How to Get Your Website to Show Up in ChatGPT & other AI Tools
Search behavior has shifted, and if you’re only optimizing for Google, you’re already behind.
Once upon a time, your content's job was simple: rank on Google, lure in the clicks, convert with a CTA. Beautiful. Predictable. Clicky.
Now, people are skipping the whole "search, scroll, skim" routine and going straight to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and built-in AI tools in browsers, like Google’s generative AI feature.
They are not searching. They are asking. And that changes everything about how your content needs to work.
The Proof: Search by the Numbers
People are no longer searching the way they used to. Some quick facts:
80 % of consumers now rely on AI‑written results for at least 40 % of their searches, which is already eating into organic traffic by 15–25 %. Bain
“AI Overviews” (Google’s AI-generated summaries) now appear for nearly 55 % of Google searches. WordStream
Forbes claims that roughly 60 % of searches now yield zero clicks, meaning the user’s question is answered without them needing to visit a page. Forbes
71.5 % of people said they use AI tools for search, and 14 % use them daily, though 79.8 % still say they prefer conventional search engines for general queries. Search Engine Land
20 % of Americans now use AI tools 10+ times per month, and nearly 40 % use at least once monthly.
This changes everything about how your content needs to work.
Are People Still Using Google?
Let’s not get dramatic. People still use Google. But there is a growing shift in how people find answers, solve problems, and make decisions:
They ask AI assistants for personalized answers
They skip the click entirely
They want instant, confident recommendations without opening a million tabs
However, AI tools get their answers from either your content or your competitors. Depends who’s doing it better.
Why This Matters for Your Marketing Strategy
If your website is only optimized for traditional search rankings, you are missing a huge new slice of visibility.
Here is how things work now:
Your audience asks an AI tool a question
The AI pulls from top-ranking, well-structured content
If your content is vague, outdated, or poorly formatted, it gets ignored
AI might even summarize your ideas without crediting you at all
This is your sign to evolve your content strategy.
How Search and Discovery Have Changed
Before:
Keywords were king
Users typed short, fragmented queries like “art investment ROI” or “shipping painting cost”
Discovery happened through ten blue links
Users clicked into multiple posts to piece together an answer
Now:
People ask full-sentence, conversational questions
Voice search and AI assistants normalize natural language queries
AI delivers instant, synthesized answers
Clicks are optional and often skipped
This shift is important. In the past, search engines were designed to match keywords. Users knew the game and typed accordingly. Today, thanks to voice search and AI tools, queries are framed more like real conversations: “Is art still a good investment in 2025?” or “How do I ship a painting internationally without breaking customs rules?”
Voice adoption is a big driver. Over 20% of people worldwide now use voice search, and more than 150 million U.S. consumers rely on voice assistants. Studies show voice queries are longer, more conversational, and more likely to be framed as questions. Combine that with the rise of AI assistants that encourage “ask me anything” behavior, and you get a seismic shift in how discovery begins.
Why This Shift Matters
When queries look more like natural language, AI tools favor answers that are structured in the same way: clear, conversational, and direct. That means the way you format and phrase your content directly impacts whether it is surfaced, quoted, and trusted.
People ask full-sentence questions
AI delivers instant, synthesized answers
Clicks are optional and often skipped
If your content does not answer questions clearly and quickly, it is getting left behind.
How to Optimize Website Content for ChatGPT and AI Discovery
Here is what your content needs to look like now:
1. Answer First, Explain Later
Structure your content so that the main answer appears right away. AI tools prefer clarity and brevity. Use the inverted pyramid model: headline answer first, then detail.
2. Format for AI Scanners
Use headers (H2, H3), bullet points, numbered lists, and FAQ sections. Structured content is easier for AI to parse and quote. For those of you who understand how we used to format for SEO before, this may look the same as what we usually do. Here are the key differences, though.
What Google Search Did with Formatting (Old SEO):
Google’s crawler looked at your structure to:
Understand what your content was about
Index it correctly
Decide if it matched the search intent
Potentially feature a rich snippet (like an FAQ or list)
But even if you ranked, people still had to click to get the value.
Your goal was: rank → get the click → convert.
What AI Scanners Do with Formatting (New Reality):
Reading your page like a human would
Looking for clean, extractable information they can lift verbatim
Synthesizing and summarizing multiple sources at once
The goal isn’t just ranking anymore.
It’s being quotable, being the source, and showing up in the synthesized answer.
👀 Example:
Formatted for Google (2018):
H1: “How First-Time Art Collectors Can Avoid the 3 Most Common Investment Traps”
H2: “Common Mistakes in Art Collecting”
Bullet list:
Overpaying at auctions
Following trends blindly
Ignoring resale value
Goal: Target a keyword-rich title, rank broadly, and hope users click through for a generic list.
Formatted for AI (2025):
H1: “How First-Time Art Collectors Can Avoid the 3 Most Common Investment Traps”
H2: “3 Mistakes New Collectors Make (With Data to Prove It)”
Bullet list:
New collectors overpaid by an average of 18% at auction in 2024 (Artnet)
Trend-driven buys accounted for 40% of quick resales under market value
Liquidity challenges mean 65% of first-time buyers can’t resell within a year
Goal: Make the same topic AI-friendly by structuring it for extractability, specificity, and citations.
