As marketers, we always need to be thinking ahead to project and predict what the most strategic plan is in order for our clients to grow their businesses and reach their goals. SEO has been a massive part of our strategy, and as such, we have had to include things like voice search, performance, user experience and quality content as part of our overall website KPIs and considerations.

With the exponential rise in the use of ChatGPT across the world, it looks as though it might cast a bit of shade on tech giants, Google, as a new method of search. So how do we include ChatGPT results as part of our SEO strategy?

Big thing we need to consider here is what exactly you and ChatGPT users are to gain from this.

Google vs ChatGPT

While Google has been the world’s most loved search engine for decades, ChatGPT is offering users a whole new experience to search results. Firstly, users get a direct answer instead of a list of potential solutions. The ChatGPT platform is generated on a solutions driven model. Secondly, there are no ads, so there is no interference with getting the answer you are looking for.

Cons of using ChatGPT for search:

So here’s the #1 thing you need to consider as a business or marketer looking to get featured on Chat GPT: It may not give a specific website reference in it’s results. While it might pick up information from your site as a reference, it is not likely to add a source link like you would find in Google results. But structuring your web content for AI models as a whole certainly can’t hurt.

The next thing to consider as a user, is that ChatGPT may still provide biassed results, as it may learn biases present in the data on which it was trained. Proof of this has been noted in political biases detected in results, however this shifts from search to search depending on the behaviour patterns it gains data on.

Another con is that we are not guaranteed 100% accuracy. The accuracy of the results, depends on various factors, including the complexity of the question, the quality of the training data, and the AI’s ability to understand the context and intent of the query. Which is why as content creators, we need to be responsible about the data we put out there.

As users, we need to remain critical in our interpretation of data… but let’s be honest – everywhere!

User generated content has opened up way too many doors for fake news, rumours and inaccurate data. So Google can’t necessarily be trusted here either – although both are trying to reduce this.

So if ChatGPT is becoming more popular for search…
How do I optimise my website to feature on ChatGPT?

Optimising a website to be picked up as part of a ChatGPT result involves understanding how ChatGPT and other AI language models work.

Since ChatGPT generates responses based on patterns in the data it was trained on, there are no direct SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to target it specifically. However, you can follow some general guidelines to make your website more AI-friendly and improve its overall search engine visibility, which could indirectly impact ChatGPT results.

Here are some tips we suggest you follow for any search strategy:

High-quality content:

Create valuable, informative, and relevant content that matches users’ queries. The more helpful and well-structured your content is, the higher the chances that it might be referred to by ChatGPT or other AI language models.

Use natural language:

Write content in a natural, conversational style. Avoid keyword stuffing and focus on providing answers and solutions that users are seeking. Throw in a lekker bit of local lingo if that is what your audience enjoys and can relate to!

Clear headings and structure:

See how our blog is organised?
Organise your content with clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This helps AI models understand the structure and context of your content better.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs):

Include an FAQ section on your website. AI language models often pull responses from such sections to answer user queries. Plus it adds value – let’s not forget the point of your website.

Relevant metadata:

Use accurate and descriptive meta titles and descriptions for your webpages. While this doesn’t directly impact ChatGPT, it can improve the visibility of your site in search engines, making it more likely to be referenced.

Backlinks and authority:

Work on building high-quality backlinks to your website, as search engines and AI models tend to value reputable sources. This is a standard for SEO too. If other high-quality websites suggest your website as a reference, search engines and AI models should too? (Technically)

Mobile optimisation:

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as more and more users access information through mobile devices, including AI-powered applications.

Regular updates:

Keep your content fresh and up-to-date. AI language models may prioritise recently published information. This also works on search engine algorithms that pick up if you are an active contributor or not.

Provide clear answers:

While it’s essential to have comprehensive content, providing clear and easily digestible answers to common questions can increase the chances of being quoted by AI language models.

Conclusion

Remember, while these tips can improve the overall visibility of your website in search engines, there’s no guaranteed method to be specifically “picked up” as a ChatGPT result. AI language models generate responses based on the vast and diverse dataset they were trained on and may not directly reference specific websites. But if your goal is to get your brand mentioned as part of a result, or to increase awareness on a particular topic, it’s definitely worth a try.

Focus on creating valuable content for your audience, and you will definitely see positive impacts on search engine visibility and user engagement any way.

or assistance on any of the above (SEO, Content creation, Strategy, Google ads) feel free to pop us a message via our contact page.