How To Get Your Business Featured in ChatGPT Results

Since its introduction in 2022, ChatGPT has grown into one of the world’s most popular generative AI tools. The site gets an estimated 5.2 billion visits every month. While ChatGPT isn’t meant to function as a search engine, people use it as a tool to research and retrieve information.

When a user types a query into ChatGPT, its algorithms scour the internet to find relevant results. ChatGPT will also link relevant websites in its output so users can do more in-depth research. Optimizing your website for ChatGPT SEO will help you reach the app’s users and drive more traffic to your website. Learn more about why you should consider AI in your SEO strategy and how to use it alongside functional SEO. 

Why AI Search Optimization Matters

AI search optimization (AIO) matters now because user search engine behavior is evolving. People are not only using ChatGPT to search the internet, but they’re using Google’s AI Overview and other tools to perform zero-click searches. This means: 

• A user searches for a topic online.
• AI compiles results into a featured snippet.
• The user reads through the summary without clicking into any of the top results.

AIO increases your chances of appearing in these overviews, which improves your brand visibility. 

The Difference Between Functional SEO and AIO

Google and other search engines rank your site based on its relevancy, quality, authority, and user experience. Google specifically uses the EEAT formula: 

• Experience: How much firsthand experience the content creator has with the topic
• Expertise: The creator’s level of familiarity or skill with the subject
• Authoritativeness: How well the creator is known as an authority on the subject
• Trustworthiness: How well a reader can trust that the information on a website is accurate, reliable, and honest 

Functional SEO makes your website visible to search engines using keywords, backlinks, social proof, and other factors that show algorithms your site is credible. 

AI matches businesses to searches based on how well the website matches a user’s intent. AI chooses the most credible results and uses them as citations in its answers. Optimizing your site for AI helps you train AI models to recognize your site as trustworthy and credible and cite you as a source in their answers. 

How AI Searches Work

ChatGPT and other generative AI tools use large language models (LLMs) to understand queries and generate the right answer. AI analyzes each query to understand the user’s intent and the context behind their search. For example, if a person is searching “how to make a career change,” ChatGPT might include continuing education resources in the search results alongside how-to content. 

AI also prioritizes websites that are well-organized and easy to scan. When you ask ChatGPT to search the internet, it will compile information from multiple well-structured sources and include them as citations in the results.  ChatGPT’s algorithm considers these factors to rank sites: 

• Authoritative List Mentions: ChatGPT will peruse industry rankings, Google search results, and authoritative lists to match the best companies with user queries. 
• Awards, Accreditations, and Affiliations: Companies with awards, accolades, and industry-specific credentials are often considered the best. ChatGPT will recommend these companies in search results. 
• Online Reviews: Online reviews can tell ChatGPT which companies are the best match for a user query. For a software company, the platform may look at G2, CNet, Capterra, and other sites to see which companies have the highest average reviews.
• Social Sentiment: ChatGPT will look through social media and online forums, such as Reddit and Quora, to see how people discuss a company online.

Steps for Optimizing Your Website for ChatGPT

Improve your visibility on ChatGPT by taking these steps to optimize your website. 

Step 1: Create High-Quality Content

ChatGPT prioritizes valuable content that is relevant to a user’s inquiry. Instead of creating search-engine-focused content, create it for the people. Use conversational language that covers topics that matter to your audience. 

Before you write a blog post, post an infographic, or shoot a video, consider how your intended audience will use it. For example, if you’re targeting potential customers who want to learn about a topic, create a well-researched, well-organized article or video. Have subject matter experts in your company write the article or interview them in the video. Make sure you highlight their credentials and other qualifications. 

Step 2: Format Your Content

AI prioritizes websites that are clear and easy to read. When you’re writing an article or a blog post, use clear headings, lists, and organizational structures. Use: 

• Headings and subheadings
• Short paragraphs
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Design principles such as white space and quote blocks that break up text

Step 3: Use Structured Data Markups 

Structured data helps AI tools and search engines find your website by providing context. Adding metadata, rich snippets, and schema markups to your content helps ChatGPT categorize your website correctly. 

For example, adding schema markups to your website can tell ChatGPT whether a string of numbers on your home page is a price or your operating hours. 

Look through the content that’s already on your website to decide what would benefit most from structured data. This includes product-related articles, your business information, product descriptions, and your frequently asked questions. 

Next, use a tool such as Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to add the data to your site. These tools generate the code for you based on your page elements. 

Step 4: Publish Consistently

ChatGPT prefers showcasing companies with fresh, relevant information. Publish consistently to maintain your status as a trusted source of information. Building a collection of authoritative content also enhances your reputation as an expert in your field. 

Step 5: Check Your Web Presence

Make it easier for ChatGPT to find your website by making sure your business listings match across the internet. Your name, address, and phone number should be the same on your home page, in local directories, and on third-party sites such as Yelp or a local directory. 

Encourage people to leave online reviews. Tap into your network or contact a publicist to get featured on CNet and other industry websites. 

How AIO and Functional SEO Work Together

Integrating AIO into your SEO strategies to boost your visibility on ChatGPT doesn’t mean scrapping functional SEO. ChatGPT uses search engine rankings and other traditional SEO elements to recommend companies in query results. 

Even if the people using ChatGPT aren’t clicking on your website, they are seeing your brand. Since ChatGPT shows your company to people based on search intent, you end up getting better leads. Use functional SEO tools such as keyword research to target these high-intent users with relevant content.

Reach More Potential Customers By Optimizing Your Site for ChatGPT

If you haven’t considered AIO as part of your SEO strategy, you’re likely not as visible in AI searches. With more people shifting to ChatGPT and other AI tools to find the information they need online, you could be missing high-intent customers. 

Working with a highly qualified SEO agency like Simple Origin Media can help you develop and execute your AIO strategy faster. We can assess your functional SEO strategy and your existing content and make recommendations to make your business more visible on ChatGPT. We understand semantic relevance, conversational queries, and other concepts you need to help generative AI uncover your site. 

Schedule a consultation today to get started.