Shopify and Google Cloud AI Partner To Slash Search Abandonment

Our independent research projects and impartial reviews are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. Learn more

Homepage for Shopify's ecommerce solution, Commerce Components featuring a button to contact sales
Source: Shopify
  • Shopify and Google Cloud partner to help Shopify merchants deploy advanced search and AI technologies
  • Available for retailers using Shopify’s enterprise solution, Commerce Components

Shopify and Google Cloud have revealed a new integration that delivers Google-quality search and AI-driven product discovery capabilities to Shopify merchants.

The President of Shopify, Harley Finkelstein, said this of the partnership: “We’re bringing together the best in commerce with the best in search to solve a complex and costly problem for enterprise retailers – world-class search and discovery for the online store.”

The technology can be used by high-volume businesses on Shopify’s Enterprise plan if they’re using its Commerce Components system. It’s available in most languages and accessible around the world.

How Does This Help Your Shopify Store?

AI website builders are on the rise, and this new integration provides large-scale Shopify stores with various AI-powered features, including:

  • Google Cloud Retail Search: Matches products with website content to deliver relevant search results to customers quickly.
  • AI Browse Feature: Uses machine learning to display what products are shown to shoppers, improving over time to optimize opportunities for sales.
  • AI-Powered Personalization: Monitors customer behavior to determine shopper preferences and customize the results customers get when browsing your site.
  • Google Cloud AI Recommendations: Provides customers with personalized recommendations on a large scale.
  • Advanced Security & Privacy: Guarantees that customer data is only used to assist in delivering appropriate search results.

All of this is essential since customers routinely face roadblocks during the product discovery stage. In fact, a recent Google Cloud commissioned survey describes how the search function on retail sites is the most common way US customers search for products, but only one in 10 shoppers find what they’re looking for. This costs the global ecommerce industry over $2 trillion annually.

As a result, customers get frustrated and take their business elsewhere – otherwise known as search abandonment.

What is search abandonment?

Search abandonment is when a customer actively browses your website for a specific product or piece of content, but they fail to find what they’re looking for. The search is abandoned since the desired result wasn’t delivered.

But, with Google’s advanced search tools and the power of AI supporting Shopify stores going forward, business owners can create positive customer shopping experiences across a variety of channels.

In the words of Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud:

Now, retailers will be able to enhance their digital properties with better product discovery experiences, creating more fulfilling shopping experiences for their customers.”

First Signs of Success

Don’t just take our word for it – a real Shopify store, Rainbow Shops, has already utilized this new technology and seen fantastic results.

For context, Rainbow Shops is a retail apparel chain with over 1,000 stores in the US. The Shopify business rolled out Google Cloud’s AI technology ahead of 2022’s Cyber Week to improve its website and mobile app search capabilities.

The integration was a success. Not only could Rainbow Shops deliver high-quality customer experiences, but the AI-powered tools increased the search volume by almost 50% and slashed the website’s usual bounce rate.

Will your store see the same success?

More Information

Written by:
emma ryan author bio
I’m a Senior Writer at Website Builder Expert, which means I’m part of a great team that produces and updates content for the website. I specialize in writing highly-researched and accessible guides, comparisons, and reviews that provide readers with everything they need to know about getting started and growing online. I’ve also written about small businesses for Startups.co.uk, video optimization for Industry Today, and HTML for Digital Information World. While working for Website Builder Expert, I’ve gained expertise in website builders, ecommerce platforms, and hosting providers through hands-on testing and research analysis. I’ve also attended expos to further my industry knowledge – all of this helps me pitch fresh article ideas for the website. Additionally, I manage our website’s comments which allows me to have a good understanding of what you, our readers, care about.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *