What is AIO for Stores? 7 Measures to Take in the Era of ChatGPT and Gemini

“I feel like I’m getting fewer reservations from booking sites like Hot Pepper Beauty and Tabelog than before.”

“Even though I’m listed on Google Search and Google Maps, I’m not seeing an increase in new customers.”

“When I asked ChatGPT for recommended shops in the area, it suggested my competitors but didn’t mention my store.”

Some store owners may be feeling these changes or having these doubts.

The reasons for a decline in reservations or visits are varied, including an increase in competitors, pricing, reviews, and seasonality. You cannot attribute everything to the influence of AI search.

On the other hand, the ways customers search for stores are expanding.

Until now, it was common to search for stores on Google Search, Google Maps, Hot Pepper Beauty, or Tabelog and compare them yourself.

Now, in addition to that, you can ask AI like ChatGPT or Gemini for store candidates by providing conditions such as:

You can ask for store candidates by conveying conditions like these.

With Gemini, you can use public information from Google Maps to search for stores and restaurants, or check addresses, websites, ratings, and business hours. In ChatGPT Search, answers using location information may also be displayed in response to questions about a region.

For future store customer acquisition, in addition to measures for Google Search, Google Maps, and booking sites, you also need a perspective on how your store is being treated in AI responses.

In this article, we call the effort to organize store information with AI search in mind and check how it is handled "AIO measures," and we will explain 7 things that stores can start working on now.

3 things to review first

If a store is going to start AIO measures, the first things to check are the following three points:

1. Specifically write down "who you are providing what to" at your store.

2. Align information across your official website, Google Business Profile, etc.

3. Set conditions, record AI responses, and continuously check for changes.

Before creating a special page for AI, first check whether the store name, business hours, prices, and service details posted on your official website, Google Business Profile, and booking sites are correctly unified.

What is AIO optimization?

There are multiple definitions of "AIO" depending on the source.

In this article, we define AIO optimization for stores as follows:

Implementing AIO optimization does not guarantee that your store name will be displayed or recommended by AI.

AI responses may change depending on the content of the question, the service used, the time of inquiry, location data, and account settings.

AIO optimization should not be thought of as a "trick to get chosen by AI," but rather as an effort to keep the information you publish about your store accurate and easy to understand, and to monitor subsequent changes.

For example, suppose a customer asks an AI the following questions:

Such questions include multiple conditions, not just location, but also specialized services, business hours, in-store facilities, and the purpose of the visit.

Therefore, it is important for stores to specifically post not only the store name and address, but also the following information:

• What kind of customers is it suitable for?

• What are its specialties?

• For what purposes can it be used?

• What are the prices and estimated time required?

• What kind of facilities and services are available?

Differences between SEO, MEO, and AIO

SEO, MEO, and AIO differ in the places and roles they play in connecting with users.

However, they are not completely separate measures.

All of them are based on store information posted on the internet, such as official websites and Google Business Profiles.

SEO

Efforts to help people find your official website or store page in search results on Google and other search engines.

MEO

Efforts to deliver information to customers looking for nearby stores through Google Maps and local searches.

Google Business Profile is used to register and update store information.

AIO

Efforts to organize store information on official websites and Google Business Profiles, and to check how it is handled by AI such as ChatGPT and Gemini.

AIO is not a replacement for SEO or MEO.

Google has stated that the basics of SEO remain effective even with AI overviews and AI modes, and that there is no need to create special files or dedicated structured data just for AI features.

Furthermore, to be displayed as a related link in Google's AI features, your page must be indexed by Google Search and be in a state where it can appear in regular search results. However, meeting these conditions does not guarantee indexing or display.

First, it is important to organize the information on your official website and Google Business Profile, and then check how it is handled in AI responses.

7 AIO measures that stores should start working on now

From here on, we will introduce 7 points that store owners can check starting today.

Let's look at them in order, starting with things you can do without any special AI knowledge.

1. Clarify 'Who you are and what you offer'

The first thing you should review is your store description.

For example, phrases like the following do not sufficiently convey your specific features:

• A community-based hair salon

• A salon that cares for its customers

• Providing high-quality service

• A store you can use with peace of mind

These are not bad expressions, but they apply to many stores.

