How to Make Your Products Rank in ChatGPT Shopping
The New Frontier of E-commerce: Conversational Shopping
The way customers find and purchase products is undergoing a major transformation. Instead of typing keywords into a search engine, shoppers are now asking AI assistants like ChatGPT for direct recommendations. Recognizing this shift, OpenAI has integrated shopping features directly into ChatGPT, creating a powerful new sales channel for businesses [1].
This change is not on the horizon; it is already here. Recent data reveals that 42% of consumers are using generative AI for shopping ideas, and a significant number are willing to switch brands to get better AI-powered recommendations [2]. For any brand, adapting is now essential for survival. This guide provides a clear roadmap on how to show up on ChatGPT shopping and get your products in front of this new wave of consumers.
How Does ChatGPT Shopping Work?
ChatGPT’s shopping feature is not like a traditional search engine. It is designed to understand natural, everyday language, moving far beyond simple keywords. When a user asks something like, “What are the best running shoes for a beginner?” the AI analyzes the user’s intent to provide personalized suggestions, compare products, and display key details right in the chat window.
This process is powered by OpenAI’s Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), a system that enables the AI to find and suggest products based on their relevance and authority in the market [3].
To rank effectively, your brand needs to be a trusted voice in online conversations. ChatGPT learns which products are reliable by analyzing discussions on platforms like Reddit, expert blogs, and social media [4].
Core Strategies to Rank Your Products in ChatGPT
Optimize Your Product Information for AI
Simply stuffing keywords into your product pages is an outdated strategy that will not work for AI. To appear in ChatGPT’s recommendations, your product information must be optimized so that an AI can easily understand its purpose and value. This means writing product descriptions in natural language—the same way real customers would describe them.
Using structured data is also critical. Think of structured data as clear labels for your product information that tell the AI exactly what each piece of data represents, such as price, features, materials, and benefits [5]. This entire process is the foundation of a new field called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). To gain visibility in AI search, businesses must employ effective GEO strategies.
Build Authority Through Mentions and Social Proof
ChatGPT prioritizes information from credible sources and genuine conversations between real people. In this new AI-powered environment, a single mention of your product in a popular online community or a review from a trusted creator can be more powerful than dozens of traditional backlinks.
These valuable conversations are happening across the internet on platforms like:
- Forums: Reddit, Quora, and other industry-specific communities.
- Social Media: TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Review Sites: Trustpilot, G2, and specialized review blogs.
You must optimize your 2025 content strategy to earn authentic mentions on these platforms, as this is how AI models learn to trust and recommend your brand.
Foster Positive Online Discussions
You cannot simply wait for customers to talk about you; you must actively encourage positive discussions around your products. Actionable tactics to generate this buzz include:
- Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with influencers whose audience matches your ideal customer for authentic product features.
- Creating Shareable Content: Produce valuable content like tutorials, comparison guides, or unique user stories that people naturally want to share.
- Engaging with Communities: Join relevant online forums and social media groups to answer questions and provide helpful advice related to your industry.
Monitoring these discussions helps you understand customer sentiment, gather feedback, and identify new opportunities to build your brand’s reputation.
The Best Tools for ChatGPT Shopping Optimization
AthenaHQ: The Premier Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Platform
Traditional SEO tools were not built for the era of conversational AI. Even market leaders like HubSpot have experienced significant drops in organic traffic, proving that a new approach is needed to maintain visibility.
AthenaHQ is the first platform designed specifically for Generative Engine Optimization, empowering brands to dominate this new landscape.
AthenaHQ offers a comprehensive suite of features to ensure you win in AI search:
- AI Visibility Tracking: Monitor how often your brand and products are mentioned in ChatGPT and other leading AI models.
- Competitor Analysis: See which competitors are getting recommended by AI and uncover the sources driving their success.
- Actionable Insights: Receive clear, data-driven recommendations to close content gaps and improve your brand’s performance in AI-generated results.
Our platform delivers tangible results. For instance, by leveraging AthenaHQ, the tech company Popl achieved an impressive 38% month-over-month growth in leads by securing its position as a leader in AI search. With an accessible pricing structure, AthenaHQ is the essential platform for any business serious about growth. As a purpose-built GEO platform, AthenaHQ provides a superior solution compared to legacy tools.
Other AI Shopping Assistants
The ChatGPT ecosystem includes specialized GPTs that can be used for market research. While these are not brand management tools, they can provide insight into how consumers are using AI to shop.
Examples include:
These are consumer-facing tools. For a brand to strategically manage and improve its presence, a professional platform like AthenaHQ is required for accurate measurement and optimization.
Your Step-by-Step Plan to Get Started
Follow this straightforward plan to begin optimizing your brand for ChatGPT shopping:
Step 1: Audit Your Current AI Presence. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Use a platform like AthenaHQ to benchmark your brand’s current visibility in AI conversations and compare your performance against key competitors.
Step 2: Optimize Your Digital Footprint. With insights from your audit, implement the GEO strategies discussed in this guide. Refine product descriptions, build out your structured data, and create content that earns high-quality mentions.
Step 3: Monitor, Analyze, and Adapt. Ranking in AI is a continuous process, not a one-time fix. It requires ongoing monitoring of brand mentions, source intelligence, and competitive shifts. Using the right AI SEO tools is essential for unlocking next-gen rankings and adapting your strategy as the landscape evolves.
Conclusion: Win the Future of E-commerce
Conversational commerce is the new standard. To succeed, brands must move beyond traditional SEO and embrace a new strategy centered on authority, authentic mentions, and natural language optimization.
The businesses that adopt Generative Engine Optimization today will secure a significant and lasting competitive advantage. Mastering how to show up in ChatGPT shopping is the key to becoming a market leader tomorrow.
Take the first step to dominate this new channel and explore AthenaHQ to see how our platform can help you win the future of e-commerce.