SEO for ChatGPT Search (SearchGPT): how to be referenced and cited by AI in 2025

With the emergence of ChatGPT Searchalso known as SearchGPTa new generation of AI-assisted search engines redefines the rules of natural referencing. With the emergence of ChatGPT Search, also known as SearchGPT, a new generation of AI-assisted search engines is redefining the rules of SEO. Find out more about Search Generative Experience (SGE) from Google, which follows the same logic of integrating AI into search. This engine, developed by OpenAI in partnership with Microsoft Bingis based on advanced language (like GPT-4o) to provide responses generated in natural language, directly from relevant web content.

Unlike traditional engines like Google, SearchGPT favors a conversational approachfocused on user intentions and semantic content quality. This opens up new opportunities for SEO professionalsweb copywriters and agencies. A context reminiscent of SEO challenges in the EMS era that brands also encounter on Google.

In this article, we'll look at how to adapt your SEO strategy to the demands of this new kind of platform: from theindexing via Bingat thesemantic optimizationthrough to the E-E-A-T best practicesthe structured data or the AI-oriented writing. Objective : be quoted, visible and clickable in responses generated by ChatGPT Search.

SEO IA glossary

SearchGPT

Informal name given to ChatGPT Search, the AI search engine developed by OpenAI.

Grounding

The process by which AI relies on real sources (such as the Bing index) to generate reliable answers.

Zero-click Search

Search result where the user obtains a direct answer without having to click on a link.

LLM (Large Language Model)

Natural language processing model, such as GPT-4o, used to understand and generate text.

Understanding how ChatGPT Search works

ChatGPT Searchalso known as SearchGPTis a conversational search engine developed by OpenAIin collaboration with Microsoft Bing. It combines two fundamental elements: a classic web indexprovided by Bing, and a generative language modelin this case GPT-4oable to understand, synthesize and reformulate information in natural language.

Unlike traditional search engines, which simply provide a list of links, ChatGPT Search relies on a generation process called "link generation". grounding. The model begins by querying the Bing index to retrieve relevant documents, then reformulates a synthetic answer from these sources, citing those it considers reliable. This produces contextualized answers while maintaining a link with concrete web documents, thus limiting the risk of errors or hallucinations.

This radically transforms the logic of search engine optimization. Where a traditional search engine relies on signals such as backlinks, internal links or HTML structure, ChatGPT Search places the emphasis on the "search engine". understanding the content quality of writing, clarity, precision of answers, perceived reliability and structuring adapted to research intentions.

The user experience here is based on a conversational interaction. The user no longer navigates through a SERP, but receives a direct answer, sometimes enriched with tables, lists or examples, with integrated quotations. Content is evaluated according to its ability to provide an immediate and clear answer to the question posed, rather than according to a conventional algorithmic score.

In other words, ChatGPT Search doesn't just classify pages, it also synthesizes knowledge. This implies an evolution in SEO strategy: from now on, you need to think of your content as answers, and not just as pages positioned on keywords. The challenge is to produce information that is useful, structured and perfectly aligned with search intent.

Understanding this logic is essential for adapting to this new generation of search engines, where the semantic value and perceived expertise count as much, if not more, than technical optimization.

How do I get listed on ChatGPT Search (SearchGPT)?

Being visible in the results generated by ChatGPT Search relies on a combination of traditional SEO best practices and techniques specific to this new artificial intelligence-based search engine. The aim is not just to be indexed, but above all to be understood, deemed reliable and selected by language models like GPT-4o, capable of generating answers from web content.

Here are the essential steps to maximize your chances of appearing in the AI results generated by ChatGPT Search :

1. Authorize the right IA crawlers in the robots.txt

To enable ChatGPT Search to crawl your site, you must authorize the following agents:

• OAI-SearchBot used for content indexing.
• ChatGPT-User used to generate responses in real time.

You can block GPTBot if you don't want your content to be used to train models, with no impact on your presence in the generated results.

2. Optimize content for natural language and search intent

AI models analyze content as answers to queries formulated in natural language. Your content must :

• Answer specific questions clearly and directly.
• Use a fluid, conversational tone, incorporating expressions similar to spoken language.
• Be structured to facilitate information retrieval: clear headings, short paragraphs, lists, definitions, etc.

