ChatGPT Ranking Explained:
Boost Your AI Visibility
Has your brand, business, or website made it to Google's top results page? Congratulations! That's a huge boost for your online visibility. However, ranking number one on Google doesn't mean you will be as visible on AI searches, as the ChatGPT ranking works fundamentally differently from Google's.
When we asked both Google and ChatGPT for the "best sports website" (for example), only one of the top five recommendations matched (ESPN):
The bottom line? The SEO teams of websites like NFL.com and BBC Sport should focus on improving their ChatGPT ranking, and so should you! Even though Google is still king, AI searches have been gaining traction among young Americans, with over 71% reporting using AI tools for search.
As the future of content and brand mentions seems to be both dependent on Google and ChatGPT rankings, it's time we learn a bit more about how the latter works.
Understanding the ChatGPT Ranking
Imagine that Google and ChatGPT want to help you find the "best online VPN". How do both rank content, and what mechanisms do they use to provide you with the best possible results?
Google analyzes content on the entire Internet to provide you with an ordered list of the best and most relevant web sources relating to your query. ChatGPT, on the other hand, produces answers from scratch just for you. It's like the difference between reading a book about the best VPNs and asking a friend who knows a lot about the subject what the best VPN is.
For this reason, Google and ChatGPT rank their content based on distinct criteria:
In sum, ChatGPT rankings rely on a context-based approach that's both fluid and personalized. GPT generates unique, relevant answers for each of its users, taking into account other questions they have asked before.
As for Google, it ranks content based on purely technical and quantifiable aspects, like the number of backlinks of a website or the content's current popularity.
Boosting Your Visibility on ChatGPT
Traditional SEO methods that help brands rank higher on Google don't entirely apply to the ChatGPT ranking. So, what can you do to boost your AI visibility?
We decided to ask this to the ultimate authority on the subject—ChatGPT itself—and gathered the following recommendations:
- Catch the eye of ChatGPT by creating valuable content that's highly readable and cited by trustworthy sources.
- Create content that directly answers questions users often ask ChatGPT—like what's the "best sports website" and "best online VPN".
- Use HTML text for sharing your information, avoiding PDFs and images.
- Ensure that your website is up to date, as GPT always looks for fresh content.
- Include FAQ sections in your website and blog to make it easier for ChatGPT to clearly understand your products and services.
The ground rule here is clear: whereas traditional SEO methods can help you rank higher on Google, your ChatGPT ranking ultimately depends on how relevant and useful your content is for the AI to generate answers.
Both rankings, however, seem to rely heavily on a website's reputation, so make sure your content is being mentioned by reliable web sources. Keyword-matching is also important for ChatGPT, even though perhaps not as much as for Google.
How to Rank on ChatGPT (in 3 Simple Steps)
The need to drive brand mentions and rank higher on ChatGPT has given rise to a new form of engine optimization, known as ChatGPT SEO. The tips above (provided by GPT itself) provide some clues on what you can do to rank on ChatGPT, but proper AI-oriented optimization requires a more detailed strategic plan.
Here's how you can rank on ChatGPT in 3 simple steps:
1. Research Relevant Prompts
To know if you're ranking on Google, you need to collect keywords, search them, and see if your page appears in the first results. To know if you're ranking on ChatGPT, you just have to research relevant prompts.
Imagine that you're working for a VPN. In this case, your task would consist of researching prompts like "What's the best VPN?" or "Can you compare the best VPNs right now?" to see if your VPN gets mentioned. The ultimate goal of ChatGPT SEO is to ensure that your brand gets mentioned in these queries.
Researching prompts is not only useful to learn about your brand's ranking: it can also provide vital information on what kind of content you should create and what pages you should try to appear on.
Whenever ChatGPT generates a list of the best VPNs (for example), it links to the websites from which the information was sourced. These sources can provide you with direct clues on what to do next. If GPT uses the website VPNreviews.com as its main source of information, it might be a good idea to reach out to them and ask them to do a review of your VPN.
2. Optimize Content
AI searches are often phrased as questions ("What's the best VPN?"), whereas Google searches are phrased as keywords ("best VPN") - that's why ChatGPT itself suggests that you invest in content like FAQ sections and header questions with simple, straightforward answers. But there's more to optimizing content for ChatGPT than just this…
Backed by a Princeton study, a strategy shared on Reddit identified four content-optimization practices that can drive AI search visibility up to 41%:
- Expert quotes: ChatGPT cares about authorship, so it's important to specify who created the content and why this person should be recognized as an expert. Create detailed bios for authors, add them to your website, and make sure to include social media links (especially LinkedIn).
- Statistics: Create your own studies and publish original statistics to show ChatGPT that you're an authority in your niche; if you have a stat no one else has, you have massively improved your chances of getting cited by ChatGPT!
- Citations: When mentioning statistics or other facts that were not made by you, make sure to include a link to the source - the more reputable the source, the better.
- JSON Schema: Using JSON-LD to meticulously structure your content can also maximize your chances of getting cited on ChatGPT.
ChatGPT loves JSON because it loves structure, but the content itself should also reflect this. Use clear headings, a neutral tone, and schematize information as often as possible using bullet points, tables, glossaries, pros and cons, and so forth.
3. Build Authority
If you're into SEO, you know that authority is essential. Like Google, ChatGPT is big on authority, but it ranks it according to entities rather than keywords. In simple terms, ChatGPT evaluates authority by investigating the entire online presence of an entity (like, for example, your brand), not just according to specific queries.
To build authority, ensure your brand isn't just cited on your website and social media accounts. It should be visible everywhere by appearing in online directories, having a Wikipedia page, generating user engagement (with UGC being a big plus!), and maintaining consistency across multiple channels.
ChatGPT also values authority signals that are traditionally used in SEO, such as backlinks from authoritative websites. Getting mentioned on the platforms ChatGPT cites the most is also incredibly valuable. These include Wikipedia, Reddit, Quora, and Medium.
For more actionable tips, please check our Generative Engine Optimization guide.
Benefits of Ranking High on ChatGPT
No, AI optimization is no piece of cake, but it's surely worth the effort. Ranking high on ChatGPT has tremendous benefits for brands and businesses, such as:
- You're endorsed by ChatGPT: Users trust ChatGPT. So, when ChatGPT promotes your product (by, for example, citing it as one of the best in its category), many users will follow the recommendation.
- Your conversion rate increases: Studies show that "AI-driven marketing" increases conversion rates by 20%.
- You get one step ahead of your competitors: If your VPN is one of the 5 VPNs ChatGPT recommends whenever people search for the best VPN, you're already one step ahead of competitors that didn't make it to the list.
Conclusion
To boost your online visibility on both, keep following the best SEO practices (Google), but take into account GPT's fluid, context-based approach by producing clear product descriptions, truly helpful content, and keeping your website evergreen.
