Welcome to AIVisCity Weekly — a free weekly briefing helping small business owners understand how AI search is changing customer discovery, and what practical steps they can take next.
In this week’s issue:
What’s Happening in AI Search — Meta is bringing Muse into everyday shopping contexts, while Google tests conversational answers beside video ads.
Weekly Insight — how Meta Muse could change the journey between a customer's first question and their purchase.
Try This Yourself — follow a Muse-like journey from a personalised brief to a product on your shelf.
Worth Reading — connected Gemini apps and Google's AI visibility reporting show two other sides of the changing journey.
AIVisCity Answers — how to choose directories that are worth maintaining for AI visibility.
🔍 What’s Happening in AI Search
Meta wants Muse to help with a decision while a customer is looking at the product
At Connect on 23 September, Meta said its personal agent Muse will come to AI glasses in the coming months. It described a shopper asking about a product on a shelf, with Muse using what the glasses see to take action; it also announced more retail and payment connections. The glasses experience is still ahead. A small retailer should check whether a customer can establish a product's fit, price, availability and next step at the moment of interest. We share our view in this week’s Weekly Insight below.
Source: https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/the-biggest-news-from-connect-2026/
Google is testing product answers alongside YouTube ads
Google's 24 September Demand Gen update introduces Business Agent for YouTube Ads. Viewers can ask questions about a product or brand alongside a video ad with a product feed while they keep watching. Google is inviting advertisers to sign up. If you advertise products in video, review the questions customers ask before buying and whether your feed and offer give clear answers; the conversation may begin before a site visit.
Source: https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/demand-gen-drop-september-2026/
🔮 Weekly Insight: How Meta Muse Could Change the Customer Journey
A customer can already arrive knowing far more than your shop window tells them. Soon, some may bring an assistant that remembers their needs and compares options. Meta's Muse offers a glimpse of that journey and three ways to prepare.
Muse is Meta's personal AI agent, currently rolling out in the US. A person can message it about a goal and ask it to research, organise or act. Meta says it can browse, use connected services and remember shared details. Purchases require the person's approval. Meta's introduction explains how access and connections shape what it can do.
Muse is due on Meta's AI glasses in the coming months. Someone could ask about an item they are looking at. Muse Charm, a pocket-sized device for talking to Muse, is also planned; Meta promises more details later this year. Both could make an assistant easier to consult while shopping. Meta's Connect announcement describes the plans.
Imagine someone choosing a lamp for a rented flat. Today, they might search for "table lamps near me", open several pages, visit a shop and ask about size, bulb type and returns. With a personal agent, they might say, "Find a warm reading lamp under £80 that fits this shelf and arrives by Friday." Through future glasses, they could look at your lamp and ask whether it fits. The agent might narrow options and help with an enquiry or purchase, subject to approval and available connections. This is an imagined journey based on Meta's plans.
Your next customer may arrive with a shortlist and one question left to answer. I would make three changes.
1. Explain who each option suits
An agent that knows a customer's budget, home and deadline can compare your offer against those constraints. For a popular product, state its dimensions, compatibility, price, delivery and returns. Add one honest sentence about the situation it suits: “Good for a narrow bedside shelf and ready for collection today.” For a service, explain the job it covers and the first available appointment.
2. Help the agent recognise the item in front of the customer
With glasses, the question may begin while someone looks at a shelf, menu or display. Show the exact product name and variant on the tag, matching your product page or catalogue. Add price and current availability. The customer can point to the right item and check it against their agent's shortlist.
3. Let the shortlist travel home with them
An agent can keep working after the customer leaves an app or shop. Offer a link, written quote or product card for the exact item, with current price, fulfilment options and a way to reserve or buy. A shopper can share it with their agent and continue the comparison later. I expect this continuity to matter more as agents spread; that is our assessment.
Personal agents remain a niche way to shop, and many customers will still browse and speak to you directly. Muse and its devices are evolving, so keep learning and checking what customers do. We believe agents will become a lasting part of discovery. These steps give you a practical start.
💻 Try This Yourself
Choose an item a customer can see in your shop, display or online catalogue. Write a Muse-style brief with a budget, a deadline and one personal constraint, such as “a reading lamp for a narrow rented flat, under £80, by Friday”. Stand where the customer would stand and identify the exact item from its visible label. Then follow its name to your product page or listing. Can you confirm that it fits the brief and find a link or card the customer could save for later? Fix the first missing detail. You have improved the journey from personalised shortlist to real product.
📕 Worth Reading
If you're curious to look deeper into how AI search is changing the internet, these articles are worth a look.
Connected apps can move an assistant from suggestion to booking
Google's August Gemini update lists upcoming connections for booking local experiences and restaurants, including OpenTable in the UK. Rollout varies, but the next step may happen in the assistant. Check that your booking partners show the right availability and terms.
Google now reports appearances in its generative Search features
Google says Search Console's generative AI reports reached all websites worldwide by 31 August. They show impressions and appearing pages in AI features. Pair that view of your presence in Google with enquiries to understand the commercial outcome.
Read: https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/06/gen-ai-performance-reports
✅ AIVisCity Answers
Q: How do I decide which business directories are actually worth listing on for AI visibility?
A: Choose directories that your customers use or that are trusted in your area or trade. Check that each listing can show your actual services, location and contact details. A few accurate, useful profiles are worth more than dozens of thin listings. No directory can guarantee an AI recommendation.
Want a more detailed explanation? Check out here.
👋 Until Next Week
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How are you seeing AI affect the way people search for businesses in your industry?
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