ChatGPT is not that sophisticated yet. So for marketers, what that means is there are real ways right now for arbitrage in this short period of time before ChatGPT gets good enough to say, no, we're only showing the proper result.
Mac King from Domaine breaks down why merchants are seeing ChatGPT and Perplexity show up as referral sources in their analytics—and what to do about it. We talked about the terminology wars (GEO vs AEO vs AI search optimization), why AI engines favor content from Google's 10th page, and the Reddit strategies that actually work without getting banned.
SPONSORS
- Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more getswym.com/kurt
- Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify cleverific.com
- Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels zipify.com/KURT
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The New Search Reality: ChatGPT and Perplexity are showing up as actual referral sources driving orders in Shopify stores
- Terminology Wars: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) vs AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) vs AI Search Optimization
- 70/30 Rule: AI search optimization is 70% traditional SEO plus 30% new tactics specific to AI engines
- The 10th Page Advantage: AI engines favor content Google has relegated to page 10, creating arbitrage opportunities
- Reddit Strategy: How to engage authentically in Reddit communities without getting banned by bot moderators
- Technical Implementation: LLMs.txt files, structured data, and schema markup for AI discoverability
- Tracking Tools: Profound, AthenaHQ, and other emerging platforms for monitoring AI search performance
GUEST LINKS
- Domaine AI Commerce Suite: meetdomaine.com/insights/domaine-news/domaine-launches-ai-commerce-suite
- Mac King on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mackenziepking
- Mac King on Twitter: x.com/MacKing
- Profound (tracking tool): tryprofound.com
- Shopify Knowledge Base app: apps.shopify.com/shopify-knowledge-base
- SEOFOMO newsletter: seofomo.co
- Commerce GPT newsletter: yotpo.com/commerce-gpt
WORK WITH KURT
- Apply for Shopify Help: ethercycle.com/apply
- See Our Results: ethercycle.com/work
- Free Newsletter: kurtelster.com
The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.