3. Work on semantic authority and site reliability

ChatGPT Search places a high priority on content credibility. To strengthen your position :

• Rely on reliable, recognized sources.
• Get mentions and backlinks on high-authority sites.
• Showcase your expertise with in-depth content, case studies and proof of experience.
• Optimize your About, Legal and Author pages with an E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust) approach.

4. Get indexed on Bing

ChatGPT Search uses the Microsoft Bing index as its database. It is therefore essential that your site is correctly referenced on this engine:

• Add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools.
• Correct crawling errors, check your sitemaps, and follow Bing's recommendations.
• Work on your content according to Bing's criteria: originality, relevance, user experience, loading speed.

5. Integrating structured data (Schema.org)

Implement structured data to help AI better understand your content:

• Beaconing Article for your blog posts.
• The types FAQPage, Product, Review, Personetc. depending on the page type.
• Information about the author, ratings, customer reviews, events or entities related to your business.

6. Align each page with a search intent

Models like GPT-4o interpret the intent behind each query. To increase the relevance of your content:

• Analyze conversational queries around your topic to adjust your titles and subtitles.
• Create pages oriented according to the type of intention: informational, transactional, navigational.
• Include FAQ or direct response blocks at the top of the page for easy extraction in "zero-click" type formats.

Find out more about SEO strategies for dealing with AI to boost your visibility.

Promote site indexing on ChatGPT Search

According to, OpenAI technical documentationChatGPT Search uses three main crawlers:

• OAI-SearchBot The main crawler for content indexing, optimizing site visibility on ChatGPT Search.
• ChatGPT-User This crawler responds to user requests in real time and facilitates interaction with external applications.
• GPTBot : Intended for training AI models, this crawler can be blocked without affecting the ranking of sites in searches.

To maximize your visibility, it is essential to authorize the OAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User crawlers to access your content via the robots.txt. You can, however, block GPTBot if you don't want your content to be used to train models.

When updating your robots.txtHowever, it can take up to 24 hours for ChatGPT Search's systems to take this change into account.

Ensuring good indexing on Bing

ChatGPT Search is part of the Microsoft Bing index, so it's also essential to make sure your site is listed on Bing.

Optimizing your content for ChatGPT Search's natural language

GPT models are based on natural language understanding. Here are some tips for optimizing your content:

• Write clear, concise and relevant content Make sure your articles directly answer users' questions. Search intent must be at the heart of your strategy. Think of each page as an answer to a question or query.
• Use conversational keywords Web users often ask complete questions (e.g. "how to improve SEO for Search GPT") rather than short keywords. Tailor your content to answer these queries. Answer questions as they would be asked in natural language.
• Create high value-added content AI models can detect redundancy and superficial content. Produce content that is useful, original and brings a unique perspective to your visitors.
• Take care with your titles and subtitles Use H1, H2 and H3 to structure your content clearly, making it easier for AI models to understand. Titles should contain relevant yet natural keywords.

Creating reliable, relevant content

To position yourself on ChatGPT Search, content reliability is essential. OpenAI claims to pay particular attention to the quality and credibility of sources, which is crucial to avoid the problems of misinformation and hallucinations sometimes associated with AI. To maximize your chances :

• Cite your sources Make sure you clearly reference reliable sources when producing content. This will help establish your page's credibility.
• Get external endorsements : Being quoted by other media, recognized sites or on social networks is an asset. The more your content is relayed, the more likely it is to be perceived as trustworthy.
• Update your content regularly Information must be relevant and up-to-date. This is especially true if you're dealing with recent topics or hot news.

Adapt your content to the context and intent of your users

Search GPT's AI seeks to understand the context behind each query. This means it's essential to optimize your content for different search intents, whether informational, transactional or navigational.

• Create specific pages for each type of intention For example, a well-optimized product page for those wishing to buy, and a comprehensive guide for those in the information-seeking phase.
• Use FAQs : Adding FAQ sections to your pages can improve their relevance to natural language searches.

