Shopify store- 5.45%share of traffic from AI answer engines after the push, up from 0.18%
- 5xhow often AI visitors add items to cart, compared with Google Ads visitors
- 84%of AI referral traffic comes from ChatGPT alone
What changed
Draco Diamond sells lab-grown diamond jewellery online, made to order. In spring 2026, founder Garrett McMartin focused on getting the brand to show up in AI answers. Afterwards, AI tools made up 5.45% of the site's traffic, up from 0.18% before. In May and July, AI's share of sessions reached 7.3% and 6.6%.
ChatGPT alone accounts for 84% of the store's AI referral traffic. Over the same period, the traffic mix shifted away from paid ads toward organic search and AI.
“It seems that a lot of our AI traffic is at the end of that research funnel, and they're almost ready to buy, so that's why we're getting such a high add to cart from these users.”
How AI shoppers behave
McMartin said shoppers from AI add things to their cart five times as often as visitors from Google Ads. That's more than double the site average. They also stay on the site 20% longer. Returning customers who come from AI add to cart 3.7 times more than first-time visitors. McMartin said buyers often research, leave and come back to buy.
Revenue, with a caution
In April and May 2026, revenue was up 5% and 10% on the same months a year earlier. In June and July, after the push was done, it grew 78% and 195%. The article is careful to say McMartin only saw the two happen together. So it doesn't show the AI work caused the jump.
What other stores can take from this
- Measure AI as its own channel. McMartin tracked AI's share of sessions month by month, which is how he could see it move from 0.18% to 5.45%.
- Expect shoppers who are still deciding. Many of Draco's AI visitors look around, leave and come back later to buy. So the first visit often isn't the sale.
- Look past traffic. AI visitors were Draco's highest-intent group, adding to cart five times as often as Google Ads visitors.
Worth knowing: As the article says, the founder only noticed sales rising at the same time. It does not prove the AI work caused it.
Source
“Draco Diamond credits AEO, AI traffic trends ahead of Cyber 5”
Read the original article (opens in a new tab)Draco Diamond is not a FirstPicked customer. This page is our summary of Digital Commerce 360's reporting. The figures and quotes are theirs.
