How I Bought a Laptop Without Googling Anything

I recently upgraded from a 5-year-old laptop to a new one. The upgrade itself is not the story. The way I bought it is.

This time, I never ran a single Google search.

Me working on my newly purchased laptop

How I Used to Shop for Laptops in 2020

When I bought my previous laptop during COVID, the process was entirely self-directed:

• Googled "best laptops under MYR 4,000" and clicked through multiple review sites
• Opened multiple tabs across different websites to cross-compare specs
• Searched YouTube manually for reviews and benchmark videos of shortlisted models
• Manually mapped my needs against each model: battery life, processing power, weight, price
• Made the final call myself, after weeks of piecing information together

Every source handed me raw data. I did all the connecting work. The decision was entirely mine to wrestle with.

How I Shopped in 2026 (based on my actual purchase journey)

This time, I used Grok and had a single, evolving conversation. I had set a budget of around MYR 3,000 to MYR 3,500 with roughly MYR 100 to 200 flexibility either way, and I told it how I planned to use the machine: general productivity, light multitasking, portability.

Here is how the actual conversation went, in sequence:

• Processor comparison first. I took a picture of some laptop specs from a store of the laptops I was eyeing on. Fed it to Grok and it gave me a structured breakdown on performance, power efficiency, and which was better value for my use case, not just raw benchmarks.
• Adding more options. I then introduced additional models into the same conversation one by one. Rather than me building a spreadsheet, Grok folded each new option into an evolving comparison, ranking them by real-world performance for tasks like browsing, Office work, and light multitasking.
• Benchmarking against what I already had. I told Grok the specs of my current (older) laptop. It immediately placed my old machine in the context of all the options I was comparing, showing me exactly how large the performance gap would be and where I would actually feel it day to day.
• Evaluating a second-hand alternative. I also asked whether a second-hand business laptop with good RAM and storage was worth considering. Grok weighed it against the new options within my MYR budget range, factoring in resale value, battery age risk, and the generational performance gap. It was a real trade-off analysis, not a generic pros and cons list.
• Raising compatibility concerns. I had read that the laptop I was leaning towards had potential printing issues. Rather than searching Reddit or tech forums myself, I asked Grok directly. It confirmed the concern existed for some older drivers, explained what was resolved, and flagged what I needed to do after purchase to avoid issues.
• Confirming the final pick. I shared the exact listing for the laptop I was considering and asked Grok to confirm this was the model it had been recommending throughout. It was. So, I bought it.

The whole process was one focused session. No tabs. No separate YouTube search. When I wanted to see the laptop in action, Grok pointed me to relevant review videos directly, so I watched them without ever opening YouTube on my own.

What This Means for Brands

Here is what did not happen during my entire purchase journey:

• I did not visit any brand's website
• I did not click a single sponsored search ad
• I did not see a retargeting banner
• I did not land on a brand-owned blog post about "best laptops for productivity"
• I did not find a YouTube review through YouTube search

The brand's digital marketing presence, paid and organic, was invisible to me. And I still bought the product.

This is the problem for brands. Most marketing budgets are built around a search-and-browse journey. A growing segment of buyers is now skipping that journey entirely.

What AEO and GEO Mean (And Why They Matter Now)

Two disciplines are becoming critical:

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) is about structuring your content so that AI tools like Grok, ChatGPT, and Perplexity surface your brand when someone asks a direct question. Not "laptops" as a keyword, but "what is the best laptop under MYR 3,500 for productivity and portability." AEO is about being the answer, not just a ranked result.

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) goes further. It ensures your product information appears accurately and favourably in what AI systems generate when comparing brands or making recommendations. If the AI has strong, consistent, structured data about your product, you show up. If it does not, no SEM budget rescues you.

SEM and SEO were built for a world where buyers open a search engine. AEO and GEO are built for a world where they skip it.

Should Brands Still Invest in SEM?

Yes, but with a clear-eyed view of where it still earns its keep:

• Bottom-of-funnel, high-intent searches where buyers have already decided and are comparing prices or looking for a specific retailer. These searches still happen on Google.
• Remarketing to audiences who encountered your brand through another channel.
• Niche or technical products where AI tools have thinner or less reliable coverage.
• Audiences not yet on AI research tools, which varies by age group, market, and product category.

What SEM is losing is the discovery and consideration phase. If someone starts their laptop research by asking AIinstead of Googling, your paid search budget has zero chance of intercepting them at that stage.

Where to Shift the Investment

• Structured, factual product content. AI systems surface what they can retrieve and verify. Detailed spec pages, clear product descriptions, and accurate third-party coverage feed AI recommendations directly. Keyword-stuffed landing pages built for search rankings do not.
• Earned media and PR. When multiple credible sources describe your product consistently, AI systems reflect that back. The PR function, long underinvested relative to paid search, becomes a core input into AI recommendation quality.
• Comparison-ready content. Content that directly answers "how does Product A compare to Product B for use case X" is exactly what AI systems draw from when generating comparisons. Write for that question format, not just for keyword ranking.
• FAQ and pre-purchase concern content. During my research, I asked Grok directly whether the laptop I was considering had printer compatibility issues. Grok could answer because structured content addressing exactly that concern existed somewhere online. Brands that publish clear FAQ pages covering common objections, compatibility questions, and "will this work with X" scenarios are giving AI systems the precise, retrieval-ready answers buyers ask before committing. This content does not need to rank on page one of Google to matter anymore. It needs to exist in a format AI can find and cite.
• Community and review ecosystems. AI pulls from forums, Reddit threads, and user-generated content. Brands that encourage genuine, specific user feedback are indirectly feeding AI recommendation systems.
• YouTube content. My research included video reviews, but I got there because Grok linked me directly to relevant videos. Being present in video review content still matters; the path to it has just changed. Brands that invest in seeding credible third-party video reviews are feeding both the AI recommendation layer and the viewing that follows it.

The Shift in Plain Terms

The research is still happening. The buyers are still doing their homework. What has changed is where that homework gets done, and who shows up in it.

The laptop I bought showed up in my Grok conversation because it had strong, consistent coverage across sources an AI system can draw from. The brand's SEM presence had nothing to do with it.

For brands still allocating most of their digital spend to paid search, the question is not whether this shift is coming. It is how much of the funnel it has already moved.

Key Takeaways

• AI-assisted research is already changing where discovery happens. Buyers are skipping the Google search entirely and going straight to AI tools for comparison, recommendation, and shortlisting. SEM cannot intercept a journey that never touches a search engine.
• AEO and GEO are not optional additions to SEO strategy. They determine whether your brand surfaces in AI-generated answers. If your product is not in what AI systems retrieve and recommend, you are invisible to a growing segment of buyers.
• SEM still earns its place at the bottom of the funnel. High-intent, price-comparison searches and remarketing remain valid use cases. Pull back on reliance on SEM for discovery and consideration among audiences who now start their research with AI.
• Structured, third-party-validated content is the new priority. Clear product specs, credible external reviews, and community-generated specificity are what AI systems draw from. Content built purely for keyword ranking does not translate into AI retrieval.
• Invest upstream in earned media, PR, and video. Consistent, accurate coverage across credible sources, including YouTube, is how your brand enters the AI recommendation layer. The channel that influences what AI says about you when a buyer asks is where the budget needs to go.

What about you? Have your purchase journey changed with the emergence of AI? Leave a comment to let me know.

I Automated My SEO Content. My Team Finally Stopped Complaining

Working in an AI company, using AI isn’t optional. It’s expected. It's a way of life!

So naturally, I started looking beyond just using AI for outputs. I wanted to see how it could improve the way we work. Not just faster outcomes, but smarter workflows.

I'm in a way blessed that I have a coding background, so I decided to experiment with something simple but powerful, using Google Apps Script. It’s free, flexible, and surprisingly capable if you know your way around it. I also used a combination of Claude and Minimax-M2.7 to troubleshoot and fix my code.

Me and my team now when AI and automation did all the work for us

The Problem: Content Creation Fatigue

If you’ve ever worked in marketing, you know this pain.

Coming up with SEO content ideas consistently is exhausting. Not because tools don’t exist, but because the process is fragmented:

• You brainstorm topics
• You validate keywords
• You refine prompts
• You generate content
• You edit and structure everything

Yes, AI can write. But good content still needs:

• Relevance to your brand
• Alignment with your domain expertise
• Proper structure for SEO and readability

Even with tools like Semrush helping identify keyword trends and competitor gaps, the team still had to “figure things out” every single time.

