Today, we're delighted to welcome back a longtime friend of the show, Russ Dieringer.

He's here to share key insights from Stratably's latest research, diving into how brands are navigating content optimization for Rufus and the evolving landscape of AI-driven search.

Tune in to find out more!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Russ discuss:

• Russ shares his own experience as an Amazon shopper using Rufus, noting its usefulness for browsing and specific queries, but also highlighting that most everyday shoppers aren't aware of Rufus by name.

• Stratable's survey included 286 brands and agencies, focusing mainly on mid-sized and enterprise consumer brands, to understand industry attitudes and actions towards AI optimization.

• Despite AI being the industry buzzword, only 12% of brands and 20% of agencies have taken concrete steps to optimize product detail pages for Rufus. There's a lot of talk, but relatively little action so far.

• A major barrier is a lack of clarity from Amazon about how Rufus works and what specifically brands should do to optimize for it. Many brands are still trying to perfect basic search optimization, let alone adapt to the new AI layer, with content under-resourcing being an ongoing issue.

• Evaluating the impact of AI-oriented content changes is tough—only about a quarter of those who have made changes report a positive effect, and tracking the influence of AI touchpoints (like review summaries) is still a gray area.

• Russ recommends a balanced approach: don't ignore AI advancements or drop everything to chase the trend. Instead, start testing and learning now, so your brand can adapt as best practices and clearer measurement tools emerge.

• The episode closes with an emphasis on curiosity, experimentation, and the reality that there's no perfect playbook—brands should embrace the unknown and be proactive in learning as the ecosystem evolves.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Are Brands Actually Updating PDPs for Rufus?

What's Holding Brands Back from Optimizing for Rufus?

Are Rufus-Driven PDP Updates Driving Results?

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