SearchGPT Optimization Guide: How to Rank on SearchGPT

“Google it” is no longer the only response to a question – “ChatGPT it” is an equally probable answer. Search platforms are becoming more nuanced as traditional search engines and answer engines simultaneously meet user needs. The two platforms also copy each other’s new features to maintain their existing user base. 

As a result, marketing tactics are adapting: marketers are adding answer engine optimization (AEO) tactics to their existing arsenal of search engine optimization (SEO) techniques. While AEO capitalizes on how AI synthesizes information, SEO responds to how traditional search engines list information. 

No longer will users sift through endless pages of blue links on search engines; instead, they’ll receive a simple and direct answer on an answer engine. It’s not likely that answer engines will eradicate traditional search engines. Rather, the volume of searches on traditional search engines will drop – Gartner estimates that there will be a 25% drop in search engine volume by 2026. 

Users may go to search engines and artificial intelligence answer engines for different reasons. For example, search engines are useful for seeing the range of possible answers, while answer engines give a simple and direct response. 

OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, developed a prototype of a tool that combines their AI models (i.e. ChatGPT) with information from the internet. SearchGPT is a temporary prototype and the features that received the best feedback were integrated directly into ChatGPT. 

It’s relevant to talk about SearchGPT’s features because it reveals how LLM developers are thinking about the future of the space. By integrating ChatGPT models with the internet, SearchGPT shows that OpenAI is implementing updates that allows their product to provide up-to-date information. 

Therefore, crafting a flexible and iterative marketing strategy will be essential for staying ahead of the curve and capitalizing on the benefits of answer engine optimization.

What is SearchGPT?

While there are many answer engines, it’s important to pay particular attention to SearchGPT because it’s an extension of ChatGPT, which held the highest market share among the top generative AI chatbots as of December 2024. ChatGPT held 59% of the market share, which is more than four times as much as the next top generative AI chatbot, Microsoft Copilot, at 14.4% of the market. 

How does SearchGPT work?

SearchGPT revolutionizes sourcing answers from the internet. Whereas traditional searches can require multiple attempts to find the desired information, answer engines consolidate and synthesize information to provide a curated view of possible answers. 

SearchGPT combines both answer engines and search engines by listing web sources in a curated AI-generated response. It also remembers what a user tells it and can engage in conversation to get to the output the user is looking for. In this way, context accelerates SearchGPT’s capabilities and improves the output it provides. 

We will later explore the type of content that excels on SearchGPT and how marketers can capitalize on these observations to make sure their content is getting the visibility they want.  

Elevating ChatGPT with Features from SearchGPT

Although SearchGPT is no longer separate from ChatGPT as of December 2024 when OpenAI integrated the two models, it’s still helpful to discuss the features that SearchGPT contributed to ChatGPT. 

ChatGPT summarized information based on historical learnings, and SearchGPT evaluated existing information from the Internet for the most specific responses while prioritizing fresh and relevant content. 

The two answer engines also responded differently to quality content. While ChatGPT generated high-quality responses with trained knowledge, SearchGPT ranked websites with high-quality and detailed content based on the question. Since ChatGPT and SearchGPT are now one, it’s possible to search the web (originally a functionality of SearchGPT) from within ChatGPT. While users can choose to search the web on ChatGPT, the model can also automatically search the web if the question might benefit from information on the internet.

ChatGPT provides information from credible sources and SearchGPT prioritizes reputable websites when ranking search results. ChatGPT learns and adapts based on user feedback for more accurate responses while SearchGPT considers user engagement metrics to refine search rankings. 

Key Differentiators from Traditional Search Engines

1) Media Integration 

SearchGPT can integrate and reference media beyond text. Therefore, videos, infographics, and interactive elements make the content more valuable to SearchGPT. Media that is well-labeled and logical in context makes it easier for AI models to pick up the content and share it in their results. 

2) Real-Time Information

SearchGPT uses the latest web data to provide up-to-date answers. OpenAI also partnered with publishers to deliver high-quality content to users. The trusted media outlets ChatGPT search partnered with include News Corp, The Atlantic, Vox Media, and Condé Nast. In addition to information from web sources, SearchGPT also learns from and integrates user feedback. 

3) Conversational Capabilities

Instead of providing one set of links for one search, as with traditional search engines, SearchGPT remembers the context of the question and can engage in a conversation about what the user is looking for. 

Drawbacks of SearchGPT

The consensus around SearchGPT is that it will be more useful than traditional search engines, but there may be some growing pains. The algorithm is new and untested, for one, and the methodologies will likely be similar to existing search engines as Bing is the information base it’s pulling from. Depending on the target demographic, it may be challenging to convince them to switch over to SearchGPT since their patterns of using Google are ingrained in their existing habits. 

While younger generations raised with digital tools may be more willing to try new tools such as ChatGPT, older generations may be more tied to Google and resistant to change. 

Younger audiences and more tech-savvy demographics may also be able to decipher hallucinations on ChatGPT from reality. ChatGPT, and by extension SearchGPT, has had challenges with data accuracy and output usefulness. Yet, not all audiences may be willing to give AI tools a second chance after not receiving an output they were expecting. 

How to Improve SearchGPT Brand Rankings

While SearchGPT and artificial intelligence in general are new and rapidly changing environments, some tactics can amplify a website’s visibility in AI search results. Marketers can consider including citations, providing quotations from relevant sources, and incorporating statistics to boost their brand visibility. 

A study by Neil Patel reveals how to optimize content for SearchGPT: focus on developing high-quality content that is fresh and builds quality links. 

The top five attributes that describe high-ranking content on SearchGPT are 1) quality of links, 2) relevance, 3) content freshness, 4) quantity of links, and 5) depth. 

In practice, the quality of links emphasizes a trend many researchers have noticed: SearchGPT interprets quality in terms of relevancy. In more detail, relevance on SearchGPT means providing answers that matter with specific and important information. 

Content freshness relates to the underlying point that SearchGPT prioritizes high-quality content that is accurate and regularly updated. Depth means that SearchGPT rewards content that is thorough and offers viable solutions to the problem it addresses. 

To create content that ranks in SearchGPT, focus on creating high-quality content, optimize for conversational questions, clearly attribute sources, stay up to date with real-time information, incorporate multi-media sources, and focus on user intent. Since OpenAI uses Bing as the data source, focusing on how your content is performing on Bing can impact SearchGPT and ChatGPT rankings.

How is answer engine optimization different from search engine optimization?

With the advent of answer engines such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, the role of SEO has morphed into a new set of marketing strategies to drive brand visibility on these AI platforms: artificial intelligence optimization, also known as Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). The use of AI in search is, therefore, twofold: AI is useful as both a tool to optimize search engine content and a synthesizer of content for answer engine outputs. 

While traditional search engines list existing content, answer engines generate responses by combining information from different locations. Some SEO tactics carry over to AEO, but AEO includes additional strategies to build brand visibility since the location of the optimization varies between AEO and SEO. AEO ensures that a product shows up in AI search results whereas SEO optimizes for search engine outputs. 

One of the most important functional differences between search engines and answer engines is that answer engines remember the context of the conversation and synthesize information down to a few bullet points. It’s more important than ever to ensure that a product is showing up as the first or second result for a certain query to promote answer engines promoting a brand.

These methods can also improve a website’s visibility on answer engines. A strong understanding of SEO tactics is essential for efficient AEO. However, AEO is a rapidly changing and expanding environment that requires careful consideration, planning, and flexibility to adapt to changes in the marketing landscape.

How can businesses benefit from leveraging answer engine optimization?

This shift from traditional search engines to answer engines matters because consumers are learning about new products, companies, and services on answer engines in addition to and sometimes instead of search engines. This trend is shifting how people search the web. 

As a result, answer engine usage is projected to increase between 2023 and 2027. Statista estimates that AI usage will increase from 13 million to 90 million over those 4 years.

Businesses will need to implement new tactics to drive traction on answer engines and plan for what will likely be a substantial shift toward searches on answer engines. However, marketers will not be starting from ground zero when they work to increase visibility on AI platforms. 

Researchers have identified content types that answer engines pick up more frequently. AEO marketing tactics, for example, make sure that content is accessible and relevant for answer engines to pull and provide to their users. At the same time, AI tools can improve SEO, which still dominates how people search for and find new information. 

For more information on how businesses can benefit from answer engine optimization, check out our recent blog post, “AI Search Optimization Guide: Boosting Brand Visibility on LLMs.”

How will artificial intelligence optimization change the future of marketing?

As consumers turn to answer engines instead of search engines at higher rates, marketers will need to divert higher percentages of their budgets to tactics that improve visibility on AI platforms. 

Search is changing – marketers can stay ahead of the curve by understanding and working toward optimizing content for both SEO and AEO to rank favorably on SearchGPT and other answer engines. 

The metrics used to measure success will differ between SEO and AEO. Common metrics in SEO consist of click-through rates, bounce rates, and the time spent on a page. In AEO, impression metrics that measure citation visibility and relevance to the question from the user are more valuable. 

Metrics for AI search also include the accuracy of AI-generated answers, user engagement levels, and the impact of AI on brand visibility.

Armed with the knowledge about ranking your brand on SearchGPT, implement AEO strategies alongside the SEO tactics to plan for changes in the marketing space and be ahead of the curve. 

Along with the tactics outlined above, specialized tools and platforms can help marketers understand how their content is performing in AI search results. 

Goodie, our AI search visibility platform designed specifically for answer engines, helps businesses monitor their rankings across LLMs and optimize content for emerging AI search engines like SearchGPT. By factoring in user personas, complex prompt variations, and the customer journey, Goodie AI pinpoints how and where content can perform better in AI search results.

As AI continues to reshape how consumers discover and engage with brands, Goodie provides the tools and insights you need to position your business for long-term success. 

Contact us to learn more about our platform and how we can help you fine-tune your AEO strategy.