Short answer: AI assistants recommend stores they can clearly understand and that other websites confirm. So state plainly what you sell, who it is for and what it costs, add structured data, and get mentioned on sites other than your own. Nobody can guarantee a recommendation, but you can make it much easier.
What is GEO?
GEO means generative engine optimisation. SEO helps you appear in a list of links. GEO helps you appear inside the answer when someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google's AI results a question such as "where can I buy a handmade leather wallet under $80?".
The two overlap a lot. A store that is fast, clear and well structured does better in both.
7 steps that help
1. Say what you are in one plain sentence
On your homepage and About page, write a sentence a stranger could repeat: what you sell, for whom, and where you ship. Clever slogans are hard for people and for machines to interpret.
2. Answer real questions on the page
AI assistants are answering questions, so pages that already contain a clear question and a direct answer are easy to quote. Add a short FAQ to product and service pages: sizing, shipping time, returns, materials, price.
3. Put the facts in text, not only in images
Price, dimensions, materials and delivery times should be written out. Text inside a banner image cannot be read reliably.
4. Add structured data
Structured data (schema markup) labels your content: this is a product, this is its price, this is the business behind it. Most Shopify themes include product markup. Check that yours also describes your organisation and your FAQs.
5. Do not block AI crawlers
Shopify's default robots.txt allows them. If someone edited yours, make sure it is not shutting out the crawlers used by AI search tools.
6. Get mentioned elsewhere
Assistants trust what several sources agree on. Reviews on independent platforms, supplier and partner listings, press mentions and useful guest articles all help. Keep your business name and description consistent everywhere.
7. Keep content specific and current
A guide with real numbers and a recent date is more useful than a general page. Update prices and policies when they change.
What does not work
- Hidden text or keyword stuffing written "for the AI".
- Fake reviews. They damage trust with customers and with platforms.
- Anyone promising a guaranteed mention in ChatGPT. No one controls that.
How to check where you stand
Ask a few assistants the questions your customers would ask, without naming your brand. Note who gets recommended and what those pages have that yours does not. Repeat once a month.
We do this work for stores as part of our SEO and AI visibility service. If you want an honest look at your store first, ask for a free audit.