How to Get Your Online Store Recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI

More shoppers are skipping the search results page. Instead of typing "best running shoes for flat feet" into Google and clicking through ten links, they ask ChatGPT, Google's AI answers, Perplexity or another assistant, and get a short list of recommendations back.

If your store isn't one of the names in that answer, you're invisible to that shopper. And unlike Google's page of ten blue links, there's often no page two.

The good news is that most stores haven't started working on this yet, so the stores that act now have a real head start. Here's how AI search picks which stores to recommend, and the steps I use to get stores into those answers.

Quick answer: how do you get your store recommended by AI?

AI assistants recommend stores they can clearly understand and trust. To get recommended, make it easy for AI to read exactly what you sell and who it's for, answer the questions shoppers actually ask, keep your product information complete and consistent, and build a reputation outside your own website through reviews and mentions. Strong traditional SEO is still the foundation, because many AI tools pull from search results.

SEO, GEO and AEO: what's the difference?

You'll hear a few new terms around this. Here's what they mean in plain words:

• SEO (search engine optimization): getting your pages to rank in Google's normal search results.
• AEO (answer engine optimization): getting your content picked as the direct answer to a question, like the answer boxes in Google or a voice assistant's reply.
• GEO (generative engine optimization): getting your store mentioned and recommended inside AI-written answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity.

They aren't separate projects. They build on each other. A store with weak SEO will struggle with the other two.

How AI assistants decide which stores to recommend

No AI company publishes its exact formula, but from working on stores, the pattern is clear. AI tools favor stores that:

• Clearly state what they sell, who it's for and what makes it different
• Answer real buyer questions in plain language on their pages
• Have complete, structured product information (price, availability, sizes, materials, reviews)
• Are mentioned and reviewed in other places on the web, not just on their own site
• Already show up well in regular search results

Everything below is about making your store score well on those points.

Step 1: Say exactly what you sell, in plain words

AI can't recommend you for something it can't connect you to. If your homepage says "Elevate your everyday" and nothing else, an assistant has no idea you sell handmade leather wallets for men.

Do this: On your homepage, collection pages and About page, state plainly what you sell, who it's for and what makes it different. For example: "Handmade leather wallets for men, made from full-grain leather and built to last for years."

Step 2: Answer the questions shoppers ask AI

People talk to AI assistants the way they'd talk to a shop assistant: "What's a good gift for a dad who fishes?" or "Which yoga mat won't slip when I sweat?" The stores that get recommended are the ones whose pages already answer those questions.

Do this:

• Add a short FAQ section to your main product and collection pages
• Write blog posts that answer one buyer question each, with the answer near the top
• Use the same words your customers use, not industry jargon

Step 3: Make your product information complete and consistent

AI tools pull details like price, stock, sizes and ratings to compare products. Missing or messy information makes your products harder to recommend.

Do this:

• Fill in every product detail: materials, dimensions, sizes, care, what's included
• Write clear, descriptive product titles ("Waterproof Hiking Backpack 30L" rather than "The Explorer")
• Make sure your store has product structured data (schema) so prices, availability and reviews can be read by machines. Most modern themes include it, but it's worth checking it's working.
• Keep the same product names and details across your store, marketplaces and social profiles

Step 4: Build trust signals outside your own website

AI assistants don't just read your store. They look at what the rest of the web says about you. A store that only exists on its own website looks much less trustworthy than one that people review and talk about elsewhere.

Do this:

• Collect genuine reviews on your store and on public platforms like Google
• Get mentioned in relevant blogs, gift guides, communities and local press
• Keep your social profiles active, with your store name and what you sell stated clearly

Step 5: Don't let AI tools get blocked

Some stores accidentally block the crawlers that AI tools use to read websites, through settings in their robots.txt file, security apps or bot-blocking tools. If they can't read your store, they can't recommend it.

Do this: Check that your robots.txt isn't blocking major search and AI crawlers, and that your pages load real text content rather than hiding everything behind scripts.

Step 6: Keep your regular SEO strong

Many AI assistants search the web before they answer, which means they lean on the same pages that rank well in normal search. Good SEO is still the base everything else sits on.

Do this: Use clear page titles and meta descriptions, make sure your store loads fast on mobile, link your pages to each other, and fix broken links and duplicate pages.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay to be recommended by ChatGPT or other AI assistants?

Not in the normal AI answers. You earn a place in them by having a store that AI tools can clearly understand and trust, which is what the steps above are for.

Does AI search replace Google SEO?

No. AI search builds on top of SEO. Many AI tools rely on search results to find their answers, so a store that ranks well in Google has a better chance of being recommended by AI too.

How long does it take to show up in AI answers?

It varies. Clearer product information and on-page answers can be picked up fairly quickly once your pages are recrawled, while building reviews and mentions across the web takes ongoing effort over months.

Does this work for small stores?

Yes. AI assistants often recommend smaller, specialist stores when they answer a specific question better than big retailers do. A focused store that clearly explains its niche can stand out.

Getting plenty of visitors already but few sales? Read 9 things quietly costing your online store orders. Or message me on WhatsApp and I'll take a look at your store.

Brian Cole, Naxatech