Rank Better on AI Platforms Like ChatGPT & Gemini

Platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity AI, and even Google’s new AI Overviews are starting to change how people discover information and products. Instead of scrolling through 10 blue links on Google, customers are asking an AI:

“What are the best Supima cotton t-shirts in India?”

“Where can I buy heavyweight bamboo t-shirts online?”

And here’s the big shift – these AI tools don’t just show your website. They talk about it. They summarize, recommend, and sometimes even link directly to your store (ChatGPT and Shopify are now collaborating to enable shopping on ChatGPT itself). If you’re not in their “knowledge bank,” it’s like you don’t exist.

So, how do we make sure your brand gets into those answers?

First, AI needs to know you exist, and it learns from publicly available, high-quality, relevant content. 

This means your website has to be rich with clear, useful information about your products, your story, your processes, and your industry. Not just product listings, but blog posts, FAQs, comparison guides, sizing advice, and sustainability details.

Second, everywhere AI looks for data. Right now, these platforms pull from:

• Your own website (SEO still matters)

• Popular content sites in your niche

• Social media profiles

• Review platforms like Google Business Profile

• News mentions and PR articles

If an AI is trying to recommend “best t-shirt manufacturer in Tirupur” and your name appears in Google reviews, blog posts, LinkedIn articles, and product guides, your chances go way up.

Third, write like you’re answering a friend’s question. AI tools are trained on conversational Q&A content. So instead of writing a stiff “About Us” page, imagine you’re answering: “Why should I buy from you instead of XYZ?” Give that honest, benefit-focused answer in plain language. AI loves this format.

Fourth, structured data. This is geeky but powerful. Adding schema markup to your site (like Product, Review, FAQ schema) tells AI exactly what’s on your page - price, description, ratings, images so it can confidently pull you into an answer.

Fifth, get mentioned by others. AI trusts consensus. If 5 different reputable blogs, forums, or YouTube videos mention your brand positively, the AI sees you as a reliable choice. That’s why influencer reviews, guest blogs, and media coverage are not just for humans; they’re for algorithms too.

And finally, keep your brand “alive” online. An AI won’t recommend something it thinks is outdated or inactive. Regular content updates, new reviews, and active social media all signal to AI that you’re still relevant.

One of my clients asked me recently, “So will SEO die now that AI is here?”

I told them – “No, SEO just got smarter. Instead of optimising only for Google’s blue links, we now optimise for AI conversations.”

And here’s the best part – if you do this right, you’re not just competing for page 1. You’re competing to be the answer. We have done quite a good job on this, and we are ranking on AI tools for both Varthagam International and Offnorth Fashions.

By tracking the source, I filtered the orders that came from ChatGPT. And the result was surprising!

My usual AOV (Average Order Value) is roughly around Rs. 1950. But for people coming from ChatGPT, the AOV is more than Rs. 5200! Wow!

What does it tell us?

People coming from ChatGPT are more powerful and important for me than Google customers. So, I need to focus more on AI optimization.

Speaking about this, I also want to give you one layer/paradox to this. Every day, I am getting multiple dozen orders from Google and Meta. Combined every month, more than 1000 items for sure. But from ChatGPT, I get a very low number of sales. So, I can not just focus on AI. Still, Google is our bread earner.

And also, since the data from AI tools is small, as per our rule ‘Law of Large Numbers’, we can not straightaway conclude. We need more data as well.