AI, Digital/Social, News / Apr 30, 2025

Into the Algorithmic Abyss: ChatGPT, Google, and the New Rules of Ecommerce

Tim Hill

Welcome to the New Wild West of Ecommerce

Strap in. Ecommerce just took a hard turn into unfamiliar territory, and if you're not paying attention, you're going to wake up six months from now wondering who stole your traffic.

OpenAI’s announcement that ChatGPT now includes a built-in shopping feature isn’t just a shiny product update. It’s a flare in the night sky — a signal that the way people discover, evaluate, and buy products online is changing. Permanently.

Consumers are tired of digging through ad-cluttered results and SEO Frankenstein pages. They’re having conversations. They’re asking questions. They want the truth, or at least something that sounds like it. And they want it fast, clean, and wrapped in relevance.

This isn’t a rebellion against Google — the 800-pound gorilla with 85% market share (90% in many countries) still sits squarely on the throne. But the kingdom is shifting. People are starting to treat Google like a librarian, not a trusted personal assistant. With ChatGPT and similar AI tools, users are asking questions, not punching in keywords. And that subtle shift? It changes everything.

The Impact: No More Hiding Behind Ads or Algorithms

At The Brand Leader, we see what’s coming around the bend:

• Conversational Commerce Isn’t Coming — It’s Here: Your customers are speaking in full sentences now. Less “men’s raincoat black XL,” more “What’s a good lightweight raincoat I can wear hiking in the fall?” If your product feed reads like a spreadsheet, you'll be increasingly less visible.
• Threat to the Pay-to-Play Party: ChatGPT doesn’t care how much you bid. There are no sponsored listings. If your product isn’t useful, credible, and cleanly described, it won’t show. Simple as that.
• Reputation Becomes Currency: Verified reviews, awards, transparency — all those things that used to be nice-to-haves? They're now the price of entry. If your brand can't back up its pitch, don’t bother pitching.
• SEO Grows Up: Google still matters (a lot), but the days of mechanical keyword tinkering are winding down. You need to be discoverable in a world where discovery is driven by context and character.

Learn more about AI's impact on the online search ecosystem here.

What We're Doing About It (And You Should Be Too)

We’re not just updating metadata and calling it a day. We’re working on a new playbook. Here’s how:

• We’re auditing feeds like we’re prepping for trial. Bad descriptions, missing images, lazy copy? The punishment for these crimes is increasing in this new paradigm.
• We’re running full-scale review campaigns. Not the fake kind. We’re talking real customers, real feedback, and real proof that the product does what it claims.
• We’re rewriting product pages with voice and soul. Less robot. More human. We want someone to read your description and nod their head, not fall asleep.
• We’re rebuilding brand authority from the ground up. This means organic content, press, third-party validation. If the internet doesn’t talk about you, neither will the AI.
• And we’re rethinking attribution. Traffic is coming from new places. We’re setting traps to find out where and why.

SEO Now Has Two Heads: Google and the Machines

Google is still the king of ecommerce search, no doubt. But there’s a new contender in the room, and it’s wearing a lab coat and asking better questions.

The smart brands? They’re preparing to serve both giants.

• Google SEO: Think precision. Structured data. Bid strategies. Price points. The same mechanical beast it’s always been, even as it shifts to more conversational search.
• ChatGPT (and similar LLM/AI assistants) SEO: Think storytelling. Trust. Product narratives. Clean formatting. A rich backstory and a human voice. It’s not search engine optimization anymore — it’s conversation engine optimization.

Two Product Feeds or Die Trying

Right now, most ecommerce brands are feeding everything through one pipe and praying it works across every channel. That’s over.

We’re preparing our clients to create two feeds:

1. Google Feed: Built for the algorithm. Tight titles, accurate specs, schema galore. Update it daily. Make it sharp.
2. ChatGPT Feed: Built for humans. Descriptions that explain, not just list. Social proof. Awards. Emotion. Context. Be useful, not just searchable.

And yes, this takes work. But doing it half-right on both platforms is worse than doing it right on one. And this time, the cost of being late is invisibility.

But What Does It Mean For Your Business?

This isn’t a blip. It’s the beginning of a new era in ecommerce — one where visibility is earned, not simply bought. One where algorithms don’t just measure clicks, they evaluate your integrity.

As AI reshapes how consumers discover and engage with brands, your digital presence has never mattered more. At The Brand Leader, we craft strategic, unforgettable brand experiences that stand out — no matter the platform or algorithm.

Ready to future-proof your brand? Let’s talk.

Tim Hill