How to Appear in ChatGPT & Monitor Your Brand’s Performance

Once upon a time, winning on Google was endgame. Now, the internet’s favorite know-it-all, ChatGPT, is deciding which brands get mentioned (and which get ghosted). You can’t bribe this beast with an ad budget yet. So if you want to show up in AI answers, you’ll need to play by ChatGPT’s game, and keep an eye on how it talks about you.

How ChatGPT Sources Answers

ChatGPT pulls answers from two places: its training data and live Bing searches. That’s it. But it’s not like a human researcher scouring books and studies to come to a conclusion. ChatGPT generates responses based on patterns and relationships it finds within these sources.

This is an important distinction to keep in mind as you figure out how (and if) your brand is getting listed in ChatGPT. Here’s how it works:

• Training Data: ChatGPT is trained on a mix of licensed content, publicly available data, and human feedback. This is what comprises its knowledge base, but remember, it’s not updated in real time. If your brand is newer or relies heavily on the latest information, training data isn’t covering you.
• Web Integrations (Bing): For the fresher or time-sensitive queries, ChatGPT taps into Bing’s search index. This is where traditional SEO work comes into play. If Bing doesn’t recognize your website as relevant or authoritative, ChatGPT won’t either.
• Citation Preferences: When ChatGPT does provide users with sources, it tends to pull from websites it deems reputable and structured; think Wikipedia, government websites, major news outlets, or blogs with strong authority signals. The clearer and more trustworthy your content looks, the higher your odds of getting included.

The bottom line? If you want ChatGPT to recognize you, you need to win twice: once in Bing search, and once in the game of authority.

Limitations of Appearing in ChatGPT

I know your company has big dreams of appearing in ChatGPT, but you can’t just waltz up, hand it your URL, and say “list me”. Unlike Google, there’s no “submit website” button or paid placement you can arrange (at least not yet).

Here are some roadblocks to keep in mind if you’re trying to appear in ChatGPT:

• No direct submission: There’s no form, API, or backdoor to get ChatGPT to include your site. Visibility depends on how your content shows up in its training data and Bing’s index.
• Not guaranteed, even if you do everything right: You could be ranking well in Bing, have schema markup, and publish stellar content… and still not get cited. AI answers are probabilistic, not deterministic. Heartbreaking, I know.
• It doesn’t only cite polished brands: If you think ChatGPT is only pulling from those big-name sources, think again. ChatGPT pulls from Reddit threads, Quora posts, and aggregator sites just as often as it cites those glossy blogs out there. In some cases, an active discussion beats out your carefully optimized page. Check out this Goodie study to learn more about who’s getting cited.
• Training data lag: If your brand is new or fast-moving (think 2025 startups), it won’t be in ChatGPT’s training set. Until Bing picks you up consistently, you’ll have little visibility.
• Hallucinations are real: Even when you do get mentioned, ChatGPT might misrepresent your brand (wrong info, outdated stats, or mixing you up with a competitor).

You may be able to optimize your chances, but there’s no “on” switch for appearing in ChatGPT. It’s less like Google Search Console and more like PR; you influence, but you can’t control.

How to Appear in ChatGPT Results

For all you paid advertising lovers, I’m sorry to say you can’t buy your way into ChatGPT answers (never say never, though). However, what we can do right now is stack the odds in our favor. We do this by making it easier for ChatGPT and Bing to recognize a brand as trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative.

Here’s the playbook:

1. Claim Your Business Listings (Bing Matters)

Google has long been the golden child of search, but Bing is finally getting its time to shine. If you’re already doing SEO with a focus on Google, amazing! But it’s time to add Bing to the mix since ChatGPT leans heavily on Bing for live search results.

• Claim and optimize your Bing Places profile (just like you would with Google Business Profile).
• Keep your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistent across listings.
• Encourage reviews everywhere; positive sentiment boosts trust.

2. Nail Your Technical SEO Hygiene

If you’re not SEO aficionados like the NoGood team, here are some key areas to look into (but of course, give us a ring if you’d like expert help).

