“Ask an Expert” is an occasional feature where we pose questions to seasoned ecommerce pros. For this installment, we’ve turned to Louis Camassa, the director of product at Rithum, a marketplace orchestration platform. He’s also a serial entrepreneur and an occasional contributor to Practical Ecommerce.
He addresses the essentials of generative engine optimization for ecommerce.
Practical Ecommerce: How can merchants optimize product visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other generative AI platforms?
Louis Camassa: There’s no universal guide at present for product integration, but retailers can take proactive steps to prepare.
Louis Camassa
Begin by evaluating current genAI visibility. Merchants should search for their brand names to understand how the platforms present them. Experiment with shopper-like queries to observe how the systems rank and mention offerings in comparison to competitors. Consider searches such as “Find me running shoes with maximum cushioning for marathon training” or “What are the top-rated coffee makers that brew a single cup in under 2 minutes?”
Next, thoroughly review product info. Again, standardized genAI product formats do not yet exist, yet companies with existing product feeds have a solid foundation. Ensure your feed contains key details such as dimensions, color options, materials, weight specifications, and intended applications.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini have not yet opened the gates to share product data directly, but small-to-midsize merchants can get ahead by preparing now.
Generative AI platforms thrive on structured, accurate, real-time data.
Here are optimization tips:
1. Keep product data clean and consistent
• Unique IDs that never change
• Plain text titles and descriptions
2. Write for people, not just machines
• Short, specific titles (brand + product + key attribute)
• Natural language benefits in descriptions
3. Use structured attributes
• Brand, price, size, color, and material
• Group product variants with a shared ID (e.g., parent-child relationship)
4. Optimize images
• Use a content delivery network
• Extra angles or lifestyle shots help
5. Update feeds often
• Refresh at least daily
6. Use custom fields
• Add category-specific details (battery life, fabric, eco-friendly)
7. Localize content
• Language and country codes
• Simple, clear native text
8. Be transparent on price
• Always list price in ISO format (e.g., 29.99 USD)
• Include sale price if available
9. Don’t skip the details
• Shipping, handling, promotions, and other data build trust and improve ranking