In the swirling world of digital marketing and content creation, a new player has emerged on the scene—ChatGPT. This conversational AI technology is changing how businesses interact with users, prompting a big question for marketers and business owners alike: should you be looking at ChatGPT as an opportunity, or a threat?
Are Businesses Getting Referrals From ChatGPT?
With the ability to generate human-like text and provide instant responses, Chat GPT is reshaping how content is created and consumed.
For marketers, it’s a game-changer that demands adaptation and strategy. Normally, users would type in a search query and get search results from Google, Bing, or whatever search engine they used. They would then sift through the search results and land on your page, or your client’s page, and hopefully interact with the business in some way.
Now, users can type a question or prompt into ChatGPT and receive an answer right then and there—no need to go searching through blogs and web pages to get an answer. Sounds like this would be the downfall of search engines as we know it, right?
Thankfully, wrong. While your strategy will have to adapt, the end goal of search engines and AI query systems like ChatGPT are different.
Take the question “How to rank on ChatGPT?” If the user is simply looking for an answer to that question, ChatGPT can offer them some great information (which has been pulled from blogs like this one).
However, if the user’s end goal is to find a marketing company that can help them rank on ChatGPT, a blog like this is still going to be an important marketing strategy. Google’s strength lies in its referral power—if a user’s end goal is to find a solution to their problem in the form of a business or product, Google still reigns supreme.
Currently, ChatGPT needs very specific prompts, something like, “Find me a marketing agency in Orem, UT that specializes in SEO, paid ads, and human-written content,” and our business, Lemonade Stand, might pop up as a “referral.”
But, referrals are coming through ChatGPT. We had a client who recently had two referrals come from ChatGPT prompts, which means that it is possible to get business through ChatGPT. That leaves marketers and business owners with a big question: “How to rank on ChatGPT?”
How To Find Referral Traffic from ChatGPT on GA4
After you’ve signed into your GA4 account, follow these steps to find out if you have referral traffic from ChatGPT:
- Navigate to Reports
- Under Acquisition, click Traffic Acquisition
- Adjust the time frame as needed (last 28 days or more)
- Under Search, click Session Source/Medium
- After the page loads, search ChatGPT to narrow down results
We’ve found that most of our ChatGPT traffic—although small in numbers right now—is highly engaged, with users spending substantially more time on the page. Perhaps this is because they are farther down the sales funnel, after already having done preliminary research. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues!
Factors Influencing Ranking on Chat GPT
Just like any other search engine, there are various factors that can affect your ranking on ChatGPT. These include:
- Relevance of content: Just as with traditional search engines, having relevant and high-quality content is key to ranking well on ChatGPT.
- Use of AI-friendly keywords: With the rise of AI technology, it’s important to use keywords that are optimized for ChatGPT. This includes using long-tail keywords and natural language in your content.
- Quality of interaction: As ChatGPT is designed for conversational interactions, engaging and high-quality interactions with users can also positively impact your ranking.
- Consistency and frequency: Regularly updating your content and maintaining consistency in your posts can help improve visibility on ChatGPT, much like how a good book series keeps readers hooked by releasing thrilling chapters one after the other.
- User satisfaction: Let’s not forget the star of the show: the user! Ensuring they leave your content feeling informed and satisfied is crucial, as happy users are more likely to engage repeatedly and recommend your content to others.
- Adaptability to trends: Being a trendsetter is no easy feat, but keeping up with existing and evolving trends can give you an edge. Adjusting your content to reflect current interests and events can enhance your chances of ranking high in ChatGPT responses.
In the end, ChatGPT pulls from the most well-performing, well-organized content on the Internet. Its information comes from blogs, web pages, and other content sources. So, with a solid SEO and content strategy in place, businesses can still rank well on ChatGPT.
Strategies to Optimize Content for Better Chat GPT Rankings
If you’re thinking about how to rank on ChatGPT, these strategies will help.
Ask ChatGPT What It Thinks About Your Site
Use the technology itself! Use prompts like “Analyze my website [insert site link]. What questions are being asked about my business?” to see what ChatGPT thinks about your website and the potential questions users might have. This can give you insights into how well your content is optimized and even how to rank on ChatGPT.
Use Conversational Keywords
Crafting content for chatbots means adopting conversational keywords. Speak to your audience directly, using language they resonate with. Consider what phrases initiate conversations and explore these within your content strategy. By aligning with natural language processing, you ensure your content’s discoverability and relevance in chat-based queries.
Foster Engaging Conversations
Entice your audience with content designed to spark dialogue. Pose open-ended questions, encourage sharing, and incorporate user-generated content where possible. The goal here is to transform your content from static information into a dynamic conversation starter. Remember, engaged users mean more visibility for your brand in Chat GPT’s eyes.
Compare Your Content to Google’s AI Overview Carousel
Google is testing their own AI systems to make Google searches even more user-friendly. You may have noticed something called “AI Overview” when you’ve done a Google search—it gives you a carousel of top-performing blogs to help answer your question.
Read through the blogs that pop up for keywords and questions you’re trying to rank for. Is there information you could add to your blogs that the carousel pieces don’t have? By offering unique and valuable insights, you can increase the chances of your content being featured in these AI carousels.
Ask Lemonade Stand to Help You Rank on ChatGPT!
Well-researched, human-written content that has a strategy behind it is the answer to how to rank on ChatGPT. We can offer you in-depth content strategies, content written by real people, for real people, and insights into what it takes to rank on ChatGPT.
Reach out to the Lemonade Stand team today to see if digital marketing services are what you need to convert readers into customers and grow your business.
