Getting found on Google search results is obviously still a necessity, but getting mentioned in AI-generated answers is becoming increasingly important as ChatGPT, and other AI tools like it, become a part of our everyday lives.
Artificial intelligence is changing how people search for information. AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are becoming more common sources for answers, so it makes sense to adjust your content strategy now rather than later.
I spent two whole days reading (and trying to understand) Stephen Wolfram’s complete and very detailed explanation of how ChatGPT works.
This article is my take on the key insights (in simple terms) and provides you with some steps you can take to help get your content mentioned in AI answers.
Shortcuts:
Source: master.of.code
On average, ChatGPT gets an impressive 10 million queries per day, but it pales in comparison to Google, which gets nearly 6 million queries per minute. 🤯
The types of questions asked of ChatGPT are endless, but there are some clear winners and use cases that rise to the top as shown in the graphic above.
People seem to be in desperate need of help writing everything from social media posts to long-form articles and essays (including this one), but as we can see here, there is still much unknown.
Source: SEMRush
Beyond writing assistance, users frequently turn to ChatGPT for coding help, research summaries, and troubleshooting technical issues.
Additionally, the model is widely used for brainstorming creative ideas, generating marketing copy, and answering complex questions in a conversational way.
AI-generated answers are different from traditional Google search results. While Google ranks pages based on keywords, backlinks, and domain authority, AI models like ChatGPT pull information based on how well it aligns with natural language queries and contextual understanding.
This means that even if your website ranks well on Google, it might not appear in AI-generated responses unless the content is structured in a way AI can quickly process.
It also means you don’t have to contend with paid ads, affiliate links, and outright scams that are so pervasive on Google these days.
Optimizing your site for AI-driven search, or AEO, ensures that your content is referenced in conversational AI tools, voice search, and future AI-powered search engines.
Balancing optimization for traditional search engines and AI-driven search models gives your business the best chance of reaching more users.
Wolfram broke down how ChatGPT generates responses in intricate detail so we can see how and why certain types of content get mentioned more often.
Knowing and understanding the following basics can help you structure your content so AI tools can view it more effectively, hoping to show up in AI-generated responses more frequently.
ChatGPT predicts the next word based on patterns it has seen in past data. It does not have the ability to think rationally or irrationally at all. It’s guessing at one word and then assuming what word should come next and so on.
This makes it good at writing human-like text but it also means it can sometimes get things wrong.
AI models like ChatGPT are trained on massive amounts of existing text from books, websites, and other sources.
It learns how words and ideas fit together, allowing it to generate logical responses even if they don’t truly 'understand' the meaning.
What this means is that what AI can learn and predict is limited. For example, content that was produced today, last week, or even last month is not considered in responses.
While ChatGPT can generate meaningful text, it doesn't truly understand concepts. Instead, it recognizes patterns and predicts words based on past data.
This means it can sometimes produce incorrect or misleading information.
Since ChatGPT relies on pre-existing data, it has some important limitations. It can generate incorrect or outdated information and may reflect biases in the content on which it was trained.
Now that you know how ChatGPT works, you can take these 8 steps to make your content more likely to be used in AI-generated search results.
The key is to structure your information in a clear, relevant, and easy way for AI models to interpret. Here’s how to make your website more likely to be referenced in AI-generated responses.
AI tools like ChatGPT favor content that is detailed and well-structured. If your website provides clear, well-organized information, it has a better chance of being referenced in AI-generated responses.
ChatGPT pulls from structured and informative content, so make sure your pages are clear and useful.
Source: ElegantThemes
Actionable Tips:
Since ChatGPT understands words in context rather than just exact keyword matches, using related terms helps your content appear in more AI-driven searches.
AI tools don’t just match exact keywords; they also understand related terms.
Actionable Tips:
AI models prefer well-structured text that is easy to scan. Using clear headings, bullet points, and simple language makes your content more accessible to both users and AI-driven tools.
AI tools prefer well-structured content that’s easy to scan.
Source: BrandWell
Actionable Tips:
Links help establish credibility and context. AI tools recognize well-linked content as more authoritative and are more likely to pull from it. AI values content that’s well-connected to other relevant pages.
Actionable Tips:
Since AI often summarizes longer text, structuring your content with clear takeaways and summaries increases the chance of your information being referenced. AI usually provides short summaries of longer articles.
Source: POWR
Actionable Tips:
ChatGPT is trained on data that may be months old, so long-lasting, informative content is more likely to remain relevant in AI-generated search results.
ChatGPT’s training data isn’t always up to date, so timeless content has more staying power.
Actionable Tips:
Structured data like schema markup helps AI models understand the type of content on your page, making it easier for AI-driven search tools to recognize and reference your content.
Adding structured data helps AI models interpret your pages more effectively.
Source: HubSpot
Actionable Tips:
AI tools process queries in a conversational way, so your content should be written in a natural, easy-to-understand tone that answers common questions directly.
AI processes search queries in a conversational way, so write content that sounds natural.
Actionable Tips:
ChatGPT generates responses based on patterns it has learned from large datasets of text. It predicts the most relevant and likely next words based on context but does not perform real-time internet searches.
While you can't control ChatGPT’s training data, you can increase the likelihood of your content being referenced by following SEO best practices, creating detailed and well-structured content, and ensuring your site is linked to authoritative sources.
ChatGPT tends to pull information from well-structured, widely cited, and authoritative websites. Websites with high domain authority, well-organized content, and clear schema markup are more likely to be referenced.
ChatGPT is trained on data that may be several months old, meaning it doesn’t have real-time access to new content. Updating your evergreen content regularly ensures it remains relevant for AI-generated responses.
Structured data, like schema markup, helps AI models understand the type of content on a webpage. Using structured data for FAQs, articles, and products can improve AI-driven search visibility.
While many SEO principles apply to both, optimizing for ChatGPT means focusing on natural language, question-based queries, and well-structured, informative content that AI models can easily summarize.
AI-driven search is growing, but traditional search engines remain essential. Businesses should optimize for both by ensuring their content is discoverable by AI models while also ranking well in search engines.
Monitor your organic search traffic, engagement metrics, and backlinks to authoritative sources. AI-driven traffic may not be as easily trackable, but increased visibility in voice search and AI-powered tools can be indicators of success.
AEO stands for Answer Engine Optimization. It refers to optimizing content so that AI-driven search engines and conversational AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can easily find and use it in their responses.
I'm Mick and I run the growth team at POWR. We make no-code apps and plugins for e-commerce shop owners and small businesses globally. Last I checked, we have over 18 million POWR apps in the wild and in every country on Earth 😎
My career spans two decades, primarily in growth marketing and advertising with stints in broadcast television, healthcare marketing, and copy editing.
I went to the College of Journalism at the University of Louisiana - Monroe. My wife Elizabeth, son Gavin, and pup Jolene (yes, only Jolene gets in the picture lol) call Lafayette, Louisiana, home.
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