For a hair salon, including information like the following makes your store's features easier to understand:

• What age group are your main customers?

• What kind of hair concerns do you specialize in?

• Are you better at hair quality improvement or hair straightening?

• Can customers bring their children?

• Can customers visit after work?

• What are the prices and treatment times?

For a restaurant, it would be information like the following:

• What kind of cuisine do you serve?

• Is it suitable for lunch, business meetings, entertaining clients, or anniversaries?

• Do you have private rooms or counter seating?

• Is it easy to use for those with children or solo customers?

• Approximate budget

• Can it accommodate allergies or dietary restrictions?

Write specifically not only about the industry, such as "hair salons," "restaurants," or "purchase shops," but also what kind of customers and usage purposes the store is suitable for.

2. Increase answers to what customers want to know

You can ask AI questions in sentences, not just keywords.

Therefore, it is important to post answers to what customers want to know before choosing a store on your official website as well.

For a hair salon, the following questions can be considered:

• How long does hair quality improvement last?

• How is it different from hair straightening?

• Can it be performed on bleached hair?

• How long does it take for the first visit?

• Is there a long hair surcharge?

• Can men use the service?

For a restaurant, the questions are as follows:

• How many people can use a private room?

• Is there a children's menu?

• Do you provide plates for anniversaries?

• Can you accommodate food allergies?

• When does the cancellation fee start?

• Is there a parking lot?

The goal is not simply to increase the number of questions and answers.

The goal is to provide clear, official information that answers what customers want to know before choosing a store. is the objective.

There is no need to force an increase in questions that are not actually relevant or have little to do with the store.

3. Align information on your official website and Google Business Profile

Aligning the content is just as important as the amount of information.

For example, the following situations confuse both AI and customers:

• Opening at 10:00 AM on the official website, but 11:00 AM on the Google Business Profile

• Different prices on the official website and the booking site

• Different store name spellings across media

• Old address from before a relocation remaining on external sites

• Discontinued services still being listed

• New prices only mentioned on social media

Google also advises registering accurate and comprehensive information on your Business Profile and keeping your address, business hours, and business category up to date. Local search results are primarily determined by a combination of relevance, distance, and prominence.

At the very least, check the following media:

• Official website

• Google Business Profile

• SNS such as Instagram

• Booking sites

• Portal sites

• Past store introduction articles

Even if it is difficult to manage all external sites, first ensure that the information on your official website matches that on your Google Business Profile.

4. Write information that allows for comparison, such as pricing and target audience

AI and customers cannot compare stores based solely on expressions like "polite," "reliable," or "high quality."

Post specific information that can serve as criteria for choosing a store.

For example, the following information:

• Pricing

• Required time

• Target customers

• Service areas

• How to book

• Whether same-day booking is available

• Cancellation policy

• Availability of private rooms or parking

• Whether children are welcome

• Staff experience and qualifications

• Concerns that can be addressed

• Cases that cannot be handled

For example,

not only that, but

Writing it this way clarifies the target audience, duration, and price of the service.

Rather than decorating the store's appeal with abstract words, it is important to increase the specific information that customers can use to make decisions.

5. Make your official website accessible to Google and ChatGPT search

Even if you post detailed store information, if your settings prevent Google or ChatGPT search from accessing the page, the content may not be reflected in search results.

First, let's look at the following points that are easy for store owners to check themselves.

• Does your official website appear when you search for your store name on Google?

• Can you navigate from the top page to the pricing and service pages?

• Is the business information or pricing written only inside images?

• Is the content hidden behind a login requirement?

• Is it readable without issues on smartphones?

• Are there any outdated pricing or service pages remaining?

Google explains that even with AI overviews and AI modes, the basics of traditional SEO remain important, such as posting key information in text, making pages easy to find via site links, and keeping your Business Profile up to date.

Regarding ChatGPT search, OpenAI advises not to block 'OAI-SearchBot,' their search crawler, if you want your site content to be included in search result summaries and descriptions.

However, allowing access by OAI-SearchBot does not guarantee inclusion in search results, higher rankings, or recommendations for your store.

If you are unsure about technical settings, consult your website production or management company by asking,

.