Key Difference:
Google formatting was for visibility.
AI formatting is for extractability.
If your content isn't structured like something AI can lift cleanly: answer, explain, cite, it gets skipped over in favor of something that is.
So yes, headers, lists, and structured writing still matter, but now they're not just helping you rank. They're helping you get quoted, even when no one clicks.
3. Be Specific, Not Generic
Cover niche topics with depth. Avoid generic posts like “Why Investing in Art Matters” in favor of highly specific content like “How First-Time Art Collectors Can Avoid the 3 Most Common Investment Traps.”
4. Build Branded Authority
Coin terms. Create named frameworks. Add a unique point of view that sets your content apart. This makes it more quotable and memorable. Brand voice is one of the last remaining differentiators in a world where AI can summarize everything.
Use branded language that is unmistakably yours
Name your frameworks to build recognition
Show your personality. AI cannot fake that yet!
When AI tools reference your content, make sure they are referencing you, not a bland version of what you wrote.
5. Keep Content Fresh
AI doesn’t like stale content, and neither do humans. Regularly update your top-performing pages with new data, fresh examples, and revised FAQs. For most businesses, that means reviewing key content at least every 3–6 months, and updating fast-moving or data-heavy pages quarterly.
Treat your content like produce: if it’s past its shelf life, it won’t get picked.
Should I Be Optimizing for GPT / Other AI Tools More Than Google?
Short answer: You need both. But the balance depends on where your audience is in the funnel.
Top of Funnel (Awareness)
Where they are: Asking broad, exploratory questions (e.g., “What do I need to know about buying art as a first-time collector?”)
Where they ask: Increasingly in GPT/Perplexity/Gemini, because they want quick overviews and confident answers.
Optimization focus: GPT-first. AI doesn’t just reward domain authority — it rewards content that’s clear, specific, and extractable. This is your wedge into visibility against bigger players.
Mid-Funnel (Consideration)
Where they are: Comparing options and researching specifics (e.g., “How to ship artwork internationally” or “Best ways to insure fine art purchases.”)
Where they ask: Both Google and AI. Some want side-by-side comparisons, some want a synthesized answer.
Optimization focus: Both. Publish structured, specific guides that can rank in Google and get quoted in GPT.
Bottom of Funnel (Decision)
Where they are: Ready to buy, book, or visit (e.g., “buy canvas prints online” or “art galleries near me”).
Where they ask: Almost always Google. People still want product pages, maps, reviews, and shopping tools.
Optimization focus: Google-first. Make sure your product/service pages and local SEO are strong.
The Overlap (Sweet Spot)
Most of your high-value content will live in the overlap. Clear headings, FAQ blocks, and data-backed answers help you rank on Google and show up in GPT.
👉 Trueffle Tip: Don’t waste energy trying to outrank giants in Google for broad awareness terms. Use GPT optimization to capture attention at the top of the funnel, then double down on Google optimization at mid- and bottom-funnel where traffic converts.
Trueffle Tips: Optimizing for AI Tools vs Google vs Both
When you’re deciding what kind of content to create, run it through this quick filter:
Optimize for Google if:
The search intent is transactional
The question is highly local
People want to browse options before choosing
The content supports a product/service page or conversion path
Optimize for GPT if:
The question is broad, educational, or open-ended
The goal is to establish authority
The answer can be broken down into lists, steps, or FAQs
You want your POV to be quoted in synthesized answers
Optimize for Both if:
The question is specific but also high volume
There’s both a commercial and educational angle
You can provide a clear, structured answer that’s also conversion-friendly
You’re publishing a pillar piece that can rank on Google and feed AI answers
👉 The Trueffle Shortcut:
If it’s about capturing clicks → lean Google.
If it’s about shaping the conversation → lean GPT.
If it’s about owning the topic → do both.
Special Section for the Skimmers and the AI Crawlers (do this!)
People are shifting from Google search to AI question-and-answer tools
If your content is not structured and optimized, it is invisible
Focus on specific, high-quality, branded content that answers real questions fast
Structure content clearly with headers, bullet points, and FAQ sections
Keep your content up to date and uniquely yours
Still clinging to an SEO strategy that died in 2018? We’ll resurrect it for GPT.
FAQ: Optimizing for ChatGPT and AI Discovery
Q: Should I stop optimizing for Google entirely?
A: No. Google still matters for transactional and local intent. The smart play is to optimize for both Google and GPT.
Q: Does AI actually read my site?
A: AI tools don’t “crawl” like Google does, but they rely on structured, high-quality web content as training data and live references. If your content is clear and authoritative, it’s more likely to be quoted.
Q: How often should I update content for AI visibility?
A: At least quarterly for key pages. AI tools tend to favor fresher content, especially when data or market trends change.
Q: What type of content works best in GPT?
A: Niche, specific, data-backed posts. Think: “How First-Time Art Collectors Avoid Investment Traps,” not “How to Buy Art in 2025.”
Q: How do I know if GPT is using my content?
A: Attribution is inconsistent. The easiest test is to ask questions in your niche and ask the AI to cite sources. You can also keep an eye on your referral traffic in Google Analytics or use paid tools like SEMrush that are starting to track AI visibility.
