Search is changing fast. With the rise of generative AI, traditional keyword-driven search results are giving way to AI-generated answers. This shift is creating what many are now calling Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), and it could completely change how ecommerce brands get found by new customers.
In a generative search environment, people aren’t just clicking on a list of links anymore. They’re asking AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or the new generative features in Google Search to give them direct answers, recommendations, and suggestions. That means AI, not just Google's algorithm, decides which products, reviews, or brands to appear.
For ecommerce brands, this is a critical change. You can’t just focus on ranking for keywords. You need to think about how your brand, products, and data appear inside these generative engines, so they get picked up and recommended.
Let’s break down why this matters, and what you can do to prepare.
From Search to Answers
In traditional SEO, your goal is to rank on page one of search results for a high-intent keyword, hoping customers will click through to your website. But generative search tools collapse that entire process by giving shoppers a direct, AI-generated summary of options; and sometimes even a final recommendation.
That means your product might never even appear on a classic search results page. If the generative system doesn’t know about you, or doesn’t think your product is relevant, you’re invisible.
For ecommerce brands that rely on organic traffic to keep acquisition costs down, this is a huge shift. You will need to think more holistically about where your product data lives, how trustworthy it is, and how well it is structured to be pulled into these next-gen engines.
Action: Audit your product information across the web. Make sure details, specifications, reviews, and images are consistent and high quality wherever they appear — marketplaces, social, or your own site.
Why Authority and Trust Matter Even More
Generative engines rely on trust signals to decide what information to recommend. That includes things like consistent branding, authoritative product descriptions, helpful FAQs, and trustworthy reviews.
If your ecommerce brand has weak authority like thin content, duplicate product listings, or no customer reviews, you’re less likely to be surfaced by a generative system. That’s because these systems are designed to protect the user from low-quality or questionable information.
Action: Strengthen your authority by adding detailed product descriptions, encouraging verified reviews, and publishing relevant blog or video content on your own channels.
Structured Data Becomes Critical
Generative AI tools rely heavily on structured data to make sense of products and services. Schema markup, product feeds, and clean data formats help generative engines correctly identify and summarise your products.
For marketers, this means going beyond “basic” SEO. You should focus on rich product attributes, clear specifications, availability, shipping details, and even sustainability credentials in a structured, machine-readable format. The clearer your data, the more likely an AI-powered engine will confidently recommend you.
Action: Review your product data feeds and site schema to ensure you’re providing structured, accurate, and up-to-date information.
Search is changing fast. With the rise of generative AI, traditional keyword-driven search results are giving way to AI-generated answers. This shift is creating what many are now calling Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), and it could completely change how ecommerce brands get found by new customers.
In a generative search environment, people aren’t just clicking on a list of links anymore. They’re asking AI-driven tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or the new generative features in Google Search to give them direct answers, recommendations, and suggestions. That means AI, not just Google's algorithm, decides which products, reviews, or brands to appear.
For ecommerce brands, this is a critical change. You can’t just focus on ranking for keywords. You need to think about how your brand, products, and data appear inside these generative engines, so they get picked up and recommended.
Let’s break down why this matters, and what you can do to prepare.
From Search to Answers
In traditional SEO, your goal is to rank on page one of search results for a high-intent keyword, hoping customers will click through to your website. But generative search tools collapse that entire process by giving shoppers a direct, AI-generated summary of options; and sometimes even a final recommendation.
That means your product might never even appear on a classic search results page. If the generative system doesn’t know about you, or doesn’t think your product is relevant, you’re invisible.
For ecommerce brands that rely on organic traffic to keep acquisition costs down, this is a huge shift. You will need to think more holistically about where your product data lives, how trustworthy it is, and how well it is structured to be pulled into these next-gen engines.
Action: Audit your product information across the web. Make sure details, specifications, reviews, and images are consistent and high quality wherever they appear — marketplaces, social, or your own site.
Why Authority and Trust Matter Even More
Generative engines rely on trust signals to decide what information to recommend. That includes things like consistent branding, authoritative product descriptions, helpful FAQs, and trustworthy reviews.
If your ecommerce brand has weak authority like thin content, duplicate product listings, or no customer reviews, you’re less likely to be surfaced by a generative system. That’s because these systems are designed to protect the user from low-quality or questionable information.
Action: Strengthen your authority by adding detailed product descriptions, encouraging verified reviews, and publishing relevant blog or video content on your own channels.
Structured Data Becomes Critical
Generative AI tools rely heavily on structured data to make sense of products and services. Schema markup, product feeds, and clean data formats help generative engines correctly identify and summarise your products.
For marketers, this means going beyond “basic” SEO. You should focus on rich product attributes, clear specifications, availability, shipping details, and even sustainability credentials in a structured, machine-readable format. The clearer your data, the more likely an AI-powered engine will confidently recommend you.
Action: Review your product data feeds and site schema to ensure you’re providing structured, accurate, and up-to-date information.
