Walmart just announced a groundbreaking partnership with OpenAI that will allow customers to make purchases directly through ChatGPT using instant checkout. While this might seem like big-company news, it's actually a massive signal about where consumer behavior is heading—and what small business owners need to do right now to stay competitive in an AI-first world.
Key Takeaways
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The Shift from Search to Conversation
For many years, online shopping has been limited to a search bar and a long list of results. That's about to change dramatically.People used to go to Google and search something like "best camera" or "expert near me." Now they're having full-blown conversations inside ChatGPT:
> "Hey chat, I'm a business owner starting to create content. I don't know which camera is best. What's my budget? What's my goal?"
These conversations provide context, build trust, and naturally lead to purchasing decisions. Walmart understands this shift and is positioning itself to capture sales within these conversations.
The implications are immense. Consumers are potentially going to shop via conversation rather than traditional search engines. And if you're not part of those conversations, you're invisible.
Why This Matters for Small Business Owners
You might be thinking, "This is a huge company. What does this have to do with me?"The answer: Everything.
Walmart has realized that people are spending time in ChatGPT, having conversations, and the more time people spend inside the chat, the more opportunity exists to sell them products and services.
Here's the critical insight: This isn't just about Walmart products. Other services, products, courses, and experts will be served as options during these conversations. The question is: Will you be one of those options?
The absolute answer is no—not if content doesn't exist. Not if the AI algorithms cannot understand:
If AI doesn't understand or even know that you exist, you're not going to be an option within these conversations.
The Shrinking Real Estate Problem
This is not like Google search, where users are presented with 25 pages of options. In AI conversations, users might see three to five suggestions at most. And soon, some of that space will be reserved for paid ads.So if five suggestions are shown today, in the future maybe two of them are ads. That leaves three spots for organic recommendations.
To be in those top three spots, you need the best resources. And that takes time, energy, and effort.
> All it takes is for one of your competitors to take this seriously for you to be demolished.
What You Should Do Right Now
Step 1: Make a Decision
You're either going to make a commitment to create high-quality long-form content consistently—at least once a week—or you're going to opt out and rely solely on referrals, DMs, and cold calls.The choice is binary: play the game or don't. But understand the consequences of not playing.
Step 2: Investigate the Conversations
For the next month, become an investigator. Ask yourself:Don't be afraid to call your clients and ask, "What conversations do you have with ChatGPT about [your area of expertise]?" The insights you gather will direct what content you need to create.
Step 3: Audit Your Own Visibility
Put yourself in your prospect's shoes:- Create a free ChatGPT account not connected to your email
- Ask questions your prospects would ask
- See what experts, resources, and courses are suggested
- Ask yourself: How can I make a better resource for my specific audience?
Look at what's being recommended. If there's a tech list from another creator, how can you make yours better and more specific to your audience?
Step 4: Make AI Understand You
Humans aren't the only ones who need to understand what you do—AI needs to understand it too.When you use vague phrases like "unicorn of unicorns" or cute marketing jargon, AI doesn't know what that means. AI tools recommend experts who show clear, consistent, and visible proof of results.
Review your LinkedIn profile, website, and social media profiles. Ask:
Step 5: Build Your Proof
AI will prioritize experts with evidence. This means:- Share weekly client stories and case studies with context (how long it took, what challenges arose, what results were achieved)
- Add credibility statements to every piece of content: "My name is [Name], I have [accomplishment], and I have helped [number] of [audience] achieve [result]"
- Name your proven process or methodology once you have evidence it works consistently
- Build a wins folder—screenshot every testimonial, every client success, every positive message
Published proof matters. Recent evidence matters. If AI is choosing between two experts and one has visible, verified proof of results, that's who gets recommended.
The Bottom Line
Walmart making this partnership isn't just news—it's a signal about where commerce is heading. People are migrating to AI conversations for discovery, research, and purchasing decisions.If you care about your clients and future clients, you'll commit to creating content that helps them know you exist. If you care about the future of your business, you'll build your visibility now—before the organic real estate shrinks even further.
Maybe you won't feel the impact this month or in the next six months. But within the next 12 to 18 months, businesses without AI visibility will absolutely suffer.
The question isn't whether to adapt. The question is whether you'll be one of the three recommended options—or a ghost that no one knows exists.
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Ready to learn more about building your visibility in an AI-first world? Watch the full video here and subscribe to Shanee Moret's YouTube channel for more strategies on growing your business through LinkedIn and video content.