OpenAI Begins Taking a Commission on ChatGPT-Based Sales—A Turning Point for LLMO & AI‑Powered SEO
Jul 23, 2025
OpenAI is ramping up its monetization strategy: soon, sales made directly within ChatGPT won’t simply lead to external storefronts—they’ll go through an in-chat checkout. And OpenAI? It’ll earn a commission on each transaction The Economic Times+8Financial Times+8Medium+8.
🛍 What’s Changing
In‑chat checkout system
Leveraging its partnership with Shopify, OpenAI is embedding payment flows directly into ChatGPT. Instead of sending users to retailer websites, shoppers can buy within the conversation—and OpenAI takes a cutMonetizing free‑tier traffic
Previously dependent on subscription revenue, OpenAI now taps into its immense free-user base by turning conversational queries into revenue-generating transactionsAI SEO → AIO
As ChatGPT evolves into a commerce platform, brands are rapidly adopting Artificial Intelligence Optimization (AIO) — adapting strategies to influence AI-generated, in-chat product recommendations
Why LLMO & AI SEO Professionals Should Take Note
Shift from SERPs to Chatflows
Traditional SEO has been about ranking pages in search engine results. Now, with AI-powered models like ChatGPT controlling discovery, brands must optimize within the model’s decision layer—think of it as optimizing prompts, metadata, and LLM responses. This is LLMO (Large Language Model Optimization).Prompt engineering as SEO
The LLMO playbook involves crafting user prompts, memory signals, or conversational context to nudge ChatGPT toward recommending your product—and linking transactions directly.AIO replaces paid search tactics
Instead of bidding on ads, brands can create structured content that the LLM recognizes as relevant during conversational queries. It’s like building SEO-friendly content—but optimized to surface during AI chat.Trust & transparency matter
As ChatGPT begins earning commissions, transparency becomes vital. If AI models start ranking merchant offerings by payment preference, that erodes trust. LLMO strategies should also monitor fairness and disclosure.
Key Opportunities
Focus Area | What To Do |
|---|---|
Prompt & memory design | Shape chat flows to boost product visibility via instructions or context preferences. |
Data‑driven trust signals | Integrate verifiable signals (e.g., reviews, certifications) that LLMs can leverage to surface your product. |
AI‑native discovery tactics | Develop Q&A patterns or interactive FAQ prompts designed to surface your product during conversational searches. |
Track AIO performance | Use analytics on ChatGPT UI referrals and conversions to measure impact. |
Takeaway for AI-SEOs & LLMO Experts
OpenAI’s commission model isn’t just a revenue shift—it’s a paradigm change. Brands need to think differently: it’s not about SERPs anymore, but about being surfaced conversationally at the right moment. This requires a new optimization approach—LLMO—that considers prompts, memory cues, content shape, and ethical UX design.
In a world where your product might be “handed” to users by an LLM, mastering AI SEO/AIO and LLMO will be as critical as search engine ranking once was.