So I asked a simple question:

What if we could automate the entire workflow?

The Solution: A Lightweight Content Automation Engine

I built a simple system that connects Google Sheets, Semrush, and Gemini into one streamlined pipeline.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Input the Idea

The team just fills in a “Topic” column in Google Sheets.
Think of it as the marketing angle or content idea.

That’s it. No prompting gymnastics required.

Step 2: Automate Keyword Intelligence

Using Google Apps Script:

• The script runs twice a week
• It reads new topics from the sheet
• Connects to Semrush via API
• Pulls relevant and trending keywords

No manual keyword research. No switching tabs like a caffeinated octopus.

Step 3: Generate Structured SEO Content

This is where Gemini comes in. By combining those keywords from Semrush together with the given topic, I designed a structured prompt that ensures every output follows SEO best practices:

• Strong, keyword-led title
• Meta description
• Clear introduction
• 5 to 6 structured sections
• Natural keyword integration
• FAQ section
• Conclusion with CTA
• Clean markdown output
• 1200 to 1800 words

The key here isn’t just AI generation.
It’s forcing consistency in quality and structure.

Step 4: Review and Approval Loop

Once the content is generated:

• The task is marked “Completed” on Google Sheets
• An email is triggered to me and the team
• Content is reviewed, edited, and approved before publishing

Human oversight stays in place. Just without the heavy lifting.

The Outcome: Less Friction, More Output

What used to be a messy, multi-step process is now streamlined into:

1. Input topic
2. Let automation handle the heavy work
3. Review and publish

Simple. Scalable. Repeatable.

And most importantly, the team no longer dreads content creation.

Why This Matters (Especially Now)

Search behavior is changing fast.

People are:

• Starting with AI tools
• Cross-checking via reviews, Reddit, and YouTube
• Only then visiting brand websites

Which means your content needs to be:

• Structured
• Relevant
• Easy for both humans and AI to understand

This kind of workflow doesn’t just save time.
It positions your brand to show up where decisions actually happen.

Key Takeaways You Can Apply Today

1. Don’t Just Use AI. Systemise It.

Most teams use AI as a tool.
The real advantage comes when you turn it into a process.

If your team is still manually prompting every task, you’re leaving efficiency on the table.

2. Structure Beats Creativity (At Scale)

Good content isn’t just about ideas. It’s about consistency.

A strong framework ensures:

• Better SEO performance
• Easier readability
• Higher chances of being surfaced by AI

Think of structure as your unfair advantage.

3. Reduce Friction, Not Control

Automation doesn’t mean removing humans.

It means:

• Removing repetitive work
• Keeping strategic control
• Letting your team focus on refinement, not creation

The goal isn’t to replace marketers.
It’s to make them dangerously efficient.

If you’re still treating content as a manual craft, it might be time to rethink the system.

Because in an AI-first world, speed matters.
But structured speed wins.

What about you? What's stopping you from automating your workflows?

Shopping Without Searching? Should Retailers Be Excited or Nervous?

Google’s message in the recent NRF 2026 (National Retail Federation's "Retail's Big Show," held January 11–13, 2026, in New York City) makes one thing clear. Shopping is no longer about clicking links and hopping between tabs. It is becoming a conversation.

Future of shopping is powered by AI recommendations

With AI built directly into how people search, ask, and decide, Google wants retail to move from “find a product” to “finish the purchase” without ever leaving the chat. That is exciting. Also slightly terrifying if you are not ready.

1. Shopping Starts With a Question, Not a Website

Instead of typing “best carry-on luggage,” shoppers may ask Google’s AI something like, “I’m flying for five days, what should I pack?”

That flips the funnel upside down.

The upside:
Brands can show up earlier, when people are still figuring things out. Helpful answers build trust fast.

The downside:
If your product info is unclear or outdated, you may not show up at all. No clicks. No second chances.

2. Personalization Gets Smarter, and Creepier

Google talks about retailers offering deals or suggestions based on past purchases. Packing cubes at checkout is helpful, but recommending something you already bought last week is less impressive.

The upside:
When done well, it feels like a good store assistant. Thoughtful, relevant, and convenient.

The downside:
Do it badly and it feels like someone read your diary. Nobody wants that.

