AI-driven search is rapidly changing how shoppers search and discover products. Whether someone searches “best gluten free snacks” or “top rated shampoos”, generative systems now shape the recommendations that influence sales online and in-store.
Across our different models, we see the same pattern. AI surfaces products it can trust. When data is inconsistent, reviews are outdated, or content is thin, visibility drops quickly, even for strong performers in-store.
Generative Engine Optimisation, known as GEO, is the practical response to this shift. The goal is straightforward. Strengthen the signals that help AI understand, verify and confidently recommend your products.
Below is a concise 6-Step framework for ensuring your products stand the best chance of being surfaced in GEO*.
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Get ruthless about product data hygiene
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Treat product reviews and UGC as critical infrastructure
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Aim for AAA Content: Accessible, Authentic, Abundant
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Prioritise by portfolio: Core, Innovation, Renovation
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Optimise for FAQs, not just keywords
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Design for two audiences: shoppers and machines
Here is what ChatGPT reports against "What shampoo sold in UK grocery supermarkets makes my hair smell great?"
The Top 5 products recommended: (results do of course vary)
- Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo 300 ml
- Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food Pineapple Shampoo 350 ml
- TRESemmé Lamellar Shine Shampoo 680 ml
- OGX Hydrate & Revive+ Argan Oil of Morocco Shampoo 385 ml
- Monday Haircare Moisture Shampoo 800 ml
* See articles at base for the latest on this topic. We would like to acknowledge Shalion for their presentation at Connected Commerce Oct 2025 for their contribution
Get ruthless about product data hygiene
Strong GEO visibility starts with clean and consistent data. If AI cannot confidently interpret your product information, it cannot reliably recommend it.
Begin by auditing essential fields across your priority SKUs. Titles, attributes, allergens, usage occasions, variant names and benefits must be accurate and consistent across retailers and your own channels. The biggest gaps usually appear in variant naming, pack size, descriptions and ingredient fields.
Fragmented or incomplete data sends mixed signals. Across our SmartReputation programmes, we consistently see that clear, aligned product content strengthens trust signals, while inconsistency quickly harms visibility.
Machine readability is essential. Key attributes must appear in text, not embedded in images or creative assets. Structured, crawlable information is far more influential than keyword volume.
Takeaway: Clean, consistent and text visible data is the foundation of GEO success.
Treat product reviews and UGC as critical infrastructure
AI relies on trustworthy real world signals and verified purchaser reviews remain among the strongest.
A continuous supply of fresh, honest and verified reviews is essential. This is why our Always On programmes exist, ensuring every SKU receives representative and frequently refreshed feedback across major retailers.
Robust moderation and anti-fraud processes are critical. AI systems downrank repetitive, low detail or suspicious review patterns. Verified at-home usage reviews from genuine purchasers deliver the strongest signals.
Takeaway: Reviews are a core trust signal and indispensable for GEO visibility.
Aim for AAA Content: Accessible, Authentic, Abundant
Across thousands of SKUs, our analysis shows that freshness and sentiment influence performance more than average star ratings alone. GEO behaves similarly.
Accessible
Make all key information easy for both shoppers and AI systems to read by ensuring it appears in text rather than in images or graphics. Maintain consistent messaging across PDPs, brand sites and retailer listings, and remove any contradictions that might confuse either audience.
Authentic
Verified reviews from real purchasers create an immediate trust advantage. Our approach ensures honesty, relevance and descriptive detail without influencing sentiment.
Abundant
GEO rewards depth and recency. Reviews older than six months quickly lose influence, which we track daily through Always On monitoring.
Accessible content supports machines. Authentic and abundant content engages humans. Together, these signals strengthen your GEO footprint.
Takeaway: Structured, honest and regularly refreshed content boosts discoverability and trust.
Prioritise by portfolio: Core, Innovation, Renovation
Not every SKU should compete equally for GEO visibility. Prioritising correctly improves performance and resource efficiency.
Core SKUs
Your most valuable lines. Fix data gaps, maintain strong review coverage and keep reviews fresh and representative. Our Top 150 FMCG analysis shows brands with disciplined review management consistently outperform.
Innovation
New products struggle in GEO without early trust signals. The first four to twelve weeks are critical for gaining verified reviews and establishing clear attributes.
Renovation
Reformulated SKUs need continuity. If AI interprets a renovated SKU as entirely new, you lose accumulated trust signals. Rapid generation of fresh reviews tied to the new formulation is essential. SmartReformulation supports this through verified buyer trials before relaunch.
By segmenting your portfolio this way, you align resources where they deliver the highest return, especially in the GEO era where early traction and signal freshness matter.
Takeaway: Different portfolio roles require different GEO strategies, especially where impact is highest.
Optimise for FAQs, not just keywords
In the GEO landscape, clarity beats density. AI is designed to answer questions, not break down unnatural keyword strings.
Your best source of natural shopper language already exists in shopper reviews. These surfaces show how real people describe problems, expectations, and usage, and how shoppers respond more to narrative and real experience than to engineered keyword lists.
Create structured, direct and extractable answers across PDP FAQs, help pages and retailer content. Keep information simple, accurate and written in everyday language. Over-optimisation risks being penalised as AI systems increasingly down rank manipulative patterns.
In the world of generative AI discovery, you are not just optimising to be found. You are optimising to be understood and trusted.
Takeaway: Use real shopper language and make information easy for AI to extract.
Design for two audiences: shoppers and machines
Product content must satisfy both shoppers and AI systems.
For shoppers
Clear benefits, strong storytelling and practical usage cues.
For machines
Structured attributes, factual clarity and consistency across all surfaces.
This dual design approach mirrors our Always On methodology, where we maintain the top three reviews to ensure fairness, recency and representativeness all year.
Takeaway: Content must engage humans and make sense to machines to succeed in GEO.
Why work with CheckoutSmart on reviews
For eight years, we have led the UK market in verified purchaser product reviews, working exclusively with branded FMCG manufacturers.
What you get when you work with us:
- We work only with branded manufacturers
- We cover all major UK grocery and health and beauty retailers: Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Ocado, Waitrose, Iceland, Amazon, Boots and Superdrug
- We use daily data analysis to target exactly where reviews are needed
- We automate, monitor and act on delivery every day
- We guarantee a minimum of 30 reviews per SKU per retailer
- We keep the top three reviews fresh and representative
- We deliver reviews from 100% verified purchasers, written after genuine at-home use
- We provide longer, more descriptive reviews that better influence conversion
- We build category insight and flexible ways of working into every programme
Fresh, fair and representative reviews strengthen visibility, conversion and long-term performance. In the GEO era, this advantage becomes even more critical.
Further Reading on GEO and AI-Driven Discovery
Backlinko – Search behaviour and Q and A optimisation insights
Syndigo – Product content consistency and data quality analysis
ometria.com – Connected Commerce presentation (October 2025) on generative search trends