6. If necessary, make your store information easier for Google to understand

The website contains the store name, address, phone number, business hours, and other information.

For this information,

• this is the store name

• this is the address

• these are the business hours

there is a way to add markers for computers.

This mechanism is called structured data.

Simply put,

is what it is.

Google explains that by using structured data for stores, you can communicate information such as business hours, address, and departments within the store to Google.

However, just setting up structured data does not mean you will be introduced by ChatGPT or Gemini.

Also, it is not appropriate to add content to structured data that is not written on the website itself.

First, organize the store information correctly for customers to read.

Use structured data as an aid to make that content easy for Google to understand as well.

Google also advises that the content of structured data should match the text displayed on the page. There is no need to add special structured data just for AI features.

Since setting it up may require specialized knowledge, you can consult with your website production company.

7. Record AI responses under the same conditions

After organizing your store information, check how your store is being treated on ChatGPT and Gemini.

However, the results of a single query from your personal account that you use daily do not necessarily mean that the same answer will be displayed to general customers.

For example, in ChatGPT search, if memory is enabled, saved information may be used to create search queries. Additionally, rough location estimated from an IP address or device location information permitted by the user may be used for location-related answers.

Therefore, when checking for changes, keep conditions as consistent as possible when recording.

Things to decide first

• AI used for verification

• Questions to input

• Region or conditions to specify

• Number of times to check

• Days to check

• Account and settings to use

• Location information settings

Things to record

• Stores introduced

• Number of times your store was included in the answer

• Content written about the store

• Sources displayed

• Changes from the previous check

For example, if you check 5 times under the same conditions and your store is included in the answer 3 times, record it as:

record it as such.

This does not mean it will be displayed to 60% of customers in the world.

These are merely results observed under the set conditions.

In ChatGPT, you can use temporary chat as a way to suppress personal adjustments made by memory or regular conversation history.

Temporary chat does not reference or create new personal memory. However, any custom instructions you have set will still be reflected.

Even when using temporary chat, it is not possible to make all conditions, such as location information, check date and time, and information available during search, completely identical.

Therefore, it is important not to judge results based on a single self-search, but to record the conditions used and continuously observe changes.

5 Failures to Avoid in AIO Strategy

In AIO strategy, simply increasing the amount of information is not enough.

Here, we introduce 5 failures that stores should especially avoid.

1. Searching once with your own account and judging the results

The results of a single search using your own account that you use daily can serve as a reference.

However, you cannot judge from that alone that the same answer is being displayed to general customers.

Record the question text, date and time, account and location settings, etc., and compare the results multiple times.

2. Creating a large number of articles just to be introduced by AI

Avoid creating a large number of articles that are loosely related to the store or have shallow content just for the purpose of being picked up by AI.

It is more important to accurately post information that customers truly want to know than to increase the number of articles.

Google also advises that in search, including AI features, it prioritizes reliable and useful "user-first" content.

3. Writing things that differ from the reality of the store

Groundless expressions such as "No. 1 in the region," "guaranteed improvement," or "recommended for everyone" may damage trust in the store.

Even with AI optimization, it is a prerequisite that the content posted is based on the actual reality of the store.

Instead of exaggerating information to get picked up by AI, post verifiable facts in an easy-to-understand manner.

4. Information differs depending on where it is posted

If business hours, prices, addresses, phone numbers, and service details differ across media, it will confuse customers.

Before adding new pages or articles, check the information currently posted.

First, start by correcting the official website and Google Business Profile, which the store can manage directly.

5. Judging based on only one AI or one metric

ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google's AI features do not necessarily use the same methods for generating answers or the same information sources.

Also, it is important to check not only the number of times the store name appeared, but also the following content:

• Which questions triggered the store name to appear

• How the store was described

• Whether the posted information was correct

• Which page was displayed as the source of information

• What has changed since the last check

Do not just check whether it "appeared or not," but also check how it was treated.

Where should you start with AIO for stores?

You do not need to do everything at once.

First, try proceeding in the following order:

STEP 1: Check current store information

Create a list of the content posted on your official website, Google Business Profile, social media, booking sites, etc.

