A Query Design Guide for Getting Chosen by AI
In e-commerce and retail GEO strategy, registering just your product or brand name isn't enough.
Designing queries around the contexts users actually consult AI with —
concerns, use cases, comparisons, and reputation — is the starting point for getting chosen by AI.
Users don't necessarily start by asking AI "should I buy [Product]?"
Instead, they ask things like "recommend a lotion for sensitive skin," "what's a good Mother's Day gift?", "compare popular health food brands," or "aren't the reviews for [Product] kind of bad?" — consulting AI within the context of a concern, a use case, a comparison, or reputation.
At Genview, we design these queries across three stages: TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU.
TOFU is the stage where a user hasn't yet settled on a specific product or brand name.
At this stage, you're checking whether your brand becomes a candidate for a concern or use case.
For skincare products, that might be "lotion for sensitive skin"; for food gifts, "recommended gifts for Mother's Day" — build queries starting from the user's problem or use case.
If you don't appear here, AI may not recognize you as a "leading choice for this concern or use case."
MOFU: The Comparison Stage
MOFU is the stage where a user is comparing multiple products or brands.
At this stage, you're checking whether AI can explain why your brand would be chosen over competitors.
Register category-comparison or competitor-comparison queries like "compare recommended lotion brands" or "what's the difference between Brand A and Brand B?"
At MOFU, what matters isn't just whether you're a comparison candidate, but which evaluation criteria you're discussed under — price, quality, reviews, ingredients, ease of use, and so on.
BOFU: Right Before Purchase
BOFU is the stage where a user is confirming their last remaining concerns right before purchase.
At this stage, you're checking whether AI can accurately describe your brand or product.
Examples include "what are the reviews for [Product]?", "is it easy to cancel a subscription for [Product]?", or "should I choose [Product] or [Competitor]?"
At BOFU, check whether AI is providing incorrect or outdated information about reviews, effectiveness, cancellation terms, money-back guarantees, and competitor comparisons.
How to Think About Queries to Register for E-Commerce & Retail
For e-commerce and retail, we recommend covering at least the following five contexts.
Context
Purpose
Example Query
Concern
Check if you're a candidate to solve a concern
"What products would you recommend for dry skin?"
Use case
Check if you're recommended for a specific use case
"What's a good gift for Mother's Day?"
Category
Check if you're recognized within your product category
"What lotion brands would you recommend?"
Comparison
Check whether you're chosen for a reason against competitors
"Which is better, Brand A or Brand B?"
Reputation
Check whether pre-purchase concerns are answered accurately
"What are the reviews for [Product]?"
It's important to register queries using the words a user would actually consult AI with — not just your product category or brand name.
Ready-to-Use Query Examples
TOFU Awareness-Stage Query Examples
Recommend a lotion that's easy to use for sensitive skin
What skincare products would you recommend for dry skin?
What's a good product for someone buying protein for the first time?
Recommend a health food that's easy to stick with every day
What's a good beauty gift for Mother's Day?
What's a practical gift under 5,000 yen?
How do I pick products online without regretting it?
What beauty supplements would you recommend for women in their 30s?
What household items would you recommend for someone living alone?
What products are easy to use with kids?
MOFU Comparison-Stage Query Examples
Compare recommended lotion brands
Compare lotion brands for sensitive skin
What's a good value beauty supplement?
What health food subscription brands would you recommend?
Compare protein brands available online
Compare food brands good for gifting
What's the difference between Brand A's and Brand B's health food?
Compare the reviews for Brand A and Brand B
Which should I choose, Brand A or Brand B?
What's an affordable skincare brand that's easy to keep using?
BOFU Purchase-Decision Query Examples
What are the reviews for [Product]?
What's the reputation of [Product]?
Does [Product] actually work?
Can [Product] be used with sensitive skin?
Is it easy to cancel a subscription for [Product]?
Does [Product] have a money-back guarantee?
Which would you recommend, [Product] or [Competitor]?
Who should and shouldn't buy [Product]?
What are the pros and cons of [Product]?
Where's the best place to buy [Product]?
Summary
In e-commerce and retail GEO strategy, it's important to design queries around the context a user actually consults AI with — not just your product or brand name.
At TOFU, focus on the concerns and use cases of users who don't yet know your brand. At MOFU, focus on the criteria used by users comparing against competitors. At BOFU, focus on pre-purchase concerns and reputation checks.
Registering queries across these three stages lets you check how your brand is recognized, recommended, and compared within AI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is it enough to register only queries that include our brand name, like "what are the reviews for [Product]"?
Named queries (BOFU) are essential for checking how AI describes your brand, but they're not sufficient on their own. Many prospective buyers consult AI about a concern or use case — like "a lotion for sensitive skin" — before they even know your brand name. Registering unnamed TOFU and MOFU queries as well lets you check whether AI presents you as a candidate at points of contact with new users.
Q. If we sell on an e-commerce marketplace, will AI recommend us?
Selling on a marketplace contributes to AI's recognition of you to some degree, but it doesn't guarantee a recommendation on its own. Since AI builds its picture of a brand from multiple sources, consistent information across your own site, the marketplace, and external media builds trust. Alongside query design, it's important to keep your own site's product information well organized. See our E-Commerce & Retail GEO overview page for more.
Q. How can I check whether our registered queries are producing results?
With Genview, you can continuously measure appearance status across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and more, for each registered query. You can track numerically how AI's description of you changes, and whether the gap with competitors narrows, before and after implementing a strategy, through two metrics: Query Improvement (matched, misrecognized, or not mentioned) and Brand Perception Improvement (recognition match rate). We recommend starting with the 14-day free trial to check your current AI perception and establish a baseline. See full pricing details.