This Week in M&A Issue #213

OpenAI has rolled out a new shopping research feature inside ChatGPT, functioning as a personal shopping assistant that provides in-depth, personalized product recommendations to users.

The experience is slower than a normal chatbot reply because it digs deeper. It provides comparisons between products, explains tradeoffs, and helps users weigh constraints. The system gathers details like pricing, availability, reviews, specifications, and images from across publicly accessible retail sites. As options appear, users can shape the results by marking items as not interesting or asking for more suggestions like the ones they prefer.

Early tests show the new system performs significantly better on complex queries than ChatGPT Search, particularly when multiple constraints like price, color, and features need to be met. When they are ready to buy, they can click through to the retailer’s website. OpenAI says that a future update will allow some users to check out directly inside ChatGPT through participating merchants.

OpenAI notes that user chats are not shared with retailers and that all recommendations come from organic, publicly available information. Merchants who want their products to be included can opt into an allowlisting process that lets the model access their sites more effectively.

Launched on 24 November, the tool is rolling out on both mobile and web for all logged-in users across the Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, with nearly unlimited use available throughout the holiday season.

As more shoppers use AI to guide their research, some of the decision-making that once started with a search engine may now begin inside ChatGPT. How your products appear, compare, and convert in these emerging AI shopping environments may soon matter as much as traditional SEO.

If you know exactly what problems your customers face before and after they buy from you, you could build offers that practically sell themselves.

In this episode, Greg breaks down his simple but powerful “before and after” formula.

It starts by understanding the before: the frustrations, questions, and roadblocks your customers face long before they make a purchase. Solve that, and you earn the sale. But once you’ve solved it, new problems appear, and that’s your opportunity to build trust, add value, and guide customers deeper into your ecosystem.

If you want a simple, repeatable way to grow, this episode is for you.

How do you ensure your Google Ads stand out among a sea of competitors and distractions?

To answer this question, WordStream recently analyzed 180 top-ranked Google Ads to identify exactly what makes winning Ads work.

After examining more than 1,700 headlines and 550 descriptions, clear patterns emerged in the traits shared by the most visible ads. While Google’s Ad Rank factors in bids, landing page quality, competition, user context, and more, ad copy still plays a major role in capturing attention and driving clicks.

The most common word was “today,” appearing in 230 ads, with “call” close behind. Urgency still drives action, especially when someone is looking for a fast solution like a locksmith or a local repair service. Power words carried a lot of weight, too. Terms like “now,” “free,” and “get” showed up repeatedly because they speak directly to emotion, trust, and logic.

Numbers were another standout feature. More than 350 ads used digits to highlight savings, experience, or the scope of an offer. Specific figures like “0% financing” or “100 years of combined experience” instantly draw attention and build credibility.

Quality-focused language massively outperformed price messaging. The word “price” barely appeared, while descriptors such as “expert,” “quality,” and “luxury” were far more common. Even cost-conscious shoppers prioritize reliability before anything else. Superlatives played a role as well, with “top” showing up more than any other. If you have the best option, the data suggests you should actually say it.

Clear calls to action appeared in more than half of all descriptions, and phone calls were by far the most requested next step. Many advertisers still rely on call-driven leads as their highest converting channel.

Across all findings, the message is simple. High-performing Google Ads consistently rely on urgency, specificity, trust, and clarity. Stick to the fundamentals, and you dramatically improve your odds of earning the click.