By Steve Merrill, Founder of WRKNG Digital | September 17, 2026
To get mentioned in AI search, give the assistants clean facts and clear answers they can trust and quote. Here are seven ways to earn a mention across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI.
This is generative engine optimization, GEO, and it's the same core idea as AEO: be the source the machine builds its answer from.
1. Mark up your products with clean schema
Valid Product and Offer markup hands AI facts it can confirm. It mentions what it can verify.
Start here. It's the foundation every mention stands on.
2. Answer real questions in plain words
Pages that answer buyer questions directly give AI something quotable. Padded copy gives it nothing to lift.
Lead with the answer, then support it.
3. Cite named sources
Linking to real, named sources signals credibility that a model can weigh. "Studies show" is worthless to an assistant.
Point to primary sources instead of vague claims.
4. Earn mentions on sites AI already trusts
AI leans on sources it already reads, including Reddit, review sites, and industry pages. Being named there raises your odds of a mention.
Real presence in those communities beats trying to game them.
5. Keep your data fresh
Current prices, stock, and dates tell AI your information is reliable. Stale data gets you dropped from the answer.
Sync your feed and schema so what the machine reads is true right now.
6. Open access to AI crawlers
Check your robots.txt. If AI crawlers are blocked, you can't be mentioned no matter how good your content is.
Access first, everything else second.
7. Track your mentions and iterate
Ask Perplexity and ChatGPT what they recommend in your category, and log whether you appear. That's your real scoreboard.
Do it weekly. What gets measured gets improved.
Further reading
- Perplexity shopping
- Schema.org Product reference
- Schema.org Offer reference
- Google on robots.txt and crawlers
- Google product structured data guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get my products mentioned in AI search?
Give AI clean, machine-readable product data, answer buyer questions directly in quotable language, cite named sources, keep your data fresh, and make sure AI crawlers can reach you. Then track your mentions across ChatGPT and Perplexity weekly and iterate on the gaps.
What is GEO and how is it different from SEO?
GEO is generative engine optimization, the work of getting AI assistants to mention and cite your brand in their generated answers. Unlike SEO, which aims to rank a link for a click, GEO aims to be the trusted source the AI builds its answer from, using structured data and quotable content.
Do reviews and Reddit mentions help AI visibility?
Yes. AI assistants often lean on sources they already trust, including review sites and community discussions like Reddit. Genuine presence and positive mentions on those sites can raise the odds that AI names your brand, though it works best alongside clean product data on your own store.
Want to know if AI assistants can actually find and recommend your store? Get a free AI-visibility read on your Shopify store at WRKNG Digital. We show you exactly what ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI see when they look at your products.