3. The Checkout Disappears Into the Conversation

With Google Pay built in, discovery, decision, and payment happen in one flow. No app switching. No forms. No friction.

The upside:
Fewer drop-offs. Faster decisions. Great news for conversion rates.

The downside:
Retailers lose some control over the brand experience. Google owns more of the journey, and that is a big trade-off.

4. Retailers Become Data Partners, Not Just Sellers

To make this work, retailers need to feed Google clean, accurate, and structured product data.

The upside:
Brands that invest early will benefit from better visibility and smarter recommendations.

The downside:
If your tech stack is messy, this future will be painful. AI is honest. Brutally honest.

5. Convenience Wins, But Differentiation Gets Harder

When everything feels seamless, brands start to look similar.

The upside:
Smaller brands can compete if their products solve real problems and are well explained.

The downside:
If your only edge is price or promotions, that edge disappears quickly.

So, Is This the Future of Retail?

Yes. But not just because Google says so.

People want less effort, fewer clicks, and better answers. AI-driven shopping delivers that. The winners will be brands that focus on clarity, usefulness, and trust, not just visibility.

In the future, the best marketing may not feel like marketing at all. It feels more like help.

And honestly, that is not a bad place for retail to land.

What do you think? Would having AI as part of your shopping journey excite you?

Why AEO Matters and Why Brands Need To Stop Relying Only on Paid Media

Most brands still pump money into ads and hope traffic magically appears. It’s like paying for express shipping when the item is still sitting in your cart. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) fixes that problem by helping your brand show up where people actually start looking today: answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.

Here are the five big reasons brands should take AEO seriously instead of throwing more budget into paid traffic.

1. Your customers aren’t starting on Google anymore

People now begin their journey inside AI tools, not search engines. They ask AI for answers, then cross check with human reviews, then only later do they land on a brand site. If your brand doesn’t show up in that first AI-generated answer, you basically didn’t get invited to the party.

Visitors who do discover a brand through answer engines convert 4.4 times better and faster. Yes, four point four. Paid media wishes it could do that. AI search visitors tend to convert better because LLMs can equip users with all the information they need to make a decision.

Source: semrush.com

2. AEO is SEO’s cool, more socially aware cousin

The fundamentals remain the same. If AI can’t interpret your content, it won’t cite you. AEO builds on SEO but demands better structure, better clarity and more human relevance.

That means:
• Clean HTML
• Clear headings
• Minimal JS
• Fast, stable pages
• Content sections that make sense even if AI lifts them out of context

Think of it as cleaning your house because guests might show up anytime.

3. Answer engines need answers, not fluff

AEO is powered by the questions buyers ask at every funnel stage. You’re no longer writing to please an algorithm. You’re writing to answer real people.

You need to research:
• Keyword data
• Social and forum conversations
• Chat transcripts
• Sales calls

Then build content that leads with the answer, adds depth, includes FAQs and connects back to your product naturally.

Your future customer isn’t going to scroll five paragraphs to get to the point. Neither will AI.

4. AI trusts the internet’s gossip channels

AI heavily references sources like Reddit, YouTube, Quora, review sites and editorial listicles - What I like to call "human-first channels". If your brand isn’t present, mentioned or endorsed in these places, there are lesser chances for you to make it into AI answers.

AEO requires feeding the right signals:
• Earned mentions on sites AI cites
• Social proof in human-first channels
• Strong editorial reviews
• Presence in best-of lists
• YouTube explainers or tutorials

If you’ve ever wished you could control the internet conversation about your brand, AEO gives you a legitimate excuse to try.

5. You can finally measure visibility inside AI ecosystems

AEO isn’t guesswork. Modern AEO scorecards track visibility, share of voice, citation volume and even AI-referred demand.

Brands applying AEO have seen massive jumps in citations and leads. It’s the kind of data that makes CMOs smile and finance teams suspiciously cooperative.

Final thought

Paid media will always have its place, but using ads alone is like trying to win a race with one shoe. AEO helps brands show up early in the buyer journey, stay visible in AI-generated conversations and capture higher intent traffic without endlessly inflating CPMs.

If AI is the new front door of the internet, AEO is how you get your brand on the welcome mat.

What about you? Are you already optimizing your website for AI?