The Shift from Search Engines to Smart Agents
For the past twenty years, SEO has revolved around one principle:
make Google understand your content.
But the landscape has changed. Now, you’re optimizing for AI agents — systems like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini that don’t crawl pages the way search engines do.
They reason, interpret, and recommend.
That means your product data must do more than just exist.
It has to communicate intent, context, and value in a way machines — and humans — can both understand.
This is the foundation of Agentic Commerce Optimization (ACO) — the new SEO for conversational commerce.
Why Traditional SEO Is Losing Its Grip
Let’s be honest: search as we know it is fading.
People aren’t typing “best office chair 2025” into Google anymore. They’re asking ChatGPT:
“What’s a comfortable, ergonomic chair I can use for long hours that looks great in a modern office?”
That’s not keyword-based — it’s intent-based.
Traditional SEO was about ranking for keywords.
AI commerce optimization is about matching intent with structured understanding.
If your product data isn’t structured properly, it won’t show up — no matter how beautiful your website or how big your ad spend.
Introducing Agentic Commerce Optimization (ACO)
Agentic Commerce Optimization (ACO) is the process of formatting, enriching, and maintaining your product data to ensure it can be interpreted and recommended by AI agents.
It’s built on top of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) — the open standard that defines how AI systems access and reason about product data.
If SEO helped humans find your products, ACO helps AI find them for humans.
And that’s where GXO.dev steps in — giving brands a powerful way to turn their raw store data into AI-optimized product feeds that perform across all major agent ecosystems.
Step 1: Structure Your Product Data for Machine Understanding
AI agents don’t “read” your web pages — they read your product data.
That means your data must include clear, structured elements that describe what each product is, why it matters, and how it connects to customer intent.
The Core Fields Every Product Needs
| Field | Why It Matters for AI Agents |
|---|---|
| Title | Must clearly describe the product in natural language |
| Description | Should explain features and benefits in full sentences |
| Price | Used for comparison and recommendation logic |
| Image URL + Alt Text | Enables visual recognition and descriptive reasoning |
| Category & Tags | Helps agents classify and relate similar products |
| Attributes | Defines details like material, color, dimensions |
| Availability | Allows real-time stock status in recommendations |
Platforms like Shopify, Etsy, Stripe, and BigCommerce all collect this data differently — but GXO.dev harmonizes it automatically into a consistent ACP feed.
Step 2: Write Descriptions for Conversations, Not Crawlers
Traditional SEO taught you to stuff keywords.
AI commerce teaches you to speak clearly.
When optimizing for AI agents, write your product descriptions as if you were explaining the product to someone sitting across from you — conversational, specific, and emotionally resonant.
Example rewrite:
Old SEO-style description:
“Ergonomic office chair with adjustable height, lumbar support, and mesh back.”
AI-optimized description:
“A breathable ergonomic chair designed for long workdays, with adjustable lumbar support and a sleek black mesh back that fits perfectly into any modern home office.”
The latter gives AI agents more to reason about: purpose, audience, and aesthetic — not just features.
Step 3: Use Conversational Keywords and Natural Language Tags
AI agents interpret meaning through context.
So instead of old-school short keywords (“office chair,” “ergonomic”), use conversational tags that reflect buyer intent.
Good examples:
- “comfortable ergonomic chair for remote workers”
- “modern home office furniture”
- “adjustable chair for back pain relief”
These tags make it easier for AI agents to match your listings to user queries naturally.
Step 4: Add Structured Attributes and Metadata
AI commerce is data-driven. Every missing field reduces your visibility.
Attributes like materials, dimensions, usage context, and certifications help AI systems recommend your products with precision.
If you sell apparel, include:
- Fabric composition
- Size range
- Fit type
- Care instructions
If you sell electronics, include:
- Technical specifications
- Power consumption
- Warranty details
- Compatibility information
These aren’t just details for customers — they’re context signals for AI agents.
The richer your metadata, the more confidently AI systems can recommend your products.
Step 5: Optimize Product Images for Visual AI Models
AI commerce is visual.
Agents like Gemini and ChatGPT’s image models use your product imagery as another layer of reasoning.
Image Optimization Checklist
- High resolution (minimum 1000x1000px)
- Clear, uncluttered backgrounds
- Multiple angles or lifestyle shots
- Alt text that describes the product naturally
- File names that include product identifiers
For example, instead of IMG_4352.jpg, use ergonomic-black-office-chair-adjustable.jpg.
Step 6: Generate an ACP-Compliant Feed with GXO.dev
This is where everything connects.
GXO.dev automates the process of generating an ACP-compliant product feed that AI agents can access through the Agentic Commerce Protocol.
Here’s what happens automatically:
- Your store data is synced from Shopify, Etsy, Stripe, or BigCommerce.
- GXO validates all product fields and fills missing metadata.
- The system structures your listings into AI-readable JSON feeds.
- You can preview how your products appear to AI agents using AI Previews.
Once your feed is published, it becomes immediately accessible to agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, making your products discoverable in conversational contexts.
Step 7: Monitor and Improve Performance
Just like traditional SEO, optimization isn’t a one-time job.
The best-performing AI commerce brands treat it as an evolving process.
Through GXO Analytics, you can track:
- AI discovery rates (how often agents surface your products)
- Recommendation frequency (how often your products are suggested)
- Conversion performance (chat-driven checkouts and purchases)
- Compliance scores (data health and ACP readiness)
Each improvement you make to product descriptions, images, or attributes gets reflected in higher AI visibility.
The New Rules of AI SEO (ACO)
To summarize, the new rules of agentic commerce optimization look like this:
| Old SEO | New ACO |
|---|---|
| Focused on keywords | Focused on context and clarity |
| Measured by rank | Measured by discovery and recommendation rates |
| Optimized for Google | Optimized for AI agents |
| Driven by backlinks | Driven by structured data and compliance |
| Reactive | Conversational and adaptive |
The future of SEO isn’t about chasing algorithms. It’s about teaching machines how to understand your brand and products naturally.
Real Example: From Hidden to Discoverable
One eco-friendly skincare brand connected its Shopify catalog to GXO.dev earlier this year.
Before the integration, their organic traffic had plateaued.
After generating an ACP feed and optimizing their descriptions conversationally, their products began surfacing in ChatGPT shopping recommendations and Gemini product lists.
Within three months:
- AI-driven conversions increased by 32%
- Customer discovery queries dropped (customers found them faster)
- Their team reduced manual SEO work by nearly half
All because their data started speaking the language of AI.
Final Thoughts: The Art of Being Understood
If traditional SEO was about making yourself findable, AI commerce optimization is about making yourself understandable.
When your data is clean, structured, and conversational, AI agents don’t just list your products — they advocate for them.
They become a bridge between your intent and the customer’s desire.
And that’s the quiet power of this new era:
You don’t have to shout to be heard.
You just have to be clear enough for AI to listen.
Connect Your Product Data to GXO.dev
Ready to make your product data AI-readable?
Connect your store to GXO.dev, generate your ACP-compliant feed, and start optimizing your data for AI discovery, conversation, and conversion — the new SEO for agentic commerce.
