How AI Is Changing the Way People Shop for Plants
October 14, 2025 
Katie Dubow, President of Garden Media Group. | Katie Dubow, Garden Media Group
How is artificial intelligence (AI) changing the way people shop for plants? How do I build a stronger community online in a world where recommendations are machine-generated? How do I strengthen my visibility in AI-powered recommendations?
At Shopify New York, I learned the answers to all these questions… and more. The panel was digital leaders, Emily Campbell of Iced Media, Kelly Shah-McDonnell of E.L.F. Beauty, and Grace Clarke from Shopify, discussing how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are rewriting the consumer journey.
Search is no longer SEO. It’s a conversation. It’s a recommendation. It’s AI quietly shaping what we see, what we trust, and what we buy.
Technical Readiness for AI Integration — Is Your Business Ready?
The first step is ensuring your site and content are crawlable by AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E. If your content isn’t accessible, you won’t even be in the running. How do you do that? Good question, ask your developer (or even AI itself).
Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, you’ll want to analyze which sources AI models cite most often: YouTube, PR articles, or social posts. This will guide where to double down on content and partnerships. (Hint, High-Authority PR articles are the most frequently cited, but don’t take my word for it… ask chat!)
The next step is to build your brand on owned ground. Yes, the future of our own websites is up in the air. But Grace thinks that as AI strips away context, brand-owned channels are the most essential. Website, storefront, Instagram, etc, are not just sales tools, they’re trust anchors. As recommendations collapse into a single sentence, that’s where people will go to validate, learn, and deepen their connection with your brand. But Kelly warned us, clickbait headlines and empty promises won’t cut it anymore. Clear, honest, transparent storytelling will.
Measurements for Success in the AI Era
Once it’s all established and you have a clear framework of how to proceed, you need to measure your success in this new era. The three areas Emily said to watch:
- Visibility
- Rank
- Sentiment
It’s no longer enough to count clicks or impressions. The key questions now are:
- Visibility: How often does your brand show up in AI-generated answers? And even more important, what is the search volume of those answers?
- Rank: Where does it appear in the list of recommendations? You don’t have to be first, but are you showing up in the top 10 across multiple search terms?
- Sentiment: Most importantly, how do people feel when they talk about you? The above two don’t even matter if your brand isn’t being reviewed highly.
Positive sentiment doesn’t just build loyalty; it shapes whether AI presents your brand as a trusted solution or a skip-worthy option.
For additional information on floriculture brand building through AI, please read the original article from Katie found on LinkedIn, and view her work as President of Garden Media Group.
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