AI shopping agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews don't just rank pages — they interpret your catalog, compare your products against competitors, and make recommendations on behalf of buyers. For SMB eCommerce operators, the barrier to capturing that traffic isn't budget or platform. It's catalog quality. Here's what that means and what to do about it.

Search has fundamentally changed. AI-driven engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews don't just rank pages — they synthesize answers and shape purchase decisions before a customer ever clicks. If your product, category, and brand content isn't structured for AI interpretability, your store risks becoming invisible at exactly the wrong moment. This guide breaks down what Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) means for eCommerce operators and the practical steps