Most Shopify store owners are still playing by yesterday’s rules. According to Tanner Larsson, founder of Built2Scale.co, the biggest opportunity right now isn’t just selling better products or writing better emails. It’s being seen in AI-driven shopping platforms.
AI commerce is here. And it’s already transforming how customers search, shop, and trust online brands. From Sephora to your competitors, AI is restructuring the entire visibility game. If you’re not building your site with AI shopping in mind, you’re already behind.
Tanner joined Ian Garlic on the Garlic Marketing Show to break down how Shopify owners can win in this AI-powered world, where your product data matters more than your blog posts.
But before we proceed, don’t forget that this episode is brought to you by videocasestory.com. Click here if you need help collecting, crafting, and delivering customer stories.
AI Commerce Is Not the Same as AI Chat
Most people hear “AI” and think of ChatGPT or basic customer service bots. But AI commerce is different. It’s not just about interaction, it’s about discovery. AI shopping platforms like Google Shopping and Amazon are now using large language models to decide which products get visibility.
Tanner warns that the gold rush is happening now, and too many Shopify store owners are stuck optimizing for outdated SEO rather than what really matters: AI visibility.
Sephora’s Winning Playbook: AI Search Optimization
Sephora is dominating AI shopping not by chance but by structure. Their site feeds AI platforms exactly what they need: clean data, structured product information, and relevance.
Tanner explains how this approach differs from traditional SEO. AI doesn’t just look at links and keywords. It reads structured data and interprets context. That means your old blog post strategy won’t cut it anymore.
The One Tool You Need: AI Visibility Analyzer
Tanner developed the AI Visibility Analyzer to help Shopify owners understand whether their store even shows up in AI-driven search results. It scans your structured data, product feeds, and metadata to see how you rank in AI shopping engines.
If you’re not in the results, it’s not because your product isn’t great. It’s because AI doesn’t understand you. And if AI doesn’t understand you, customers won’t find you.
Why Big Brands Are Missing Out
Even massive e-commerce brands are missing the mark. Tanner points out a real example where a household name 8Xed their results simply by adjusting their AI visibility strategy. These are brands with budgets in the millions, yet they’re still failing to show up in shopping results.
If they’re struggling, what chance does a smaller store have without the right data structure? That’s why Tanner insists AI visibility needs to become your top priority.
The 3.2% Growth That Changes Everything
Tanner cites a 3.2% week-over-week increase in AI-driven shopping behavior. That’s not a trend, it’s a shift. As consumers rely more on AI-curated suggestions, your store’s future depends on being understood by those algorithms.
It’s not about outsmarting the system. It’s about speaking the right language: structured data, product attributes, and smart categorization.
There Is Only One Site That’s Fully AI Visible
Tanner reveals that just one site right now is 100% AI visible, and the key to their success is full data alignment. From product feeds to backend structure, their entire store is built to be readable and rankable by AI.
This isn’t about being flashy. It’s about building your digital infrastructure to match the way AI thinks.
Watch the full episode now, and make sure to leave any questions or comments you have about the episode.