<\/p>\n
George W. Bush had just begun his second presidential term when we launched Practical Ecommerce in mid-2005. An innovative ecommerce platform (requiring no software downloads!) would soon debut in Canada. The founders, former snowboard sellers, called it Shopify.<\/p>\n
Like many of you, we\u2019ve experienced the rise of cloud computing, social media, logistics, and marketplaces, but nothing compares to the disruption of artificial intelligence. Apparently, our audience agrees.<\/p>\n
We published roughly 300 articles in 2025. Of the 25 most read, 17 addressed AI.<\/p>\n
Having completed our 20th year, I\u2019m grateful. Grateful for being part of a progressive industry. Grateful to our advertisers, our colleagues. Grateful to our contributors \u2014 the genius of Armando Roggio, the great Ann Smarty, screenwriter-turned-reporter Sig Ueland, entrepreneur Eric Bandholz, ad guru Matt Umbro, so many more.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m grateful to Joy, my accountant and co-owner wife who manages all financial aspects of this business. Never have I labored over payroll, payables, tax returns, financial statements, banks. Joy does all of that and more.<\/p>\n
Finally, I\u2019m grateful to our readers. Without you, there is no Practical Ecommerce.<\/p>\n
How to Beat Amazon at SEO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Ted Kubaitis once feared competing against the ecommerce giant for organic rankings. Then an epiphany hit. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Did Google Just Prevent Rank Tracking?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Search bots and AI crawlers can no longer generate 100 listings per page. It\u2019s a telling change by Google. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Google-Criteo Deal Unlocks Retail Media<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Retail media advertisers can now run placements on enterprise ecommerce sites via Google\u2019s Search Ads 360 platform, upending the digital retail media market. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Get Your Products on ChatGPT Shopping<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ChatGPT recommends products directly in search results for prompts with clear purchase intent. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n ChatGPT Shopping Is Coming<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ChatGPT\u2019s JavaScript now includes Shopify variable names, fueling speculation of an AI-powered shopping launch. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Regex in GSC Reveals ChatGPT Searches<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Search Console reports AI-bot queries as if they\u2019re human. Here\u2019s how to isolate the bots from real people. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n The Pricing Strategy of Temu Sellers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Temu sellers show massive discounts to boost perceived savings and win customers. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n How to Track ChatGPT Traffic in GA4<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Traffic from ChatGPT is a low-volume but often the most engaging referral source, even more than organic search. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n How to Extract ChatGPT\u2019s Fan-Out Queries<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Knowing the fan-out queries associated with an initial prompt helps publishers understand the platform\u2019s interpretations and priorities. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n AI Prompts for Better Product Descriptions<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The best AI-generated product descriptions come from skilled prompting. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Better \u2018Welcome\u2019 Emails for Ecommerce<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Done well, welcome emails drive revenue and long-term customers. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Ecommerce after De Minimis Tariff Exemption<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What began as a convenience rule in the 1930s grew into a key component of global ecommerce. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n SEO for Google\u2019s AI Fan-Out Results<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Google\u2019s new AI Mode delivers \u201cquery fan out\u201d search results. The term is new, but the concept is not. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Brand Visibility Is the New SEO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Search engines drive brand discovery for genAI platforms and research for humans. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n How Google\u2019s Web Guide Helps SEO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The new Google Labs experiment uses AI to organize a user\u2019s search results. It\u2019s also handy for SEO. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n SEO for AI Mode, per Google<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Google\u2019s new post on optimizing content for AI answers offers few new tactics but does hint at the future of organic search traffic. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Control AI Answers about Your Brand<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Search engine optimization has shifted from traditional organic rankings to AI-generated citations. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n 11 Books on Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n In just 30 years, Jeff Bezos\u2019s company upended entire industries. How did he do it? Read more<\/a> ><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n The Post-Traffic SEO Shift<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Brand mentions, entity recognition, and problem-solving now matter more than keywords and rankings. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n GEO for ChatGPT Instant Checkout<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Generative engine optimization relies on context, not just product data. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Visa\u2019s VAMP Could Cost Banks and Merchants<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n The new framework could detect four times more fraud, Visa claims, saving $2.5 billion annually. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Google\u2019s Index Now Powers ChatGPT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n ChatGPT does not maintain an index of global websites, instead relying initially on Bing\u2019s index and now, apparently, on Google\u2019s. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n AI Shopping Tools Threaten Affiliates<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Shoppers who ask AI for product recommendations bypass traditional review sites, potentially causing lost or unattributed traffic from affiliates. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Ecommerce SMBs Need Faceless Videos<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Videos are an excellent way to showcase products and convert shoppers. Thanks to ever-improving AI, they are relatively easy to produce. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n Is GEO the Same as SEO?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Optimizing for generative AI is different from traditional search engines. The distinction lies in the underlying technology. Read more ><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n