7 Tips to Help You Rank Your Website on ChatGPT

Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT has become hugely popular. With 400 million weekly users and over 1 billion daily messages, it ranks #8 among the most visited websites in the world. 

It’s curious how people turn to GPT for answers daily, while companies put in effort to be seen as reliable sources. But, have they managed to capture attention?—Some have, and others are still trying.

In this article, we'll look at why SEO is great, but it’s not limited to Google or Bing anymore, as the search trends and user behavior have changed significantly. What’s ChatGPT Search, why does it matter, and how to optimize your website to rank there too?

ChatGPT Search Explained

ChatGPT Search is an advanced feature introduced by OpenAI on October 31, 2024. It allows the AI ​​to perform live searches on the web, providing up-to-date information and citing relevant sources in its responses. This way, users find what they are looking for more quickly and easily, having access to citations from external websites.

How Does It Work?

ChatGPT search can be activated automatically or manually. ChatGPT automatically initiates a web search to provide an accurate response when you ask a question about current data, like recent news, live sports scores, or stock prices.

If we are talking about information that does not necessarily require live search, but you need sources, you can manually activate this functionality. This way, ChatGPT Search provides source attribution and you can verify the information and explore further.  To do this, you need to click on the web search icon and enter your query.

 

ChatGPT replies will contain inline citations (click on any of them to open the cited website), and you can also find all cited sources and other relevant links by clicking the Sources button at the end of the reply.

Clicking the button opens a sidebar of links, called Citations. Being mentioned in ChatGPT sources is important because it positions your business, content, and website as a trusted reference point.

It’s also important to note that Citations don’t necessarily mean more clicks/traffic to your website, as users might search differently in ChatGPT than in traditional search engines. At the same time, ChatGPT Citations build more trust for your brand and increase your brand awareness. 

In OpenAI’s blog post, the company mentions:

SearchGPT is designed to help users connect with publishers by prominently citing and linking to them in searches.

Why is It Important to Be Cited in ChatGPT? 

Being mentioned on ChatGPT Sources, you have a great opportunity to increase the visibility of your brand without solely relying on SEO tactics, and have the chance to gain:

• Wider audience, as ChatGPT has millions of active users

• Trust and authority, citations build credibility

• Potential growth, as a result of increased visibility 

• Increased Traffic, more users access your website

• More leads, inquiries, visits, and conversions

• Frequent mentions strengthen brand reputation

• New opportunities - citations spark interest, leading to new collaborations

Given the emerging adoption of AI chatbots, some new abbreviations have been coined, like AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) or GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), which generally have similarities with SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but require a slightly different approach.

Let’s explore some handy tips and tactics to help you rank your new or existing content in ChatGPT search.

How to Optimize Your Website for ChatGPT 

If you want your website to be selected as a source more often, you need to optimize for search engines and the AI ​​models that search algorithms take into account.

#1 The Foundation

Since ChatGPT uses the Bing ecosystem to deliver search results, it’s important to make sure that it can crawl and “see” your website. Don’t block the Bing and ChatGPT bots from accessing your site.

What to do?

• Check your server logs to see if the Bing bot (Bing bot) and ChatGPT bot (GPT Bot) accessed your site
• Check your robots.txt file and make sure these bots are not blocked
• Make sure you have an XML sitemap

Sign up for Bing Webmaster tools and submit your pages for indexing

#2 Relevancy

To stay relevant for ChatGPT, just like in SEO, the quality of your content and keywords is important. ChatGPT prioritizes sources that directly answer users’ questions, ensuring that the information is specific and useful. High-quality, informative, unique content, clear titles, effective and organized writing, and relevant keywords rank your site. 

What to do?

• Create content that answers specific user questions. Use a Q&A format or structured headings like “What is…”, “How to…”, etc.
• Use relevant keywords naturally in your titles, headers, and body text.
• Focus on unique, high-quality content. Avoid generic information - provide value, examples, statistics, or expert input.

#3 Brand Mentions

Unlike search engines, ChatGPT prefers brand mentions over backlinks. The more your brand is mentioned on the web by trusted sources, the more credibility and relevance your site gains, increasing the chances of it being recommended as a source.

What to do? 

