How Businesses and Startups Can Prepare for ChatGPT Search

During my work, I have heard many times questions like “How to prepare content for ChatGPT?” or “Should our website do something around AI?”.

I was thinking a lot about these questions and how to help people to know the answers.

Being a big AI enthusiast (I bet you too, lol) I dived deeper into this topic. Specifically, I was trying to figure out how to intersect these two Universes: ChatGPT and SEO.

Oh, c’mon, don’t you think that SEO is not working or almost dead?

Shame on you!

Nevertheless, this article is not about SEO. I believe there is a ton of information online.

This article is about ChatGPT Search and how to prepare the website content to be chosen by ChatGPT as the answer. 

Yep! We can bring some effort to it.

In the beginning, let’s go into the basics of AI-driven search.

So, AI-driven search is a search method reshaping how users discover information online. Not to worry - old-school grandpas Google or Bing search still working very well! With ChatGPT Search, OpenAI is just introducing a new way for businesses to gain visibility through AI-powered recommendations. Think about it as your additional digital touchpoint with your potential customers.

But how does it work, and how can businesses ensure they appear in ChatGPT-generated search results? Let’s break it down.

What is ChatGPT Search?

ChatGPT Search is an AI-driven system that represents relevant web content when users ask specific questions. Unlike traditional search engines that provide a list of links (rank), ChatGPT summarizes information and selects the most relevant sources.

How Does ChatGPT Choose Content?

I went deeper into this topic and found pretty cool info - ChatGPT prioritizes content based on several factors:

• Relevance to the query – Content must directly answer the user’s question. Example: If a user asks "How does Ketamine Therapy work?", a page with a structured, direct response will be prioritized.

• Content authority – Well-structured, accurate, and original content ranks higher. Example: A blog post citing credible sources and industry data will perform better than generic content.

• Technical SEO factors – Page speed, mobile optimization, and structured data (like schema markup) improve ranking. Example: A website optimized for mobile with a load time under 2 seconds will be favored.

• User engagement – Pages with high dwell time and low bounce rates signal quality. Example: A well-formatted page with engaging images, clear headings, and interactive elements will keep users on the page longer.

• Schema markup – Structured data helps AI understand the page’s content better. Example: Using FAQ schema increases the chances of content being displayed as a direct answer.

Sounds doable, isn’t it?

Now, let’s talk exactly about how to optimize your website for ChatGPT Search.

To improve your chances of appearing in ChatGPT-generated search results, follow these best practices:

1. Allow OAI-SearchBot to Crawl Your Website

ChatGPT uses OAI-SearchBot to index websites (like Googlebot). To ensure your site is included, update your robots.txt file:

User-agent: OAI-SearchBot

Allow: /

Example: If you block this bot, your site won’t appear in ChatGPT search results.

2. Optimize for Conversational Queries

Unlike traditional SEO, ChatGPT favors natural, conversational answers. This is one of the key features – the search looks like a real conversation with a real person rather than just Googling. Optimize your content for question-based searches by:

• Using FAQ-style sections – Example: Instead of a generic paragraph, format common queries like "How does Ketamine Therapy work?" in an FAQ layout.

• Writing in a clear, direct, and engaging tone – Example: Instead of "Our company facilitates AI-driven optimizations" say "We help businesses rank higher in AI search results".

• Targeting long-tail keywords – Example: Use "How does Ketamine Therapy work for mental health?" instead of "What is Ketamine Therapy?"

3. Implement Schema Markup

Adding structured data helps AI understand your content better. Use:

• FAQ Schema for common questions – Example: A page answering "How does ChatGPT Search work for small businesses?" with schema markup can be pulled directly into AI responses.

• Article Schema for blog posts – Example: Marking up your article ensures AI recognizes it as an authoritative piece.

• Product Schema for eCommerce pages - Example: If you sell shoes, structured data helps AI showcase your product directly in results by displaying key details like brand, size options, price, and reviews in a structured format.

4. Improve Page Speed & Mobile Usability

ChatGPT favors fast-loading, mobile-optimized websites. To enhance performance:

• Compress images – Example: Convert large PNGs to WebP or compress images for faster loading.

• Use lazy loading – Example: Load images only when a user scrolls to them to improve speed.

• Minimize JavaScript and CSS files – Example: Reduce unused JavaScript and optimize CSS delivery. More often, websites use too complicated animations just to look cool and because of trends. Yo, it’s a red flag for you guys! Stop too much animate just because you know how ;)

• Ensure mobile-friendliness – Example: A mobile-responsive layout ensures content is accessible across all devices. You can’t imagine how many non-mobile-friendly websites I have touched only during the last 6 months. In the end of the day we are in the mobile-first era. Hey, it’s time to fix it!

5. Strengthen Domain Authority & Backlinks

Just like traditional SEO, backlinks matter. Get links from authoritative sources in your industry by:

• Publishing high-value content – Example: A research-backed blog post is more likely to be cited by other sites.

• Engaging in guest blogging – Example: Writing for an industry publication can provide high-authority backlinks.

• Earning media mentions – Example: A press feature on a recognized news site increases credibility.

6. Focus on User Engagement & UX

Since ChatGPT prioritizes content that users engage with, improving your site’s UX can boost visibility:

• Use clear headings & structured formatting – Example: A page with H1 for the main topic and H2 and H3 headings for subtopics ensures easy navigation and better content structure, keeping readers engaged.

• Keep content concise but informative – For example: Bullet points and short paragraphs improve readability.

• Include interactive elements – Example: Videos, infographics, and quizzes make content more engaging.
  
  

Not that hard, ya ;)?

So, What About the Future of AI-Driven Search for Businesses?

As AI-powered search continues evolving and improving, businesses must adapt their SEO strategies. It is not even a task for business owners, but for the third-party agencies who still do SEO by tweaking the headings and meta descriptions only. ChatGPT Search is not replacing Google, but rather providing an alternative search experience. So, now you have one more way to get your customers in front of you!

What is the key takeaway?

Create high-quality, structured, and interesting content following the steps provided in this article to maximize visibility in AI-driven search results.

If you have another idea in mind on “how to” – reach out to me!

Best