Want AI to Recommend Your Products? Here’s How Prodify Helps

AI is changing the way AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) pros discover building products. And here’s the thing manufacturers need to realize: if your product data and digital assets are a mess, AI has no clue what to do with them.

Even the smartest AI tools can’t recommend products they can’t understand. If your content is buried in PDFs, scattered across folders, trapped in spreadsheets, or living on five different platforms, AI-powered search tools struggle to surface your products to the AEC community.  

The good news? This isn’t really an AI problem. It’s a product file problem, and that’s where Prodify can help.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• How AEC pros are using AI to find products
• Why AEO/GEO matters for manufacturers
• Why AI Loves organized product data
• How Prodify helps manufacturers get AI-ready

How AEC Pros Are Using AI to Find Products

Architects and engineers are no longer just relying only on Google searches, specification platforms, and manufacturer websites to find products to specify.  

More and more, they’re using AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Perplexity, and other assistants to research products, compare options, and quickly gather technical information. They’re asking questions like:

• What products meet this performance requirement?
• Which manufacturers offer sustainable solutions for this application?
• What products are commonly specified for this type of project?

And AI is answering. The question is: will your products show up in those answers?  

SEO Isn’t Enough Anymore: Meet AEO/GEO

Traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) still matters, but AI-powered search experiences are becoming the new front door for product discovery. That means manufacturers now need to think beyond SEO and start considering AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

This means that you’re no longer just optimizing for search engines—you’re optimizing for AI-generated answers. And the value of AEO and GEO is already starting to show. Companies that got ahead of the curve and began optimizing for AI-powered search in early 2024 are seeing remarkable results:

• 3.4x more traffic from AI-powered answer engines than competitors who waited to invest
• ‍31% higher engagement from answer engine visitors compared to traditional search traffic
• ‍27% higher conversion rates when users click through from AI-generated answers

As more people turn to AI tools to find answers, one thing is clear: showing up in AI-generated answers isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a key part of being discovered online.

Learn how to master AEO and GEO here.

AI Loves Organized Product Assets & Data

Getting your products to show up in AI-generated answers starts with your product assets and data. Why? Because AI tools are much more likely to recommend products when the content behind them is structured, complete, and easy to understand.  

For manufacturers, product assets include:

• CAD drawings
• BIM models
• 3D models
• Specifications
• Certifications
• Cut sheets  
• Installation guides
• Images
• Videos
• Brochures

And product data refers to:

• SKUs
• Materials
• Finishes
• Dimensions
• Pricing

Together, your product assets and data explain what your products are, how they perform, where they can be used, and why someone should choose them for their project. The easier it is for AI to access and interpret this data, the more likely your products are to appear when AEC pros are looking for solutions. On the flip side, messy or outdated data can make your products harder for AI to understand, and easier to overlook.

In some cases, AI may even fill in the gaps itself, generating incomplete recommendations, inaccurate details, or information that doesn't fully reflect your products.  And when AI gets product information wrong, everyone loses. Specifiers waste time verifying details, projects slow down, and manufacturers risk losing credibility before a conversation even begins.

How Prodify Helps Manufacturers Get AI-Ready

Prodify's integrated Product Information Management (PIM) and Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform brings all of your product content into one centralized place, making it easier to manage and update.

The result? Product content that's structured, searchable, and easy for AI tools to understand. Your products are easier to find and recommend the next time a specifiers turns to AI for answers.

The best part is that the same foundation that helps AEC prospects discover and specify your products also helps AI systems surface more accurate information about them. So, while you're improving your websites, distributors, resellers, and specification platforms, you're also building the groundwork for stronger AI visibility.

Why is this important? Well, poor product data costs organizations nearly $13 million annually. The cost of inaction isn't just lost AI visibility—it's millions in revenue walking out the door every year.

Key Takeaway: Structured Product Content Gets You Specified

AI can't build reliable answers from scattered PDFs and disconnected data sources, but when it can draw from a trusted, centralized PIM and DAM, it’s far more likely to surface your products at the right moment, to the right people. As AI becomes a bigger part of how AEC pros research, discover, and specify products, manufacturers with organized, centralized product data will have a clear advantage.  

Here’s the bottom line: if you’re investing in structured product content today, you’re positioning your brand to be the one AI recommends tomorrow.

Want to learn more about Prodify? Book a demo here.