• Partner with established/well-known entities or media outlets to mention your brand in articles or on social media.
• Publish guest posts on reputable platforms that include natural brand mentions, even without links.
• Encourage customers and partners to mention your brand in their content or case studies.

#4 Trust

You have to prove that your content is valuable and comprehensive. There is a lot of content online. Ask yourself, how is your content unique? What specific angle does it cover? Would your friends or colleagues recommend it to others?

What to do? 

• Fact-check your content
• Include reputable external sources
• Share your personal experience and feedback

#5 Positive Reviews 

Positive reviews are important because they help improve a website's reputation and ranking. This makes the site more visible and increases its chances of appearing in ChatGPT Search. High-quality reviews build trust, which can indirectly influence search results.

What to do?

• Ask satisfied clients to leave reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, G2, or Google.
• Showcase testimonials on your site and social channels, and share reviews in your blog/news section.
• Respond to feedback to build trust and improve your online reputation.

#6 Up-to-date Information 

ChatGPT Search, like search engines, prioritizes fresh content for queries. A report on “AI in 2025” is more credible if it is published in 2025 than in 2018. Thus, content tagged with recent data and new information often ranks higher.

What to do?

• Update old content with recent information.
• Create articles on current topics or trends.
• Include updates to recently published content and mention the new date “Last updated on…”

#7 Authority 

Last but not least is the authority of the site. While ChatGPT does not directly “rank” sources the way search engines do, it prioritizes the credibility of those sources. The authority of a site directly contributes to its credibility. Factors such as domain age, backlinks, and professional affiliation indicate the authority of a site. The more authoritative a source is, the more recommended it is.

What to do?

• Publish expert content with author bios, LinkedIn links, etc. 
• Earn quality backlinks through PR, guest posts, and partnerships 
• Get mentioned by trusted websites (media, academic, gov)
• Keep your domain active with regular content

As we can see, there are similarities and differences between ChatGPT Search and Search Engine Search. To understand how ChatGPT and Google differ in terms of providing search results, let's take a closer look to reveal their unique preferences and areas of interest.

ChatGPT Search vs. Google Search

As of April 2025, SimilarWeb shows that ChatGPT receives 5.1 billion monthly visits, nearly 5% of Google traffic, and is still growing. This presents huge exposure.

However, according to Brightlocal, ChatGPT and Google get their answers differently from the web. 

ChatGPT relies a lot on official business websites for answers (using them 58% of the time), even more than Google (47%). This means ChatGPT gives you answers directly from trusted company pages most of the time.  Additionally, ChatGPT (27%) uses "mentions" (like summaries or references from other sites) more than Google (16%). So, ChatGPT also considers what others are saying about a topic to give you answers.

On the other hand, Google is better at showing directories (like Yellow Pages or other lists) – 31% compared to ChatGPT's 15%. This means Google might show you more lists or databases if you're looking for options (e.g., “Best Design Agency in New York”). Google also includes forums, like Reddit or online discussions, 7% of the time, whereas ChatGPT does not use forums at all.  If you like answers from real people in discussions, Google is better for that.

Thus, ChatGPT is more focused on giving you answers from official and trusted sources, while Google is more varied and also includes things like forums and directories.

ChatGPT’s Search Functionality Relies on Bing

If we are talking solely about ChatGPT's search functionality, it’s important to mention that it relies heavily on Bing search index and ranking algorithms. Ensuring your website is well-indexed by Bing can significantly improve its chances of being considered a source by ChatGPT.

ChatGPT uses Bing’s search infrastructure because of the close partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. This collaboration is a win-win, as ChatGPT's search feature tends to 'steal' market share from Google's monopolized search domain.

In other words, when ChatGPT needs to perform a web search, it uses APIs. These are tools provided by major companies to grant access to specific information or functionalities. Similarly, Bing has its own search API. When ChatGPT needs information, it uses Bing's search API to get results, analyzes them, and crafts a relevant response for the user.

How ChatGPT Answers Different Types of Searches?

ChatGPT Search selects sources differently, depending on the intent and type of search.

There are two main types of ChatGPT Searches: 

• Transactional, when you want to buy something or take action (e.g., "Download the latest version of Adobe Photoshop" or “Purchase antivirus software for Windows 10”).
• Informational, when you want to learn something (e.g., "What is cloud computing? or How does blockchain technology work?").