• A fast-loading, mobile-friendly site is non-negotiable.
• Clean URL structures (no random strings of numbers).
• Use schema markup for business info, products, FAQs, and reviews (structured data makes it easier for AI to parse and cite you).
• Secure site (HTTPS), crawlable pages, and logical hierarchy.

3. Build Authority (the PR + SEO Hybrid)

Answer engine optimization (AEO) takes a lot of inspiration from SEO principles, but also heavily overlaps with PR ideologies. Here’s what to take from both marketing mediums:

• ChatGPT cites sources that are widely trusted, not just keyword-optimized.
• Get backlinks from reputable sites: industry publications, news outlets, blogs with real readership.
• Guest posts, digital PR, and thought leadership content all help.
• Mentions on aggregator or well-recognized platforms (e.g., Crunchbase, G2, Wikipedia) can also boost authority signals.

4. Publish Structured, High-Quality Content

Now this is really where I like to shine. ChatGPT (and other LLMs) like to pull from content in a certain style: one that’s easy for them to read and pull from. While I’m not here to give you my secret sauce to writing good content (I charge for that 😌), here are some guiding principles:

• Lead with clear, concise answers (inverted triangle style). This makes it easier for AI to lift your content.
• Use Q&A formatting (“What is X? Here’s the short answer…”) to align with how people prompt ChatGPT.
• Show H-E-E-A-T signals (Helpfulness, Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): author bios, credentials, citing reliable sources.
• Keep content fresh and updated (stale info gets deprioritized).

5. Optimize for Review-Rich & Accurate Profiles

I cannot over-emphasize how important reviews are. LLMs compete by who can be the most helpful to their users, and reviews help them determine who’s worthy of being recommended in their results.

• Encourage customers to leave reviews on Bing, Google, Yelp, G2, or industry sites.
• AI often references review-rich profiles to validate credibility.
• Bonus: high-rated businesses are more likely to be surfaced in “best of” or “top [industry]” queries. (That’s part of the reason why we have a million of those).

The bottom line is, think of appearing in ChatGPT as a mix of SEO + PR + trust-building. The more places you’re cited as credible, the harder it will be for ChatGPT to ignore how special you are.

But getting into ChatGPT’s answers is only half the battle. You should also be asking, How do you know if it’s actually happening? That’s where monitoring comes in.

How to Monitor Your Brand’s Performance in ChatGPT

Success in ChatGPT isn’t about clicks or rankings. It’s about whether (and how) your brand is named in AI answers. To track this, you need to swap your mindset from SEO-style traffic metrics (clicks, CTR, impressions) and think in visibility and sentiment metrics.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Run Prompt Testing & Simulations

• Test prompts that mimic what your audience is actually asking:
  • “Best [category] apps in 2025”
  • “Is [your brand] trustworthy?”
  • “Alternatives to [competitor]”
• Document if, how, and where your brand is mentioned.
• Repeat periodically. Answers can change week to week as Bing updates and ChatGPT evolves.

2. Track Mentions & Sentiment

• Look for how often your brand shows up in answers, and whether the framing is positive, neutral, or negative.
• Note whether ChatGPT cites your official website (owned mention), third-party reviews (earned mention), or (worst case) outdated Reddit threads.
• Pay attention to competitor mentions in the same space.

3. Benchmark Against Competitors

• Compare your visibility to your peers:
  • Are they mentioned more often in “best of” lists?
  • Do their citations come from stronger sources (news outlets vs. random forums)?
• Use this to identify content or PR gaps you can close.

4. Use Monitoring Tools (Instead of Doing This Manually Forever)

• Tools like Goodie automate AI visibility tracking: monitoring how often your brand appears, in what context, and against which competitors.
• Think of it as your Search Console or Semrush for AI engines.

Of course, monitoring isn’t just about counting mentions; it’s about catching when ChatGPT gets your brand wrong. And yes, that happens more often than you’d like.

Brand Risk in AI Answers

Showing up in ChatGPT isn’t always a complete win. If AI bots get your story wrong, cite outdated information, or drag in a bad review, it can do more harm than good.

Here are some risks to keep on your radar:

Outdated Training Data

• ChatGPT’s training set doesn’t update in real time.
• If your brand has rebranded, changed pricing, or fixed an issue, the AI might still surface the old version.
• Example: A fintech app could be flagged as “not offering FDIC insurance” even after that’s been added.