Optimizing your content for Bing and ChatGPT Search

At Daware, we've seen a correlation between Bing and ChatGPT Search results, which is why it's important to follow Bing's own optimization best practices. If you've already worked on the SEO of your content on Bing, you're well on your way to ranking well on ChatGPT Search. Here are some optimization best practices for Bing that are also valid for ChatGPT Search:

• Create content for users : Your priority should remain the creation of quality content that meets your visitors' expectations, rather than focusing solely on algorithms.
• Offer unique content : Your content must be original, and not duplicate that of other sites.
• Use optimized media The inclusion of original images and videos improves user engagement. Don't forget to add alt text for accessibility and optimize page loading speed by using appropriate formats.
• Avoid bad SEO practices Like Google, Bing warns against unethical strategies such as cloaking, duplicate content and link buying.

These practices are all the more important given that new Google features also impact organic traffic.

Create content adapted to direct responses ("Zero-click search")

The aim of ChatGPT Search is to provide direct, clear answers, without forcing the user to click on a link to obtain an answer. To maximize your presence in these response snippets :

• Provide clear, concise answers Place a direct answer at the beginning of your content. Provide succinct, direct answers at the top of your pages to increase your chances of being featured in an enriched extract.
• Use bulleted lists or tables These formats are often used in enriched extracts, as they make it easier to summarize information.

Enriched extracts and "zero-click search" are on the increase, as is the new Google Quick View.

Exploiting structured data and markup

Visit structured data play an important role in the indexing and understanding of your content by search engines. To optimize your site on ChatGPT Search :

• Use Schema.org tags Markup patterns help to describe the content of your page, making it easier for AI models to understand. For example, for articles, use the "Article" tag.
• Strengthen your About page and your contact pages Include information on your certifications, articles published on other platforms and links to external contributions, all with the appropriate structured data. This helps reinforce E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust), an increasingly important criterion in SEO.
• Highlight customer reviews, testimonials and case studies to reinforce your site's credibility. AIs often consider these elements as signals of trust. Structured data such as "reviews" help search engines to understand these reviews and the associated ratings.

Think local SEO

ChatGPT Search offers an interactive map for local searches. If you have a local establishment, make sure it is well referenced in online rankings or in regional press articles, as this helps boost its visibility on the platform.

Example: a restaurant listed on Yellow Pages, TripAdvisorand in a local press article such as "Le Parisien" has a much better chance of being detected by SearchGPT in a search of the type "best Italian restaurant in Lyon".

Highlighting E-E-A-T to optimize your referencing

To rank well on ChatGPT Search, it is crucial to highlight :

• Your expertise Publish detailed articles, tutorials and case studies to demonstrate your expertise in your field.
• Your experience Share personal anecdotes, concrete examples and projects you've completed.
• The authority Accumulate quality backlinks by being mentioned on reliable sites. The quality of these backlinks is taken into account by the AI to assess the relevance of your content.
• Confidence Make sure your site is secure (with a suitable SSL certificate), provide clear contact information and work on transparency of information (complete legal disclaimer).

Measure and adjust your ChatGPT Search SEO strategy

SEO on Search GPT is evolving rapidly. To stay successful on ChatGPT Search, it's important to monitor your results and adapt:

• Performance monitoring Use analysis tools compatible with ChatGPT Search to evaluate your positioning.
• Experiment Test different formats, such as short videos and enriched content, and identify those that best meet users' needs.
• Keep up to date with best practices Follow developments in AI algorithms and SEO by reading blogs (our blog on traffic acquisition for example 🙃), taking part in webinars or talking to SEO experts.

Conclusion

Optimizing your site for ChatGPT Search involves combining traditional SEO strategies with an approach adapted to artificial intelligence models. By focusing on the quality of your content, the reliability of your sources, and providing accurate answers to users' questions, you'll maximize your chances of appearing well on this new platform. This development perfectly illustrates how Google is revolutionizing search with AI. Those who can adapt quickly to these new technologies will be the first to benefit.

Before launching your strategy, consult our SEO alert: Google AI could kill your traffic to anticipate risks.

Ready to improve your SEO on ChatGPT Search? Contact Us to apply all these best practices and track your results to get the most out of this AI platform.

📚 Also read: DeepSeek vs ChatGPT: AI and generative SEO.

Frequently asked questions about SEO for ChatGPT Search