STEP 2: Correct outdated or incorrect information

Check store names, addresses, phone numbers, business hours, pricing, etc., and correct any inconsistent information.

STEP 3: Add missing information

Add information such as target customers, pricing, required time, areas of expertise, addressable concerns, and frequently asked questions.

STEP 4: Check if the official website can be verified on Google

Search for the store name or service name on Google to see if the official page appears.

For technical settings, consult your website production or management company.

STEP 5: Determine the criteria for checking AI search results

Decide on the AI to use, the query, the region, the frequency of checks, the dates, and settings for accounts or location information.

Do not treat the results of a single query from your personal account as the definitive outcome.

STEP 6: Record changes and verification results

Keep a record of what store information was changed and when.

Afterward, check the AI's response using the same conditions as much as possible and compare the changes observed since the last time.

Frequently Asked Questions about AIO Optimization

If I implement AIO optimization, will I definitely be recommended by ChatGPT?

It is not guaranteed that you will be recommended.

AIO optimization is not a measure that guarantees specific AI responses or store recommendations.

Neither Google nor OpenAI guarantees inclusion in search results or top rankings, even if necessary settings and conditions are met.

The process begins with correctly organizing store information on the internet, followed by checking AI responses under defined conditions.

Which should be prioritized: SEO or AIO?

It is not a matter of choosing one over the other.

First, the foundation is to ensure your official website is verifiable on Google and contains information useful to customers.

Google also states that no special optimization is needed for AI overviews or AI modes, and that the fundamentals of traditional SEO remain important.

On top of that, check how your store information is being handled in responses from ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar services.

Is it enough to just set up a Google Business Profile?

While a Google Business Profile is important, there is information that cannot be fully conveyed through it alone.

You should also post detailed service content, pricing, target customers, staff expertise, case studies, and frequently asked questions on your official website.

It is also important to ensure that the information on your Google Business Profile and your official website does not conflict.

Will setting up structured data get me featured by AI?

Simply setting up structured data does not guarantee inclusion or recommendation by ChatGPT or Gemini.

Structured data for stores is an aid to communicate information such as store name, address, and business hours to Google.

It cannot be explained as a mechanism that directly prompts inclusion in ChatGPT or Gemini.

How do I check for changes resulting from AIO measures?

Record results while keeping conditions as consistent as possible, such as using the same AI, the same questions, and the same regional settings.

Then, compare the following:

• The number of times the store name was included in the response

• The content written about the store

• The sources displayed

• Differences depending on the AI used

• Changes observed after a certain period

It is important not to judge results based on a single self-search.

Also, avoid treating the observed number of appearances as the display rate for all general customers.

AIO measures start with organizing store information clearly.

The basics of AIO measures for stores are not about special techniques.

Specifically describe the features of the store.

Answer customer questions.

Post information necessary for decision-making, such as prices and target audiences.

Align the content of your official website and Google Business Profile.

Ensure that Google and ChatGPT searches can verify your official website.

Set criteria and continuously record AI responses.

It is a accumulation of such steady information organization and verification.

On the other hand, there is still much that is unknown about the relationship between stores and AI search.

• To what extent do the recommended stores change even with the same question?

• What are the differences in recommended stores between ChatGPT and Gemini?

• How much do results change depending on how the question is phrased?

• When do changes appear in AI responses after updating store information?

• Which websites does the AI use as source material for its answers?

Rather than assuming that 'doing this will definitely get you chosen by AI,' it is important to first organize your store information and observe changes under comparable conditions.

About Store AI Search Research Institute by Michibito

Store AI Search Research Institute by Michibito is a media outlet that disseminates information on AI search and store customer attraction based on actual search results and store case studies.

What kind of stores are recommended by ChatGPT and Gemini?
How does reviewing store information change the AI's responses?

Because this is a topic where the correct approach is not yet established, we will share information in an easy-to-understand way that store managers can readily implement, while conducting our own research and verification.

The AI search service [Michibito] provides support for organizing store information from official websites, Google Business Profiles, and other sources, and for checking how your store appears in AI search results.

If you would like to check if your store information is incomplete or inconsistent, or if you want to know how your store is being handled by ChatGPT and Gemini, please visit our service page.