How to get indexed by ChatGPT search
Want your content to be seen on ChatGPT search? Here’s how to get indexed and stay ahead on this fast-growing AI platform.
As ChatGPT’s new search capability is set to launch soon, digital marketers should consider how to make their content visible on this platform. ChatGPT combines Bing’s index with its own AI-powered indexing, creating new opportunities for digital visibility.
Launching as an integrated feature in ChatGPT, this tool brings fresh competition to search technology, with a conversational interface that provides direct answers and allows follow-up questions. Users can perform web searches within ChatGPT, accessing both Bing’s results and OpenAI’s proprietary crawlers.
With ChatGPT poised to compete with Google, marketers may want to expand their online presence to this AI-driven platform. A proactive approach could help brands stay visible as search habits evolve.
Based on insights from Search Engine Journal, here’s a guide to getting your website indexed by ChatGPT search.
1. Understanding ChatGPT’s indexing process
ChatGPT search uses a blend of Bing’s search index and its own AI-powered crawlers to determine which web content to display.
The platform includes three primary crawlers:
- OAI-SearchBot for primary search functions,
- ChatGPT-User for real-time user interactions, and
- GPTBot for AI model training.
In technical terms, indexing is the process by which a search engine scans a website and stores relevant information for future retrieval. ChatGPT’s search engine, while pulling from Bing’s search index, makes its own indexing decisions through OpenAI’s crawlers. This allows it to reference content outside of Bing’s top results, broadening the range of sources for any given query.
For marketers, this means that while strong performance on Bing can help visibility in ChatGPT search, OpenAI’s indexing algorithms provide additional opportunities for content to surface.
2. How content appears in ChatGPT search
ChatGPT search results appear differently than traditional search engine listings. Rather than scrolling through multiple results pages, users receive a summarized answer with clickable links to source websites, allowing quick verification of information. ChatGPT may cite multiple sources in a single response, creating an opportunity for diverse content to gain visibility.
ChatGPT search also includes attributions and additional verification features, including sidebars that allow users to view and cross-reference multiple sources simultaneously. For marketers, this could mean that content is more easily accessible for users, even if it isn’t ranked highly on Bing or traditional search engines.
3. Implementing technical requirements for visibility
To increase the likelihood of getting indexed by ChatGPT, marketers should ensure their websites are properly configured for OpenAI’s crawlers.
Here are some technical steps to consider:
- Adjust robots.txt permissions: Allow OAI-SearchBot while setting separate permissions for other OpenAI crawlers.
- Optimize for Bing indexing: Since ChatGPT relies partly on Bing’s index, having your content well-ranked in Bing can enhance its chances of being pulled into ChatGPT search results.
- Ensure a clear site structure: A well-organized site helps both traditional and AI-powered crawlers, making it easier for ChatGPT’s systems to scan and index your content.
Remember that allowing OAI-SearchBot in your robots.txt file doesn’t automatically authorize content for AI model training; it simply enables indexing for search purposes. OpenAI’s system can take up to 24 hours to adjust to new crawling permissions, so regular reviews are recommended.
4. Content type considerations for ChatGPT search
Not all content types will have equal visibility on ChatGPT search. In particular, content that clearly addresses user questions and delivers straightforward answers tends to perform better. Here are some key considerations:
- Current and factually accurate content: ChatGPT prioritizes up-to-date information, so regular content updates can increase relevance.
- Content behind paywalls: ChatGPT can still reference paywalled content, though visibility may depend on specific permissions.
- Multiple citations from one domain: ChatGPT may cite multiple pages from the same website, which means that having multiple, highly relevant articles can enhance overall visibility.
By keeping content structured, relevant, and regularly updated, marketers can improve their chances of being cited by ChatGPT, which is particularly useful as user queries become more complex.
5. Focusing on user intent in content strategy
In line with modern SEO principles, ChatGPT search values content that addresses user intent. Unlike traditional search, where keywords and ranking strategies play a central role, ChatGPT’s conversational search benefits from clear, direct answers that satisfy user questions.
From ContentGrip’s perspective, brands should focus on creating content that answers specific questions and provides actionable insights, keeping in mind the user’s intent. By aligning content with these principles, brands can position themselves effectively across both traditional search engines and AI-powered search platforms like ChatGPT.
ChatGPT search reflects rapid advancements in AI technology and a shift in how users seek information. With ChatGPT poised to impact search behavior, brands that start aligning their content strategies now may benefit as user habits evolve.
By following these steps, marketers can build a strong presence on ChatGPT search and stay visible amid the ongoing transformation in digital search.
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