With the launch of ChatGPT Search, OpenAI is shaking up the search engine landscape. Although still far from Google’s dominance, this conversational AI tool has the potential to redirect traffic to websites through its generated answers and the citations it includes.
So then, how can you optimize your content to rank well on ChatGPT Search? What criteria does this OpenAI search engine consider? This article reveals the best practices to maximize your visibility.
🚀 How does ChatGPT Search work?
ChatGPT Search relies on a combination of technologies:
- Microsoft Bing’s index: it plays a key role in ranking results.
- OpenAI’s AI models (GPT-4o and o1-preview): they analyze data and generate relevant responses.
- Three main crawlers:
- OAI-SearchBot: indexes pages to improve their visibility.
- ChatGPT-User: enables real-time interactions.
- GPTBot: designed for training AI models (but can be blocked without impacting your ranking).
🛠 Goal #1: Ensure your site is indexed
To be considered by ChatGPT Search, check that your robots.txt file allows OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User. However, if you wish to prevent OpenAI from using your content to train its models, you can block GPTBot without affecting your ranking.
📌 Tip: A good index on Bing also favors your presence on ChatGPT Search, as the two technologies are linked.
📈 Optimizing content for ChatGPT Search
🔹 1. Produce reliable and well-sourced content
ChatGPT Search places great importance on the reliability of sources. The more a site is cited by other trusted sources, the more likely it is to be included in the engine’s responses.
✅ Best practices:
- Mention recognized sources in your articles.
- Get cited by media outlets, specialized blogs, and influential forums.
- Publish regularly updated content (recent articles are favored).
💡 Did you know? The more references to your site or brand on different sites, the stronger your presence might be in ChatGPT Search results.
🔹 2. Apply Bing’s SEO best practices
Since Bing is a crucial part of ChatGPT Search, it’s vital to optimize your site according to its recommendations:
🔸 Create user-focused content: it should meet search intents and provide real value.
🔸 Avoid duplicate content and prioritize originality.
🔸 Use optimized media: original images and videos increase engagement. Add ALT tags and optimize the format for better load time.
🚫 What to absolutely avoid:
- Cloaking (showing different content to search engines and users).
- Keyword stuffing.
- Buying backlinks with no added value.
🔹 3. Leverage local SEO
ChatGPT Search offers an interactive map for local searches. To appear in these results, you need to be mentioned on specialized sites such as:
✅ Local press
✅ Tourist offices
✅ Platforms like TripAdvisor or Yelp
If you manage a physical establishment, get listed on these platforms and encourage customer reviews.
🎯 Should you increase citations to rank well?
An interesting hypothesis arises: the more a topic, brand, or site is mentioned on different platforms, the more ChatGPT Search will consider it a reliable reference.
This could encourage a multi-source SEO strategy:
✔ Publish content on various blogs, forums, and specialized media.
✔ Encourage other sites to talk about you through guest blogging or press relations.
✔ Generate organic buzz on social media.
🛑 Be careful: It’s not about practicing “keyword stuffing” across multiple sites, but rather diversifying and enriching your online presence.
Conclusion: How to succeed in SEO on ChatGPT Search?
🔹 Optimize your indexing by allowing OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User.
🔹 Publish reliable and sourced content to signal credibility.
🔹 Apply Bing’s SEO recommendations to maximize your presence.
🔹 Leverage local SEO by getting listed on specialized directories.
🔹 Favor external citations to be seen as an authority.
📊 ChatGPT Search is still evolving, but one thing is certain: it favors trusted sources and well-ranked content. Adapt your strategy now to stay ahead! 🚀
🚀 Boost your SEO on ChatGPT Search with Crispy Links
At Crispy Links, we have developed an effective method to maximize your presence on ChatGPT Search. With our network of partner sites, we can generate dozens or even hundreds of blog articles mentioning your brand or strategic keywords.
🔹 How does it work?
You enter your main keyword or your brand name, and we take care of creating optimized content that will be published on hundreds of websites. The result: your visibility increases, your brand strength grows, and ChatGPT Search sees you as an essential source!
👉 Try our solution now and get ahead of your competitors! 🚀