For Transactional Searches, ChatGPT mostly gives answers from business websites (73%), according to a Brightlocal study. This is because official company sites are the best for making buying decisions.

For Informational Searches, ChatGPT still uses business websites (43%), but it also looks at mentions (35%) and directories (22%). This means ChatGPT gathers more variety when the goal is to teach or explain something.
 

So, for buying, ChatGPT focuses on trusted business websites, and for learning, it uses more sources like mentions and directories to give broader answers.
If your goal is to generate sales, prioritize website optimization; if it's to educate, emphasize mentions, directories, and other diverse sources for credibility and depth.

Optimize Your Content for ChatGPT and AI Searches

ChatGPT prioritizes in-depth, intent-aligned content that is well-structured and written in clear, simple language. To optimize your content for ChatGPT, here are some factors to consider:

1. Organize your content clearly. Use headings and subheadings to create a logical flow, making it easy to follow.
2. Make it easy to scan. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and short paragraphs so readers can quickly pick out key points.
3. Use visuals. Add relevant images, charts, and other visuals to improve understanding and engagement.
4. Use clear and simple language. Avoid complicated words to ensure your content is easy for a broad audience to understand.
5. Make it mobile-friendly. Make sure your content looks great on every device..

If your content demonstrates aspects of experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, also known as E-E-A-T, which is used by Google search, it might go well in ChatGPT as well.

Here are the most common content types that could work well for AI engines (e.g., ChatGPT)

Content-Type	Usage in AI Search Engine Responses
Articles, blog posts, news stories	Generate summaries or detailed information in responses
FAQ Pages	Used to provide short responses
How-to (step-by-step instructions for completing a task)	To deliver step-by-step instructions or solutions
Product Descriptions	AI presents product data to generate detailed descriptions or comparisons
Reviews	AI uses reviews to generate opinions and recommendations
Person	Used to generate biographies or provide information about individuals' backgrounds
Organization	AI uses this data to showcase company details
Video	To offer summaries, previews, or content suggestions
Local Business	Used to provide location-based recommendations and business details

Source: xponent21 How to Optimize Your Website and Content to Rank in AI Search Results

ChatGPT vs Other AI Tools: Search, Ranking

Here comes the curiosity: how similar or different are other AI tools like Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and Grok compared to ChatGPT? What are their methods for selecting the sources they mention and attribute ownership to? Let’s have a look below.

AI Tool	Search Method	Ranking Approach	Strengths
Grok	Integrated real-time data and custom APIs, often tailored for specific domains	Prioritizes user-preferred sources or predefined authoritative databases for accuracy.	Provides precise information for specialized fields.
Gemini	Combines text, images, and videos to offer comprehensive results.	It uses Google's core ranking systems, emphasizing the authority and relevance of the indexed data.	Offers a broad understanding with extensive data sources
Perplexity	It uses GPT models with real-time data from Microsoft Bing and Azure.	Considers site authority, online reputation, and organic search rankings.	Provides clear answers with cited sources, increasing transparency.
ChatGPT	Incorporates real-time web search capabilities through partnerships, notably with Microsoft Bing	It emphasizes content quality, relevance, authority, and freshness.	Versatility across domains, capable of deeper engagement in conversation.

As we can see in the table above, Grok uses real-time data and custom APIs for specific subjects, relying on user-preferred sources for accurate information. However, it may lack broader context. 

Gemini combines text, images, and videos by using Google's ranking systems, which focus on authority and relevance. It offers a wide understanding but limited customization options. 

Perplexity utilizes GPT models with real-time Microsoft Bing and Azure data, providing clear answers with cited sources. It requires internet access and can sometimes be overly simple. 

ChatGPT features real-time search capabilities through partnerships like Microsoft Bing, it emphasizes the quality and freshness of content. However, it cannot access the latest information without browsing capabilities. Each tool has unique features for different needs.

Conclusion

In summary, it is clear that ChatGPT Search has changed the way users find information, prioritizing trusted business websites and brand mentions over traditional directories or forums

For businesses, this highlights the importance of creating high-quality, relevant content, encouraging organic mentions, and keeping up-to-date information to build trust and visibility.  

Being open to these changes opens doors to your brand to greater visibility, credibility, and growth in these new digital vibes.

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