How ChatGPT & AI Is Changing Shopping Forever!

Richard Conway is the founder of Pure SEO, one of New Zealand’s top digital agencies. From $200 and a dream, he built a multimillion-dollar business and is now leading his company into an era of AI-driven search and zero-click marketing.

In this episode, Richard reveals how Shopify’s ChatGPT integration lets people shop directly with AI potentially making traditional websites not needed. He shares how clients have found him through ChatGPT, and what that means for the future of e-commerce.

you’ll learn:

• adapt or die: the only AI strategy that works for 2025

• personal branding: the secret growth weapon for entrepreneurs

• how to get noticed in a zero-click world (without paying for ads)

• the #1 ai mistake every business makes (and the simple fix you need)

timestamps:
00:00 – intro
01:06 – welcome back richard conway: founder of pure seo new zealand
01:54 – how pure seo started with $200 and a bottle of vodka
02:36 – is seo dead in the era of ai search?
04:29 – seo vs geo vs aeo: what’s the difference?
05:10 – the rise of zero-click searches on google
07:26 – how to optimise for ai-generated summaries
08:44 – leveraging sources and citations for ai search rankings
10:00 – avoiding spammy seo tactics in the ai era
11:30 – why reddit and quora influence ai search results
14:34 – simple steps for businesses to improve ai search presence
16:39 – the unique edge humans have over ai
20:00 – identifying where your customers are and showing up there
21:42 – building brand mentions through community engagement
22:32 – the power of first-party data in a cookieless future
23:36 – why personal branding is crucial in the ai era
24:25 – richard’s personal branding strategy and pillars
26:24 – starting a personal brand from scratch
28:45 – business brand vs personal brand in 2025
30:00 – standing out by doing things differently
31:35 – networking through cold approaches
32:41 – how ai tools like chatgpt choose the “best companies”
35:00 – the paid listings problem in ai recommendations
36:31 – overlap between optimising for google ai and openai
37:10 – following seo thought leaders for ai search insights
38:20 – why enduring marketing principles still matter in ai search
39:05 – the evolution of search since 2009
40:22 – understanding large language model source selection
41:56 – combining pr, seo, and ai strategy for long-term wins
43:30 – how to adapt quickly to ai-driven search changes
44:55 – building authority through consistent brand mentions
46:40 – leveraging ai search insights for competitive advantage
48:05 – why google’s ai search is still the wild west
49:22 – long-term vs short-term ai search strategies
50:50 – the importance of transparency in ai search marketing
52:15 – how to make your brand appealing to ai search engines
53:30 – measuring success in the ai search era
54:48 – overcoming misinformation in ai search results
56:05 – how ai is reshaping the digital marketing landscape
57:26 – preparing your business for the next ai search shift
58:42 – final advice for businesses on ai and seo
01:00:15 – why now is the time to embrace ai in marketing

follow richard:
linkedin: linkedin.com/in/pureseo

watch on youtube:
https://youtu.be/7-7qiWeSBJo

podcast sponsor:
www.podcastguest.co.nz
#richardconway #richardconwayseo #richardconwayauthor #richardconwayentrepreneur #pureseofounder #pureseo #seoentrepreneurnz #digitalmarketingnz #howtogettothetopofgoogle #seoexpert #searchengineoptimisation #searchmarketing