Shopify: AI referrals up 197%, but organic search still leads traffic

Why it matters

AI-referred sessions grew 197% year on year across Shopify's merchant base while organic search stayed dominant by a wide margin. The detail that matters is where AI performs best: in research-intensive product categories, conversion from AI-referred sessions doubled. Low volume, high intent, which means considered purchases are the category where AI citation earns its keep.

The source