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I worked SEO For more than ten years, and I can say with confidence: e -commerce Brands have never had it harder than now when it comes to organic visibility.
Not because SEO dies, but because De Serp (page with search engines) is undergoing a large transformation, whether we like it or not.
In 2024 we saw a big shift in how searching works. Ai Overviews, store advertisements and rich Google SERP functions are no longer just experimental additions, they dominate the viewfinder experience, especially on mobile.
Recent data from Accuranker confirm what many in industry have felt for months: e-commerce click-through rates (CTR) for organic results are dive, especially for high-intent transactional keywords.
The good news?
There is still a path forward, but it requires e-commerce brands to fully reconsider their SEO approach.
In this article I will break down what happens to organic traffic, why traditional SEO tactics lose ground, and four ways in which E -commerce brands can adapt to remain visible and competitive.
Director and founder of Bubblegum Search.
The data: CTRs have fallen, especially on mobile
The newest white paper from Accuranker investigated how organic entries perform on different devices and user intent. The findings were grim:
1. CTR for transactional keywords is over the board mobile suffer from the biggest drops.
2. Even in the absence of paid advertisements, rich SERP functions dominate, such as ‘popular styles’, ‘shop the look’, image carousels and AI overviews, the top of the page.
3. On mobile, organic CTRs are up to 50% lower than desktop For the same keywords.
In short, ranking #1 still has an enormous value, it just does not guarantee the same volume that it once did.
The rise of Zero Click search, where users receive answers directly within the Google interface, that means that even best performing organic entries see reduced traffic, not because SEO is not effective, but because more users are concerned with SERP functions before they ever scroll.
Why e-commerce SEO is under pressure
1. AI overviews reduce the need to click
The AI overviews of Google, which have now been rolled out worldwide, are designed to answer user queries immediately, often taking product suggestions from the Google Shopping graph or summarize content from multiple sources.
For informative or top-or-tunnel search assignments (eg “best hiking shoes for wet weather”), this used to be the prime SEO-discovery good. Brands would publish purchase guides or product troundups and earn high CTRs.
Now?
AI overviews often show product suggestions directly in the search result, which means that the need to fully visit a third-party site completely.
2. Google shopping is consuming the SERP
Google Shopping advertisements and organic shopping functions are everywhere, even if you don’t pay for it.
SERP -functions such as:
- Buy the look
- Popular shops
- Popular styles
- Image product carousels
… now even appear if there are no paid retail advertisements. They draw directly from trade feeds and product schedules, which Google offer a visually rich, shopping experience and reduce the probability that users need to visit traditional entries.
This means that traditional organic category and product pages are often buried under these functions, especially on mobile, where the Real Estate screen is limited.
3. SERP functions create more competition to pay attention
Google’s obsession with rich functions means that your offer does not only compete with other brands; You compete with Google yourself.
Here is a rough example of what now appears above most organic E -commerce lists:
- Google Shopping -Advertisements
- “Popular Stores” Carousel
- AI overview Summary
- “Shop De Look” Grid
- “People also ask” Box
- Image product packages
- Youtube, videos
Each reduces the chance that a user will click to your site, even if you are in position #1.
What can e-commerce brands do about it?
So how do you fight back if Google keeps pushing your organic entries later on the page?
Here are four core strategies that we are currently implementing with e-commerce customers who help them to remain visible and competitive in a Serp dominated by AI:
1. Leverage Digital PR to stimulate brand recognition and CTR
With the purchase of organic visibility, brand recognition is more important than ever.
When users see your name in a messy Serp, fame can be the difference between a scroll and a click. And that is where digital PR arrives.
Digital PR is not only about backlinks, it is about building authority and visibility in trusted publications and media. These entries not only improve your brand strength, but also increase the brand reminder when users encounter your listing in search results.
Action steps:
– Secure backlinks and entries of the top class in publications in the industry.
– Promote from brand content on platforms that your target group trusts.
– Make sure that when your site is looking, users recognize the brand and trust to click.
2. Build digital authority outside of Google
This is the era of PR, where it is not only about where you rank, but where you show otherwise, both human behavior and algorithmic trust influences.
Google’s AI overviews and LLM-Powered tools, such as Gemini, Chatgpt and Perplexity, are highly dependent on high authority, often cited web content to generate reactions. This includes trusted blogs, media and other widespread sources that are publicly accessible.
Brands that appear in well -cited articles, the comments of experts contribute or are mentioned on platforms with crushed transcripts, such as YouTube Videos with descriptions, Reddit -Threads or podcast blogs, increase their chances of being referred by AI Tools in the future.
If your brand is absent in these ecosystems, you may not show up in reactions generated by AI, even if you arrange well in traditional searches.
Action steps:
-Is to be seen on niche podcasts, relevant YouTube channels and Reddit -Threads.
– Bet expert comments to blogs and newsletters with high authorities.
-Create Thought Leadership -Content that answers important questions from the public, content that LLMS could be in future AI overviews.
3. Optimize for SERP functions – Not just rankings
It is no longer enough to optimize for keywords. You must optimize for the functions that Google displays.
That means you treat your product food and structured facts With the same care you give your on-page SEO.
Action steps:
– Keep your Google Merchant Center informed. Product titles, descriptions, availability, prices and images all influence whether you will appear in organic store functions.
– Implement an extensive product schedule, including price, availability, reviews and brand information.
– Use the FAQ scheme carefully; It is less likely to influence AI overviews now, but still useful for people also ask boxes.
– Make sure your site is loaded quickly, looks clean on mobile devices and has rich media (eg product photos of lifestyle).
Optimizing for these SERP functions you give multiple access points in the seeker experience, not just the traditional 10 blue links.
4. Shift from the recording of lead to the generation of requirements
With fewer clicks available, you can’t just wait for users to search and find it; You must create requirement.
This includes building consciousness by paid social, influencer marketing and content campaigns that encourage users to search or convert directly to your brand through other channels.
Action steps:
– Use paid social media To promote new product launches and seasonal offers.
– Partner with makers and influencers to stimulate consciousness.
– take care of the public through E -Mail And remarketing to bring them back, even if the first discovery was not from Google.
SEO is no longer the only engine of e-commerce growth. It is part of a larger ecosystem for generating demand.
The AI search shift just starts
Google is currently dominating the search market, but the rise of AI-driven tools reforms the playing field.
Although Sparktoro data demonstrates that tools such as Chatgpt Google have not yet moved for searches of consumers, we see early signs that users are increasingly relying on AI tools for discovery and research, in particular for complex or more steps.
That means that it is now time to make your presence future -proof. By appearing in familiar places, publications, podcasts and social conversations, you increase the visibility of your brand in LLM training data and you improve your chance of inclusion in content generated.
The brands that adapt early will build up long-term authority that cannot be game or reverse engineer at night.
Last thoughts: SEO is not dead – but the playbook is
Yes, e-commerce click frequencies are falling, and yes, organic rankings do not deliver what they had to do in the past.
But this is not the end of SEO. It is a sign that SEO must evolve.
The brands that win today do more than optimizing their websites. They build authority, appear in ecosystems with a high trust, and their visibility for an AI-driven future.
SEO in 2025 is not only about where you rank. It’s about where you are recognized.
We have the best online marketing service.
This article is produced as part of the TechRadarpro expert insight channel, where today we have the best and smartest spirits in the technology industry. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarpro or Future PLC. If you are interested in contributing to find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-techradar-pro
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