Hey PieLab, I run a large catalog store (500+ SKUs) as an authorized dealer for many established brands. I’ve had customers tell me they found my store through ChatGPT when searching for specific products, and in at least one case I was the first recommendation in their chat. But when I try similar queries in my own ChatGPT or Gemini sessions, I can’t find my store at all.
That raises a few questions:
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Why would results differ so much between users for similar queries? Is there a personalization layer that makes AEO rankings inconsistent from session to session?
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Is there any reliable way to track where my store is appearing in AI recommendations and for which queries? With traditional SEO I have Google Search Console. With AEO, is there anything yet?
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What signals do AI answer engines actually weigh when deciding which retailer to recommend for a product that multiple stores carry?
Hi @Roy_Wins
This is David from SearchPie here!
- Results differ between users because LLMs are probabilistic reasoning engines that generate answers on the fly rather than pulling from a static index of links. Even slight variations in how a prompt is worded, the user’s hidden conversational context, and the exact data pulled during real-time retrieval can drastically alter the AI’s final recommendation.
- To track your AI visibility without a native tool like Google Search Console, you must rely on a mix of manual auditing and technical monitoring. Conduct a reverse-engineered audit by testing direct brand, niche, and problem-solution prompts in engines like ChatGPT and Gemini to see where they pull citations from
- When competing against dealers with the exact same inventory and manufacturer descriptions, AI uses tie-breakers based on semantic density and concept alignment rather than keyword repetition. To win these recommendations, provide robust Product schemas to clearly differentiate your items and establish topical authority.
Hope this helps!