OpenAI and Shopify have been teasing a partnership for a while, and now it’s here. 

Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, announced on September 29th that “very, very soon” users will be able to buy products from Shopify merchants directly from ChatGPT. 

Psst: Looking to get your Shopify store optimized for this new sales channel? Schedule a free virtual consultation with Fyresite to get started.

What Does This Mean For Merchants?

For Shopify merchants, it means a new sales channel that connects customers looking for their products right to them. 

With more and more people looking towards AI assistants for help finding the perfect product, Shopify merchants will have a leg up as ChatGPT recommends and sells their products within the platform. 

Generative Engine Optimization 

Generative Engine Optimization, or simply GEO, is SEO for generative engines. With this new sales channel, Shopify merchants are going to have to make sure they are optimized for search on generative engines. 

Unlike SEO’s keyword and backlink emphasis, GEO prioritizes brand authority, conversational tone, contextual relevance, and clear formatting (such as headings, lists, and bullet points). 

GEO best practices: combine GEO with traditional SEO, and enlist experts for technical areas like schema markup, page speed, and CRO.

What Does This Mean for Customers?

Customers who buy through this new feature rather than traditional avenues are likely going to care more about product features, and less about brand loyalty. 

ChatGPT will be recommending products based on customer input. For example, if a customer asks for a pair of boots that will work in rain and snow, ChatGPT will be matching products based on that description, not brands. 

This makes product descriptions and reviews even more important for Shopify merchants. 

OpenAI recently updated their Shopping with ChatGPT Search to give better product recommendations. 

In it, they mention the importance of product descriptions and reviews, as these are two of the things the generative engines search when looking for products to suggest. 

Top Shopify Store Inspiration

Need some inspo for your Shopify store? Check out these industry leaders for ideas.

Get More From Your Shopify Store

Is your Shopify store performing as well as it could be? Fyresite offers a range of services to make sure your store is better than just good.

Schedule a free 15 minute meeting today to see how our services can improve your store.