Behind the AI: How Product Recommendations Work

A few weeks ago, I was prompting ChatGPT to help me with a better skincare routine. I have the products but not the discipline to follow the rules (at all). So why not try something new?

To my surprise, after I listed all the products I already had, described my skin type, and added a few other specifications, ChatGPT quickly suggested a complete routine, featuring some of its "favourite" brands, and considering my products as a second plan. That made me think: How is this possible? How are these brands being prioritized in the AI’s suggestions? Is it all about SEO?

That’s when I started researching: Why those products? Who decides what shows up in these recommendations?

It's Not Just About SEO Anymore

If you're like me, you probably assume that most product suggestions online are paid ads. But in this case, they weren’t. There was no sponsored tag and no ad disclaimer. So, I started digging.

Turns out, product discovery with tools like ChatGPT doesn’t work like Google or Amazon’s ad system. These recommendations come from behind-the-scenes algorithms that process your request and match it with content and products available online.

But how does it choose? Well, it’s not just SEO. It looks at a bunch of factors:

• How well a product is described online.

• How often is it mentioned in reliable sources

• Whether it’s easy for AI crawlers (like OpenAI’s OAI-SearchBot) to read and understand the page.

• And yes, sometimes what other users seem to like or ask about.

It’s kind of like having a superfast friend who’s read the entire internet and is now giving you advice based on what it knows, and what it’s allowed to see.

Real-World Examples

This isn’t just a ChatGPT thing. Big names like Amazon, eBay, and Wayfair are doing this too, and on a massive scale.

• Amazon uses machine learning to recommend products based on your browsing habits, purchases, and even your timing. Ever wonder why the "recommended for you" section feels creepily accurate? That’s why. They've also started using generative AI to help sellers improve product listings and grow sales.

• eBay looks at your past behaviour, trends in your region, and what people like you are buying. They’ve even built visual search tools so you can snap a photo and find similar products.

Behind it all is machine learning, a kind of AI that gets smarter the more you interact with it. It watches how people respond, what we click, save, or ignore, and adjusts its suggestions over time.

So, How Can Brands Show Up in These Recommendations?

If you're a business owner or marketer (like us), you might be wondering: “How do I get my products to show up in these recommendations?”

Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Don’t block AI from your site: There’s a crawler called OAI-SearchBot. If your site blocks it in your robots.txt, it won’t even see your content. Talk to your developer about this one.

• Write content that makes sense: AI needs well-structured, clearly written content to understand what your product is, who it’s for, and why it matters. Think FAQs, specs, and reviews.

• Watch your traffic: If ChatGPT suggests your site, the link will include utm_source=chatgpt.com. You can track that in tools like Google Analytics.

• Yes, still invest in SEO: SEO is still part of the puzzle. The better your content performs on traditional platforms, the more likely it is that AI will surface it too.

  
  

What This Means for All of Us

AI is changing how we shop, not just what we find, but how we find it. It’s faster and more personal. But for brands and businesses, it’s a wake-up call. If we want to show up where people are asking questions, we have to make our content clear, accessible, and machine-readable.

For me? That skincare routine actually worked. I even bought a couple of the products ChatGPT suggested. But now, I think about recommendations differently. I see the layers behind them, the algorithms, the data, and all the little things brands can do to show up at the right moment.

That said, I’m not fully sold on AI. I think we’re moving toward a future where both consumers and companies will seek out that human touch again. The nuance, empathy, and creativity that only real people bring to the table. Technology can guide us, but relationships still matter.

Need help?

If you want expert guidance on optimizing your digital presence for AI-driven product discovery, Verve can help. We specialize in blending SEO, content strategy, and digital marketing to make sure your brand gets noticed, not just by people, but also by the AI tools shaping today’s customer journeys.

Contact us to learn how we can help your business stand out in this evolving landscape.