AI search optimization: how to get found in ChatGPT and Google AI

The short answer

To get found in AI search, make your website answer customers' real questions in plain words, show your prices, add structured data, don't block AI crawlers, and get mentioned and reviewed on other sites. ChatGPT, Claude and Google's AI answers build on normal search results, so good SEO is most of AI search optimization.

What's changed

More and more people don't click through ten blue links. They ask ChatGPT "who's a good accountant in Drammen?" or read the AI summary at the top of Google. If your business isn't in that answer, the customer may never see your website.

The good news: what gets you into AI answers is mostly the same as good, old-fashioned SEO, done properly. There's no secret trick, and anyone who sells one is guessing.

Where the AI gets its answers

• Google's AI answers (AI Overviews and AI Mode) are built from pages Google has already found and ranks. If you're not on Google, you won't be in its AI answer.
• ChatGPT search uses a search index, partly from Bing, and reads pages live. So Bing matters more than it used to.
• Claude, Perplexity and others also search the web and read pages to answer.
• All of them also lean on what other sites say about you: reviews, directories, articles and mentions.

Ten things you can do

On your own website

1. Say clearly what you do, where, and for whom. "Plumber in Bergen, emergency call-outs 24/7" on the front page beats "Quality solutions since 1998". AI tools quote plain facts.
2. Answer real questions. A page or a section for each question customers actually ask: prices, how it works, how long it takes. Questions and answers are easy for AI to quote.
3. Show your prices, at least "from" prices. "What does X cost?" is one of the most common questions, and AI tools prefer pages that answer it.
4. Use structured data. A bit of hidden code that tells search engines your business name, address, opening hours and services. Your web developer can add it in an hour.
5. Make the site fast and readable without tricks. Pages that load slowly, or hide text behind buttons and scripts, are harder for AI tools to read.
6. Don't block the AI crawlers by accident. Check your robots.txt file. Some website templates block bots like OAI-SearchBot, which ChatGPT search uses.

Outside your website

1. Keep your Google Business Profile complete, with opening hours, photos, services and recent reviews.
2. Sign up for Bing Webmaster Tools and submit your sitemap. It's free and takes 15 minutes.
3. Get mentioned elsewhere. Industry directories, local news, partner websites and review sites. AI tools trust what several sources agree on.
4. Ask happy customers for reviews, and answer them. Reviews are one of the main signals for "who's good at X near me".

How to check where you stand

Ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google the questions your customers would ask: "best [your service] in [your town]", "what does [your service] cost in [your town]". Note who gets mentioned and which websites the answers link to. Do it again every few months.

If your competitors show up and you don't, look at their websites. Usually they answer the questions more clearly, or they're mentioned on more sites.

Can you pay to be included?

Not in the organic answers. Google shows ads around its AI answers, and ChatGPT has started testing ads, but being recommended in the answer itself comes from the work above.

Questions people ask

How do I rank in ChatGPT?

There's no ranking you can buy. ChatGPT search reads pages from a search index, partly Bing's, so be findable on Bing and Google, answer questions clearly on your site, and get mentioned on other trusted sites.

Does SEO still matter with AI search?

Yes, more than before. Google's AI answers and ChatGPT both start from pages that search engines have found and trust. Good SEO is the base for AI visibility.

How long does it take to show up in AI answers?

Usually weeks to months, about the same as normal SEO. Changes to your own site show up faster than mentions and reviews on other sites, which build over time.

Building it in from the start

Every website I build comes with the basics in place: clear text written with you, structured data, a sitemap, fast pages, AI crawlers allowed and an llms.txt file. From €3 900, live in under two weeks. If your current site is fine but invisible, the AI workflow audit can cover search too.