Google I/O 2026 introduced new AI features focusing on direct shopping and service booking on Google, shifting how businesses appear to customers. Businesses now compete not just for website visits but also for AI recommendations within new purchase journeys. The complexity rises as the Universal Commerce Protocol creates an open standard for agentic commerce. This article analyzes these challenges and opportunities amid growing AI adoption, inviting readers to explore the emerging trends.
Business visibility challenges in the new AI-powered search landscape
The business visibility challenge in the new AI-powered search landscape means companies must compete not only for website visits but also for AI recommendations. Most Vietnamese businesses are unprepared for this shift as features like Universal Cart and agentic booking allow users to shop directly on Google without visiting websites. Google’s infrastructure, developed since late 2025 with the Universal Commerce Protocol, creates an open standard for agentic commerce, forcing faster adaptation. Competition shifts from visits to AI recommendation presence, requiring new data strategies and visibility optimization. This change calls for deep understanding of user behavior interacting through AI agents to guide business strategy moving forward.
Opportunities and challenges from Google's Universal Commerce Protocol
Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) creates an open connectivity standard for agentic commerce, enabling merchant systems and AI agents to communicate in a common language. Most businesses have yet to leverage this advantage due to incomplete data for optimizing direct Google shopping experiences. UCP lets customers add products to a universal cart across platforms and complete checkout easily, but businesses face losing control over purchase data and customer journeys. This challenges measurement and analysis while offering opportunities to innovate customer engagement via AI agents. Transitioning to agentic commerce requires long-term strategies and integrated multilayer systems to maintain presence and deliver business results effectively.
MADIAD’s perspective on AI impacts for Vietnamese businesses
MADIAD views AI as transforming how Vietnamese businesses compete, shifting focus from mere visits to presence in AI recommendations on platforms like Google. Businesses need more granular data and multi-channel visibility strategies to maintain position in agentic purchase journeys. Many companies lack awareness of the importance of accurate data provision, continuous updates, and custom system design suited to their industry specifics. MADIAD sees this phase as requiring long-term AI partnership, not one-off deployment but ongoing operation and adjustment to achieve practical results in the global market.
Practical outcomes in e-commerce and local service sectors
In practice, many e-commerce and local service businesses have missed opportunities due to unpreparedness for agentic booking and Universal Cart. For instance, when Google’s AI calls businesses directly, disorganization or slow responses may lose customers at initial contact. Measuring effectiveness in AI agent channels is also a major challenge as traditional metrics like visits do not fully capture AI recommendations or rejections. Businesses must build new reporting and analytics systems tracking customer journeys in AI environments, integrating multi-channel data to optimize real business outcomes and enhance customer experience.
Initial adaptation steps and recommendations from MADIAD for businesses
To adapt to the agentic commerce context, businesses must prioritize enhancing accurate and continuously updated data, enabling AI agents to understand and recommend products effectively. Custom design of integrated multilayer systems and multi-channel operations is necessary to ensure presence and business outcomes. MADIAD recommends starting with assessing data and customer journey status, building flexible, tool-agnostic workflows to easily update and adjust as AI and markets evolve. Proper preparation helps businesses not only overcome challenges but also seize growth opportunities in the increasingly AI-driven search and commerce environment.
Conclusion
Google I/O 2026 marks a new chapter in how businesses appear and compete digitally, with AI reshaping the entire purchase journey beyond user support. Transitioning to agentic commerce via the Universal Commerce Protocol presents visibility, data, and measurement challenges. Yet it offers opportunities for businesses to innovate strategies, develop systems, and engage in long-term AI partnership to achieve real results. Follow MADIAD Lab to stay updated on AI trends and new management insights for Vietnamese SMEs. Source: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-i-o-demos-reveal-the-new-business-visibility-problem/576217/