SEO and Visibility in the Age of ChatGPT – How Companies Can Also Appear in AI Answers.
9.7.2025
More and more users are starting their search not on Google but directly in ChatGPT. Those who optimise correctly now will not only be found – but recommended.
Why do many websites rank on Google but hardly at all in ChatGPT?
While Google remains the leading search engine, more and more people are starting their research directly via AI-powered systems such as ChatGPT. Whether it is choosing a product, looking for a service provider or seeking specialist information – instead of clicking through a multitude of search results, users now expect structured, direct answers.
For companies, the question therefore arises more and more: how can visibility be achieved not only on Google, but also in ChatGPT's answers?
How does visibility in ChatGPT work?
Unlike traditional search engines, ChatGPT (as a rule) does not access the internet in real time. Instead, the model is based on extensive training data – that is, content that was publicly accessible at the time of training – as well as on information that can be specifically retrieved when web access is activated.
Only those who provide structured, relevant and machine-readable content have a realistic chance of appearing in AI-generated answers. The foundation for this is classic SEO measures, supplemented by the specific requirements of modern language models.
„I see the developments around AI and ChatGPT as a real opportunity for companies to deliver their content in a more targeted and effective way – many websites are still far from exploiting their potential.“Jan Teunissen, Managing Partner Arndtteunissen
Four levers for visibility in AI searches such as ChatGPT
1. Continue to implement SEO basics consistently
- The homepage should clearly convey which product or service is offered. Individual offerings should each be presented on separate subpages so that they can be found specifically.
- Well-structured FAQ sections not only help users, but also increase the chance of being used by chatbots as a relevant source. A clean HTML structure is essential here – clearly defined headings and paragraphs make machine processing much easier.
2. Content with substance – understandable, relevant, machine-readable
- Comparative content, for example between your product and alternatives, helps users make decisions and increases relevance for AI systems. It is equally important to identify specific questions from potential customers and answer them in a structured way on the website.
- Content should offer genuine added value – this includes background knowledge, application examples and well-founded recommendations. Language models prefer to process such content and use it more often as an answer source.
3. Social media presence as a relevance booster
- A regular presence on platforms such as LinkedIn or YouTube signals activity and expertise in your own field. Customer reviews, interviews or recommendations also increase trust in the brand and boost reach.
- Mentions by third parties – for example in podcasts, videos or guest articles – also strengthen the company's positioning in the digital space and have a positive effect on visibility.
4. Backlinks – still a quality criterion
- Links from trustworthy sites such as specialist portals or industry directories remain a strong signal of authority. They support both Google ranking and perception by language models.
- Thematically relevant backlinks from pertinent contexts are particularly effective – for example through collaborations, studies or high-quality guest articles. They show that the website is part of an active digital ecosystem.
Our conclusion: visibility emerges from the interplay of all channels
Visibility in ChatGPT and similar systems is not a matter of tricks or short-term measures – it is the result of a long-term communication and content strategy.
What matters is that content must appear where potential customers are searching – and it must be high-quality, structured and easy to understand. Those who formulate their answers clearly and distribute them in a targeted way will also be noticed by AI systems.
Are you planning a web project or would you like to know how fit your website is for SEO and AI? Feel free to get in touch – we will look at it together.
Christian Malling
Senior Project Manager