authority.

But user behaviour is shifting. Increasingly, people are bypassing search engines altogether, asking AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity for answers. These tools don’t just return a list of links, but rather they generate more conversational responses based on huge datasets including websites, books, and forums.

That’s where AIO (AI Optimisation) comes in. While SEO ensures you show up in search rankings, AIO makes sure LLMs understand, trust, and cite your brand in their responses.

This matters because:

• Google now shows AI Overviews in its results, and its AI Mode has been available in the UK since July 2025
• LLMs are becoming the starting point for product research, especially among younger demographics
• Visibility now means more than ranking on Google, it’s about being referenced in AI-generated answers

To maximise awareness, brands need to invest in both SEO and AIO. SEO keeps you visible in search results, AIO ensures you’re part of the conversation happening inside AI tools.

Read our blog which explains this topic.

Consideration: educating & guiding high-intent shoppers

Once a potential customer knows about your brand, the next stage in the process is consideration. Buyers compare options, evaluate value, and decide which product best suits their needs.

Here’s where AI can have a real impact. Our work with clients shows a growing proportion of web traffic is arriving from AI tools, and the data is clear: these users behave differently.

• While average conversion rates across channels might hover around 2–3%, traffic from AI tools often converts at between 10–13%.
• Research from Semrush confirms this: AI-driven visitors convert better because they use AI to pre-filter options before clicking through.

In other words, by the time an AI-driven visitor lands on your website, they’ve often already made up their mind. They’re not casually browsing anymore, they’re here because they are ready to buy.

For eCommerce brands, this is a huge opportunity. But it also raises the question: how do you nurture these highly qualified visitors to ensure they complete their purchase?

Decision: converting interest into sales

The decision stage is where AI can make the biggest difference. Small optimisations here can turn warm leads into loyal customers.

1. AI-Powered chat agents

For many eCommerce sites, the difference between a completed purchase and an abandoned basket can come down to a single unanswered question. An AI chat agent ensures those questions are never left hanging.

Traditional live chat has always been a challenge for eCommerce brands. Staffing chat boxes 24/7 is rarely feasible, and customers often shop during evenings or weekends when support is limited.

AI chat agents solve this problem:

• They act as personal shopping assistants, answering questions instantly and guiding users through the decision-making process
• They can be trained on your product catalogues, FAQs, and blogs, so their answers feel tailored and brand-specific
• They handle peak buying times with ease, ensuring no opportunity is missed

2. AI-driven conversion rate optimisation (CRO)

Understanding how people interact with your website is key to improving conversions. Tools like Hotjar have long offered heatmaps and recordings, but reviewing hours of footage is time-consuming.

That’s where Microsoft Clarity steps in. This AI-powered CRO tool integrates with Bing Copilot and delivers:

• Heatmaps and user session recordings
• Automated insights that highlight friction points
• Recommendations to improve site navigation and usability

We’ve seen first-hand the impact this can have. For example, working with one eCommerce client, Microsoft Clarity revealed low engagement with the main menu. By repositioning the search bar more prominently, usage skyrocketed, and since customers who use site search are 2–3x more likely to convert, this simple change had a major impact on sales.

In our experience, AI doesn’t just surface insights faster, it translates them into actionable recommendations, helping brands make smarter, data-driven improvements.

Beyond conversion: building smarter ecommerce workflows

AI’s influence doesn’t stop once the customer clicks “buy.” From product recommendations to personalised marketing and customer service, AI can enhance retention and loyalty too. 

At SOZO, we’re helping clients explore:

• AI-powered content creation to scale product descriptions and blogs
• Automation tools to streamline marketing campaigns and reduce manual workload
• Productivity enhancements that free up internal teams to focus on strategy

By embracing AI holistically across the buyer journey, brands can not only increase conversions but also unlock smarter, more efficient ways of working.

SEO + AIO: complete search strategy for the modern funnel

It’s important to emphasise that SEO and AIO are not interchangeable, but they are complementary.

• SEO ensures your website ranks in Google.
• AIO ensures your brand is visible in AI-generated answers.

Together, they provide full coverage across the evolving search landscape, from classic search rankings to conversational AI prompts. And when combined with AI-powered conversion strategies like chat agents and CRO tools, they ensure visibility translates into measurable results.

Brands who invest in both will be better positioned to stay visible, relevant, and competitive, no matter where their audience is searching.

Final thoughts

The eCommerce funnel is evolving. Awareness now spans both search engines and AI tools. Consideration is increasingly shaped by generative answers. And at the decision stage, AI-powered tools can provide the extra push that turns clicks into conversions.

At SOZO, we specialise in helping brands navigate this new landscape. From optimising for Google rankings and AI visibility to deploying AI chat agents and CRO tools, we make sure your business stays ahead of the curve.

Ready to optimise your eCommerce buyer funnel with AI?

If you want to future-proof your eCommerce strategy, it’s time to think beyond clicks. Optimise every stage of the funnel, from awareness to conversion, with AI.

Request your free AI search visibility audit and we’ll go through the findings with you in a 30-minute consultation.

About the author

Christian Goodrich has spent 18+ years helping ambitious brands scale through search, focused on commercial outcomes. As Head of Search at SOZO, he leads SEO and AI search strategy for eCommerce and lead generation brands, tying visibility in Google and AI assistants back to revenue. He’s a regular speaker at brightonSEO and has also spoken at MeasureFest, Hero Conf and eCommerce Expo. Connect with Christian on LinkedIn.