Francesco Montesanto, head of GEO strategy, Optimizely, looks at what retailers and brands need to do to ensure they are visible on a digital shelf that’s being shopped by AI.
The first rule of selling any product is “know your audience.” For decades, that meant connecting buyer journeys with real-life demographics. Businesses obsessed over what made people tick. They tailored messaging to resonate with a specific human core.
But there’s a new reader in the room. And they don’t have a pulse.
Every retailer, regardless of industry, now shares a common audience: AI agents. Whether it’s an LLM scraping for a definitive answer or a specialised agent acting on a person’s behalf, your content and product descriptions are being read, parsed, and judged by machines before a person ever sees it.
Brands have spent years gaming Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). They identified keywords, stuffed them into copy, and banked on domain authority to signal relevance.
But while SEO was about signals, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about trust, reputation, and substance.
Now, AI models are sophisticated enough to dig deeper than surface-level keywords and metatags. They have a complex system that determines trustworthiness and factual density, components that are actually valuable to the end user. Winning the GEO game means becoming that source of trust.
The fundamentals of robot-ready content
How do you write for AI search platforms without losing your human audience? It comes down to three operational pillars:
1. Extreme factual accuracy: Reliability is no longer a “nice-to-have.” AI is trained on accuracy and well-documented research. If your content isn’t supported by credible sources and validation signals, an agent won’t risk citing it. Use experts. Use data. Use verifiable facts. The same goes for your products, too. AI models prefer specific, verifiable details like materials, dimensions, certifications, performance data, and pricing over the more flowery, marketing language that appeals to human readers.
2. Intent-based context: At the end of the day, AI search platforms are all about user experience, so they’re going to prioritise giving their users the best answer. Address every angle. Answer the follow-up questions proactively. Map your content to the intent behind the query, whether that’s a user ready to buy or a researcher looking for industry trends. The more context you provide, the more likely you are to build trust.
3. AI crawlable structure: AI consumes content just like we do. It looks for the interesting parts and deprioritises the rest. Clear headings, bullet points, table of contents, and numbered lists (just like this one!) aren’t just for scanners anymore. They allow an AI to analyse and extract the core value of your piece in milliseconds. If a robot can’t parse it, it won’t present it.
These three pillars are the absolute essentials that every business needs to follow. But there are also more advanced methods for improving your GEO strategy. Schema optimisation, for example, will help signal to LLMs what your content is and why it should be trusted, and FAQ creation will help to take advantage of AI’s preference for this specific format. The field is constantly evolving, so it’s critical to start experimenting now with what works best for your business.
Human-first, machine-ready
GEO can undoubtedly be a little overwhelming. Because it’s still such a new discipline, most retailers are still “doing GEO” with 10 different tools, which only adds to the noise rather than clarifying your direction.
But it doesn’t need to be this way. There are platforms available now that can consolidate all your tools into a single stack that work seamlessly in the background without you having to constantly monitor everything. What’s more, some can also coordinate AI agents that can perform GEO audits and provide actionable recommendations for your content.
And above all else, it’s important to remember that agents are an additional audience, not a replacement for human readers.
Your brand voice, storytelling, and emotional resonance are still the only ways to connect with real people. But as AI increasingly dictates how people search and compare products, visibility is no longer guaranteed by the human alone.
The future belongs to the brands that can handle both. Your content must be strategically sound for the human reader while remaining technically accessible for the digital agent.
Stop writing just for the person in the chair. Start writing for the robot in the room.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
You are in: Home » AI » GUEST POST The robot in the room: why your new target audience is an AI agent
GUEST POST The robot in the room: why your new target audience is an AI agent
Amanda Vlietstra
Francesco Montesanto, head of GEO strategy, Optimizely, looks at what retailers and brands need to do to ensure they are visible on a digital shelf that’s being shopped by AI.
The first rule of selling any product is “know your audience.” For decades, that meant connecting buyer journeys with real-life demographics. Businesses obsessed over what made people tick. They tailored messaging to resonate with a specific human core.
But there’s a new reader in the room. And they don’t have a pulse.
Every retailer, regardless of industry, now shares a common audience: AI agents. Whether it’s an LLM scraping for a definitive answer or a specialised agent acting on a person’s behalf, your content and product descriptions are being read, parsed, and judged by machines before a person ever sees it.
It’s becoming more of the norm that the first interaction with your brand will happen on an AI search platform. Survival now means ensuring you’re optimising for those AI search platforms first and foremost.
The nuance of GEO
Brands have spent years gaming Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). They identified keywords, stuffed them into copy, and banked on domain authority to signal relevance.
But while SEO was about signals, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is about trust, reputation, and substance.
Now, AI models are sophisticated enough to dig deeper than surface-level keywords and metatags. They have a complex system that determines trustworthiness and factual density, components that are actually valuable to the end user. Winning the GEO game means becoming that source of trust.
The fundamentals of robot-ready content
How do you write for AI search platforms without losing your human audience? It comes down to three operational pillars:
1. Extreme factual accuracy: Reliability is no longer a “nice-to-have.” AI is trained on accuracy and well-documented research. If your content isn’t supported by credible sources and validation signals, an agent won’t risk citing it. Use experts. Use data. Use verifiable facts. The same goes for your products, too. AI models prefer specific, verifiable details like materials, dimensions, certifications, performance data, and pricing over the more flowery, marketing language that appeals to human readers.
2. Intent-based context: At the end of the day, AI search platforms are all about user experience, so they’re going to prioritise giving their users the best answer. Address every angle. Answer the follow-up questions proactively. Map your content to the intent behind the query, whether that’s a user ready to buy or a researcher looking for industry trends. The more context you provide, the more likely you are to build trust.
3. AI crawlable structure: AI consumes content just like we do. It looks for the interesting parts and deprioritises the rest. Clear headings, bullet points, table of contents, and numbered lists (just like this one!) aren’t just for scanners anymore. They allow an AI to analyse and extract the core value of your piece in milliseconds. If a robot can’t parse it, it won’t present it.
These three pillars are the absolute essentials that every business needs to follow. But there are also more advanced methods for improving your GEO strategy. Schema optimisation, for example, will help signal to LLMs what your content is and why it should be trusted, and FAQ creation will help to take advantage of AI’s preference for this specific format. The field is constantly evolving, so it’s critical to start experimenting now with what works best for your business.
Human-first, machine-ready
GEO can undoubtedly be a little overwhelming. Because it’s still such a new discipline, most retailers are still “doing GEO” with 10 different tools, which only adds to the noise rather than clarifying your direction.
But it doesn’t need to be this way. There are platforms available now that can consolidate all your tools into a single stack that work seamlessly in the background without you having to constantly monitor everything. What’s more, some can also coordinate AI agents that can perform GEO audits and provide actionable recommendations for your content.
And above all else, it’s important to remember that agents are an additional audience, not a replacement for human readers.
Your brand voice, storytelling, and emotional resonance are still the only ways to connect with real people. But as AI increasingly dictates how people search and compare products, visibility is no longer guaranteed by the human alone.
The future belongs to the brands that can handle both. Your content must be strategically sound for the human reader while remaining technically accessible for the digital agent.
Stop writing just for the person in the chair. Start writing for the robot in the room.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research. Click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox. Why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis?
Read More
You may also like
Subscribe to our email community