ChatGPT introduces shopping – what does it mean for your Google Ads and SEO?

OpenAI has officially introduced a shopping function directly inside ChatGPT, in collaboration with platforms like Shopify and Instacart.

This means users can now search for, discover, and compare products – and even click through to purchase – directly from ChatGPT, without necessarily using Google as a middleman.

So far, the feature is only available to users with a ChatGPT Plus subscription. At Iternum Digital, however, we’ve already taken a closer look at the update and offer you our perspective on what it could mean for your marketing strategy.

What's new?

The new shopping feature in ChatGPT allows users to:

Search for products directly in ChatGPT
Users can explore and compare products and prices – just like in Google Shopping – but here it happens inside a conversation with an AI assistant that understands context, asks follow-up questions, and makes intelligent recommendations.

Compare products and prices in real time
Instead of relying on static search engine results, ChatGPT pulls live product data directly from partners like Shopify. This ensures that what users see is current and available in real time.

Click through to the merchant’s website to complete the purchase
Users are presented with product options instantly and can move straight to checkout – no need to open extra tabs or conduct manual searches. While the final transaction still happens on the retailer’s site, the journey begins inside ChatGPT.

What does it mean for SEO?

This development signals a potential shift in user behavior. Where the buying journey used to start with a Google search, many users may now discover, compare, and choose products within ChatGPT.

Less traffic from organic search
If users no longer begin on Google, we may see a decline in clicks to websites from traditional search engines.

Higher demand for structured product data
To appear in AI-powered tools, it’s even more important to have well-structured product feeds, metadata, and schema markup.
Platforms like ChatGPT prioritize factors such as trustworthiness, customer reviews, delivery time, and return policies when choosing what to show. So your product data needs to be not only technically correct, but also rich in information that builds credibility and visibility.

Rise in “zero-click” behavior
Users get answers and suggestions directly within the AI, without visiting your site. That means your visibility must shift to where the user is: inside the AI platform.

This shift has already led to a new concept in SEO: GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Like SEO, it’s all about optimizing your content – but instead of aiming to rank in Google’s results, GEO focuses on making your content visible in AI-driven searches like those in ChatGPT or Perplexity. You can read more about GEO and how to work with it here.

What does it mean for Google Ads?

Paid advertising – especially Google Shopping and Search – may also be affected by this move from OpenAI. As users shift their product discovery to ChatGPT, we’ll likely see:

Fewer clicks on classic Google Shopping ads
As product research moves into ChatGPT, the need to click through Google search ads could decrease.

New competitive spaces
If users start shopping within ChatGPT, advertisers will need to redirect parts of their budgets and strategies to include AI-friendly content and product data to maintain visibility across both Google and ChatGPT.

Stronger demand for an omnichannel strategy
You now need to be visible not just in search engines and on social media – but also within AI ecosystems.

What should you do now?

This is by no means a death sentence for Google Ads or SEO – far from it. But it’s another wake-up call to start integrating AI into your strategy and content efforts. We recommend:

Track your traffic sources closely
Are you seeing more “direct/none” or “unassigned” visitors – especially landing deep in your site or at checkout? That could indicate traffic from AI systems. Make sure your tracking and GA4 setup can help you identify traffic from tools like ChatGPT.

Ensure that OpenAI’s web crawler can access your website
To have your website appear in ChatGPT’s search results, you need to make sure that OpenAI’s web crawler (OAI-SearchBot) is not blocked – this may require an update to your robots.txt file. By allowing access, you can also track traffic from ChatGPT in tools like Google Analytics, as ChatGPT automatically adds the UTM tag utm_source=chatgpt.com to referral links.

Optimize your product feeds and metadata
Ensure your webshop “speaks the same language” as AI platforms, and that your product content is fully optimized for visibility there.
AI systems favor elements like FAQs, Q&As, bullet points, customer reviews, and context-rich descriptions.
If you’re unsure whether your feeds and product pages are optimized for AI platforms, Google Shopping, and social media – we’re happy to help with an audit.

Think omnichannel and AI-first
Start thinking about how AI can become an active part of your customer journeys and ad campaigns.
Knowing your Buyer Personas is a huge advantage. Understand what your customers want, what matters to them when choosing products, and how they discover them.

Keep testing
This is uncharted territory. The businesses that test early will be the ones that learn – and win – first.

Final thoughts

At Iternum Digital, we’re closely monitoring this evolution and already advising clients on the opportunities and risks that AI-driven shopping experiences bring.

If you want to be ahead of the curve in future-proof digital marketing, get in touch – we’ll help you navigate and thrive in this new landscape.