Hallucinations & Misrepresentation

• Sometimes ChatGPT just… makes things up.
• It may merge your brand with a competitor, invent fake features, or misstate your history.
• Without monitoring, you won’t know until a customer calls you out.

Negative or Biased Mentions

• AI doesn’t only pull from polished sources; it cites Reddit threads, reviews, and forums. Meaning your customers can alter the narrative about your brand.
• One scathing comment in a discussion could end up shaping the way ChatGPT summarizes your brand.

Competitor Positioning

• If ChatGPT mentions your competitors more frequently (or more positively), you’re essentially losing brand reputation in zero-click answers.
• This can influence buying decisions before a customer even visits your site.

Okay, so ChatGPT might occasionally roast your brand without meaning to. The fix? Don’t wait to find out the hard way; test what the bot is saying about you.

How to Test Your Visibility in ChatGPT

There’s some overlap between monitoring and testing, and that’s the point. Monitoring gives you the big-picture ongoing strategy, while testing is the scrappy, hands-on way to see how ChatGPT is treating your brand in the moment.

Here’s how you can run some quick tests:

Play the Customer

Don’t ask “marketer” questions; ask what your users would.

• “What’s the best [industry] tool for [use case]?”
• “Is [brand] trustworthy?”

Try Different Prompt Styles

ChatGPT’s answers can change based on phrasing.

• Casual: “Any good alternatives to [competitor]?”
• Formal: “Top [industry] providers in 2025.”
• Comparative: “Which is better, [brand] or [competitor]?”

Pay Attention to Positioning

• Are you front and center, or buried halfway down?
• Are you framed as a leader or just one of many?
• Small differences can have a big impact on perception.

Think of testing as the “manual spot check” version of monitoring. One gives you the big-picture dashboard, the other keeps you close to the ground.

The Future of Appearing in ChatGPT

The way brands are showing up today won’t be the way it works forever. Expect more integrations, stricter authority requirements, and yes, probably paid placements. Capitalism, amiright?

Paid Visibility Is Coming

• Just like Google evolved from organic-only to ads + shopping listings, it’s hard to imagine ChatGPT not monetizing.
• Think sponsored answers or “recommended providers” baked into AI responses.
• For now, organic authority is your only lever, but brands should prepare for a future where budgets matter again.

Deeper Search Integration

• ChatGPT already leans on Bing, but you should expect stronger ties between AI models and live search engines.
• Google’s AI Overviews hint at the direction; AI answers are layered directly into search.
• This means traditional SEO + AI optimization (AEO) will blur into the same strategy.

Authority Signals Will Tighten

• Right now, citations can come from Reddit threads as easily as Forbes.
• But as LLMs improve, expect heavier weighting toward structured, verifiable, review-rich sources.
• Brands with strong H-E-E-A-T will win long term.

Multi-Model Monitoring Will Be Non-Negotiable

• ChatGPT is big, but not the only player. Gemini, Perplexity, and others are gaining ground.
• Future monitoring = cross-platform AI reputation management, not just ChatGPT visibility.

Brands Will Treat AI Like a New PR Channel

• In the future, getting cited in ChatGPT answers will be as critical as landing a feature in TechCrunch or Forbes.
• Expect PR + SEO + AEO to fully converge.

In my eyes, the future of ChatGPT (and all its competitors) visibility will look a lot like the evolution of Google Search. Starting organic, layering in authority signals, and eventually becoming pay-to-play. Adapting early means you can own your AI answer economy.

Conclusion: Don’t Let the Bots Gossip Without You

The future of visibility isn’t just about where you rank; it’s about what the bots say when someone asks about you. ChatGPT is already shaping buying decisions, reputations, and customer trust long before a click even happens.

But the good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Solid SEO fundamentals, authority-building, and a little proactive monitoring can make sure you’re showing up in the right way, at the right time.

Because if you’re not paying attention, ChatGPT will happily fill in the blanks about your brand for you (and you may not like the story it tells).

Want to make sure the machines get your story straight? That’s where NoGood comes in.

How to Appear in ChatGPT: FAQs