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Retail traffic from AI links shot up 4700%

Posted on by SellerBites

Ecommerce hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride—it’s more like a series of sugar highs, hard crashes, and surprise twists. 

Just when you think things are settling down, another curve hits.

TECH MARKETING

Remember when generative AI was just spitting out essays, poems, and the occasional cursed recipe? Well, it’s graduated, and now it’s literally sending shoppers straight into retail sites.

And the numbers? Let’s just say July traffic from AI-powered links didn’t creep up, it detonated, spiking 4,700%.

đŸȘ Quick bits

  • Holiday launchpad: AI traffic kicked off with a +1,300% YoY surge during the 2024 holidays.
  • Momentum builder: Growth didn’t stop, +1,100% in January, +3,100% in April, and +4,700% by July.
  • Trust factor: Over 90% of shoppers say they trust AI-generated links.
  • Engagement boost: AI-driven visitors spend 32% more time, view 10% more pages, and bounce 27% less.
  • Conversion catch-up: In January, AI shoppers were 49% less likely to convert. By July, that gap slimmed to 23%.

💬 SellerBites’ take

AI isn’t killing search, it’s mutating it. But if conversions keep closing in, this could morph into the next PPC battlefield, except sellers won’t know the “keywords” driving the clicks.

TOGETHER WITH ECOM NORTH

Finally — an ecommerce summit that gets it

Let’s be real: most conferences are built for clout-chasers, not brand builders.

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It’s Canada’s only ecommerce event actually designed for founders, operators, and marketers doing the work — not just talking about it.

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Just raw, tactical insight from brands you actually care about — like BOOM! by Cindy Joseph, Vessi, David’s Tea, and Mid-Day Squares.

🧠 20+ hours of straight-up strategy
☕ Real convos over coffee (not just networking theater)
🚀 Tactics to help you scale what you’ve already built

The vibe? Less “thought leadership,” more “how we actually did it.”

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P.S. It’s happening September 23–24 in Toronto. Mark it down.

BITES OF THE WEEK

TRENDING TOPIC

Amazon just turned product images into the new keywords

Amazon’s new Lens Live feature is taking product discovery to the next level. 

Shoppers can now point their phone camera at anything—that outfit on Instagram, a gadget in a store window, or even a friend’s sneakers—and instantly see matching products on Amazon.

đŸȘ Quick bits

  • Search with sight. No more keyword typing, buyers are scanning what they see.
  • The listing test. High-quality images and clean detail pages determine visibility.
  • Rufus’ assist. Amazon’s AI helper provides instant product insights and comparisons.
  • Power source. Lens Live runs on AWS, OpenSearch, and SageMaker to scan billions of SKUs.
  • Seller play. Strong visuals could turn this into a discovery channel for impulse buys.

💬 SellerBites’ take

Amazon just made your listing photos do the heavy lifting. Forget keyword stuffing, if your images aren’t polished, you’re invisible to camera shoppers. 

This is SEO for eyeballs, and sellers who invest in strong visuals will own this new discovery channel.

AMAZON NEWS

Amazon sets 90% OTDR standard for FBM

If you thought FBM gave you breathing room, Amazon just shortened the leash.

Starting this fall, sellers will have to hit a 90% On-Time Delivery Rate (OTDR), and Amazon isn’t playing around. Miss the mark and you’ll get warnings, penalties, and eventually see your listings paused.

đŸȘ Quick bits

  • Sept 16, 2025: The new OTDR metric goes live in your Account Health Dashboard.
  • Oct 16, 2025: Warning notices begin for sellers under 90%.
  • Feb 2, 2026: Enforcement starts and listings can be paused or FBM privileges restricted.
  • Jan 19, 2026: UK mainland transit times shrink from 5 days to 4 in shipping templates.
  • How to stay safe: Amazon recommends Automated Handling Time, Shipping Settings Automation, and Buy Shipping to keep your rates clean.
    • Bonus: Orders shipped with 0–1 day handling time + SSA + Buy Shipping won’t count against you.

💬 SellerBites’ take

Amazon isn’t just nudging FBM sellers to improve, it’s demanding reliability with a stopwatch in hand. The message is clear: deliver like Prime, or don’t deliver at all.

Sure, the recommended tools can help keep you compliant, but they also lock you deeper into Amazon’s ecosystem. Call it efficiency, call it control, either way, FBM just lost a chunk of its flexibility.