Seduction, intent & AI: Amazon SEO in the age of Rufus
Amazon SEO is evolving fast. Ever heard of GEO? It stands for Generative Engine Optimization. Gone are the days when stuffing keywords was enough to climb the rankings. Today, winning over Amazon’s algorithm takes a lot more finesse, because it, too, has integrated AI.
And as with any good seduction, visibility alone isn’t enough. To stand out, you need to speak the right language, persuade, and, above all, understand. On Amazon, that “other” you need to understand is the shopper.
We already touched on this last year when Rufus launched in the U.S. and started reshaping shopping behavior on Amazon. But this time, we’re going deeper: breaking down what AI really expects from a product page to grab attention, match intent, and drive conversion.
Because now, it’s a double game: you’re writing for both the shopper and the AI agents, their new personal shopping assistants.
From SEO to GEO: When AI rewrites the rules, even on Amazon
In the past, a shopper would type a query, get a search results page (SERP), click, and buy. Today? They don’t search, they ask. They express a need, a problem, a question. And a conversational AI responds, synthesizing options, filtering results, and sometimes even deciding for them.
That’s where GEO comes in. It’s no longer about optimizing for a results page, it’s about optimizing for an AI that interprets intent and builds the answer.
Amazon is no exception. With the rollout of Rufus, its conversational AI designed to guide user searches, GEO is becoming a top priority on the marketplace. Rufus is already involved in 14% of queries in the U.S., and that number is expected to reach 25–35% by the end of 2025. In France, it’s still in beta.
Rufus’s mission? To match shopper intent with the most relevant products. And to do that, it doesn’t just read keywords, it reads between the lines, picks up on nuance, and looks for content that’s clear, authentic, and aligned with real consumer expectations.
In short: Rufus doesn’t want technical specs. It wants stories.
Every product page now needs to answer a specific shopper intent, with content that checks four essential boxes:
Natural: Speak like a human, not a robot. Use a conversational, accessible tone.
Engaging: Highlight real benefits, not just technical features.
Credible: Build trust with social proof, reviews, comparisons, real-life use cases.
Relevant: Use the shopper’s language, not outdated SEO jargon.
A Real-World Test: Garnier Body Superfood
To measure the real impact of copywriting on performance in today’s AI-driven context, we ran an A/B test on a product listing for Garnier Body Superfood.
Version A: A classic, descriptive listing focused on features.
What Rufus understands: “Generic moisturizing cream with cocoa. Got it.”
Version B: A more human, benefit-driven narrative that speaks to transformation, natural ingredients, and well-being.
What Rufus understands: “This cream is perfect for someone looking to transform dry skin with a natural, sensory solution.”
The results? The Rufus-friendly version clearly outperformed:
+8.33% units per unique visitor
+9.93% conversion rate
+8.67% total sales
+6.86% units sold
Amazon SEO is no longer about keywords. It’s about understanding, natural language, and algorithmic seduction.
To perform, you need to think like Rufus, the shopper’s new best friend: capture attention, respond with precision, and create a real connection between the product and the shopper’s needs.
And in a world where generative AIs like ChatGPT or Copilot are synthesizing answers, the real challenge is to be visible, cited, and recommended by these new engines. A whole new playing field is emerging, and it’s only just beginning: welcome to the era of GEO.
Want to boost your Amazon product listings? Let’s talk.
Head of SEO
