Has AI really changed Amazon search? Learn what Rufus or Alexa for Shopping means for keywords, product research, and finding new Amazon opportunities before your competitors do.

Has Rufus now called Alexa for Shopping completely changed the way shoppers search on Amazon, or are sellers overreacting to the AI hype? In this episode of the AM/PM Podcast, Bradley Sutton records from the Maldives for part one of his annual Maldives Honeymoon Launch series and breaks down what has changed, what has not changed, and why Amazon sellers should still care deeply about keywords, indexing, and traditional search.

The episode then shifts into product research strategies sellers can use to find new opportunities in 2026 and beyond. Bradley walks through keyword-based research using title density, search volume, review count, and sales filters, while also comparing those methods against raw AI suggestions that can produce unreliable data. He also explains how sellers can use free Amazon tools, such as Brand Analytics and Opportunity Explorer, to uncover low-conversion keywords, weakly competitive products, and products shoppers are searching for but not finding.

Bradley also shares creative ways to discover product ideas outside of standard research tools, including spotting trends on Etsy and Pinterest, applying saturated products to new niches, taking advantage of quick-moving pop culture trends, finding abandoned “zombie listings,” and using old-school product filters that still work today. The big takeaway: AI matters, Rufus matters, but the fundamentals of Amazon product research and keyword strategy are far from dead. Sellers who combine new AI awareness with proven data-driven research methods can still find serious opportunities before the market gets crowded.

In episode 526 of the AM/PM Podcast, Bradley covers: