Skip to content
ExcelsiorAI

AI Visibility

ChatGPT SEO: how to get your business recommended.

Buyers ask ChatGPT who to call and what to trust. There is no switch to flip, but there is a reliable order of work: be reachable, be clear, be credible, be easy to cite, then test with real prompts.

Review my AI visibility

In short

ChatGPT SEO means improving the things that influence whether ChatGPT finds, understands and cites your business. When it searches the web, it relies on crawlable pages and credible sources, so the work is mostly good SEO plus clearer entity information and third-party evidence.

No one can promise a recommendation. You can remove blockers, strengthen the evidence and measure what ChatGPT actually says.

  • OpenAI documents separate crawlers for search and training. Blocking the search crawler can keep you out of ChatGPT search results.
  • Being clear and consistent about who you are and where you work matters more than any trick.
  • Third-party reviews and mentions carry weight because you cannot write them yourself.
  • Test with real prompts monthly. Do not assume.

Step 1: make sure you can be reached

OpenAI documents separate crawlers: OAI-SearchBot for ChatGPT search results, GPTBot for training and ChatGPT-User for pages a user asks it to open. If your robots.txt or hosting firewall blocks the search crawler, your pages may not appear in ChatGPT search at all.

Check that your key pages load quickly, render without needing complicated scripts and are not hidden behind logins or pop-ups.

Step 3: say clearly who you are and where you work

  • State what you do, who you serve and where, in plain words on your home and service pages.
  • Keep your business name, address area, services and descriptions consistent across your website, Google Business Profile and directories.
  • Have an about page that names the people behind the business and their experience.

Step 4: answer the questions buyers actually ask

Write pages that open with the direct answer and then explain. Include costs where you can, because vague pages are rarely cited. A short FAQ with honest answers helps both people and machines.

Step 5: earn evidence from other people

Reviews, case studies, industry directories, local press and partner mentions are the signals you cannot manufacture yourself. They are also what AI systems use to decide whether to trust a claim. Ask real customers for genuine reviews. Never buy or fake them.

Step 6: add structured data, but keep expectations realistic

Structured data such as Organization, Service and FAQ helps machines read what a page means. It does not guarantee a citation. A published llms.txt file is harmless housekeeping, but no AI platform has said it relies on one.

What does not work

  • Hidden text or prompts aimed at AI systems.
  • Fake or purchased reviews.
  • Dozens of thin, near-duplicate location pages.
  • Promises from any provider to guarantee a ChatGPT mention.

Step 7: test with real prompts

Write down 10 to 20 questions a buyer might ask, such as who to call for your service in your area. Ask them in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and Perplexity each month, and record whether you are named, who is, and which sources are cited. That log shows what is changing. Our free AI Visibility Meter gives you a first-pass view of your public website.

FAQ

Questions.

How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?

Make sure ChatGPT's search crawler can reach your site, be indexed in Google and Bing, state clearly who you are and where you work, answer buyers' questions directly, earn genuine third-party reviews and mentions, then test with real prompts. There is no guaranteed method.

Is ChatGPT SEO different from normal SEO?

It overlaps heavily. Crawlability, clear content and credibility help in both. ChatGPT SEO adds more weight on entity clarity, third-party evidence and being easy to cite, and on measuring what the AI actually says.

Should I block GPTBot or OAI-SearchBot?

They do different things. GPTBot relates to model training and OAI-SearchBot to ChatGPT search results. Blocking the search crawler can keep you out of ChatGPT search. Decide each separately.

Does llms.txt help?

It is harmless housekeeping, and we publish one, but no major AI platform has said it relies on it. Do not treat it as a ranking lever.

Can you guarantee ChatGPT will mention my business?

No. ChatGPT's answers change and are outside anyone's control. We improve the underlying evidence and access, then measure the result.

Can I check how AI sees my site for free?

Yes. The free AI Visibility Meter runs a first-pass check of your public website. A score does not prove or guarantee any ranking or recommendation.

Keep exploring

Related.

By Alban de Vaucorbeil, Geelong. Reviewed . Guidance, not a guarantee of results.

Want a second opinion on how AI sees you?

A free 30-minute conversation with Alban about your visibility today and the most useful next step. A verbal recommendation, with no commitment.

Review my AI visibility

For established, multi-employee businesses.