The Rise of ChatGPT Search: Is It a Game-Changer for SEO?

An interview with Andrew Oleksik, SUSO’s Managing Director, sheds light on burning questions around ChatGPT Search and its potential impact on SEO strategies and agencies like SUSO. With the rapid evolution of AI transforming how we find and consume information, is ChatGPT a true competitor to traditional search engines like Google?

Q: How predictable was this move by OpenAI?

Andrew Oleksik:

The move by OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT Search wasn’t entirely unexpected. We observed clear indicators pointing to this shift, such as the registration of the “search” subdomain in OpenAI’s DNS records a few months ago. With Microsoft’s backing and a team of industry-leading experts behind the initiative, it was a calculated step for OpenAI to enter the search arena.

OpenAI has positioned itself well to disrupt the market, drawing on vast resources and the expertise of its team. With AI models advancing rapidly and demand for NVIDIA-powered hardware soaring, the financial and technological stakes are significant. OpenAI’s original mission to operate as a non-profit has been challenged by growing monetization needs, highlighted by its introduction of paid accounts. Running AI models at this scale is costly due to hardware, computational needs, and the necessity to maintain a highly skilled workforce.

It’s clear that OpenAI’s entry into the search market was driven by a need to capture a portion of the lucrative industry, similar to Google’s longstanding dominance. The question now is how well OpenAI can compete and how quickly it can evolve to match—and potentially surpass—Google’s capabilities. While OpenAI’s intent-focused search is a unique twist, its impact remains to be seen.

Q: How will ChatGPT’s ability to provide direct answers affect keyword research and content strategy?

Andrew Oleksik:

ChatGPT represents a fundamental shift in how search is conducted. Unlike traditional search engines like Google, which prioritize providing users with a wide range of potentially relevant links, ChatGPT focuses on delivering concise, direct answers tailored to user intent. This change has significant implications for keyword research and content strategy.

Historically, SEO has often revolved around targeting specific keywords to rank in search results. Google itself has evolved to prioritize user intent, but ChatGPT takes this to another level. Rather than simply serving a list of resources, it processes and synthesizes information to provide answers that are contextually relevant and aligned with user needs. As such, SEOs and content creators must adjust their strategies, focusing less on isolated keywords and more on broader, intent-driven content. This means creating articles and resources that directly address user queries, explore complex topics, and offer actionable insights.

However, this shift doesn’t render all traditional SEO tactics obsolete. Transactional, navigational, and local content still play a role, especially when it comes to capturing a broader range of user intents. ChatGPT can pull from these sources when providing answers, so content diversity remains important. Moving forward, authority and expertise will continue to be essential, as ChatGPT’s algorithms are likely to favour sources that exhibit these qualities.

Q: Do we know how to make clients’ websites visible in ChatGPT Search?

Andrew Oleksik:

Making websites visible in ChatGPT Search is still a developing process, but early strategies are emerging. Unlike Google, ChatGPT’s approach is to process content for answers, drawing on a mix of its training data and what it can access through web crawling. For SEOs, this means ensuring content is authoritative, relevant, and contextually aligned with user intent.

We’ve been experimenting with prompts to understand how ChatGPT selects resources and how it generates responses. This involves probing the motivations behind its content selection, which can provide clues about the factors influencing its rankings. Additionally, we are studying technical elements, such as how the ChatGPT crawler interacts with websites at the server log level.

By analyzing this behaviour, we can gain insights into how indexing occurs and how content is prioritized. This work is still in its infancy, but it’s clear that ensuring content is authoritative, informative, and properly structured remains vital.

Q: Will ChatGPT impact websites focused on sales and e-commerce?

Andrew Oleksik:

The impact of ChatGPT Search on e-commerce sites is a topic of significant interest. By offering direct answers to user queries, ChatGPT may reduce opportunities for users to explore products or engage with branded experiences on e-commerce websites. Currently, it tends to favour larger, well-known brands due to their established authority, which may create a challenge for smaller or niche players.

For e-commerce sites, the key to thriving in this new landscape is adapting to intent-driven searches and focusing on long-tail variations of keywords. Instead of competing with established brands on broad terms, smaller players should create highly relevant, targeted content that addresses specific user needs or pain points. This could involve developing guides, product comparisons, or in-depth content around niche topics that align with user queries. By doing so, smaller businesses can capture traffic and establish themselves as valuable sources of information.

While ChatGPT may shift the dynamics of how users engage with content, it also opens up opportunities for businesses willing to adapt. Crafting content that resonates with user intent and provides actionable value remains a critical component of success in this evolving search landscape.

Q: Does ChatGPT directly use Google Search results?

Andrew Oleksik:

No, ChatGPT does not use Google’s data to generate its responses. OpenAI has developed its own capabilities, and ChatGPT operates using data sources from its training, as well as web content it crawls independently. Since OpenAI and Microsoft are closely aligned, ChatGPT has historically drawn on Bing’s search results through API access.However, with its own crawling capabilities, ChatGPT is taking steps to create a more autonomous search ecosystem.

Unlike Google, which has been indexing the web for decades and has built extensive infrastructure, ChatGPT is still in the early stages of building its index. This creates challenges in terms of data breadth and depth, but it also represents a unique approach to search that could differentiate it from its competitors. The development of its crawler and indexing capabilities will play a key role in shaping its long-term impact on the market.

Q: What tests have you done so far to adapt to ChatGPT Search?

Andrew Oleksik:

Our team has been exploring how ChatGPT interacts with content to better understand its behaviour and potential ranking factors. We’ve established test websites to monitor interactions with ChatGPT’s crawler at the server log level, observing how it indexes and prioritizes content. By analyzing these interactions, we hope to identify patterns that can inform our SEO strategies.

Additionally, we’re experimenting with prompts to gain insights into why ChatGPT selects certain sources. By probing the motivations behind its content selection, we can better align our content with its preferences. While this area of research is still developing, it underscores the importance of understanding how AI-driven search engines operate and adapting strategies to stay visible.

Q: Is SEO dead? Should businesses worry?

Andrew Oleksik:

Far from it. While the emergence of AI-driven search engines like ChatGPT represents a shift, the fundamentals of SEO remain as important as ever. Quality content, authority, and user-centric strategies continue to drive visibility. Businesses should not panic; instead, they should observe, adapt, and embrace the changes unfolding in the search landscape.

Traditional search strategies will continue to play a significant role, and many tactics used to optimize for Google will also apply to ChatGPT. The key is to focus on providing value through high-quality, intent-driven content. By staying informed and adapting to new developments, businesses can navigate the evolving search landscape and thrive in a world that increasingly blends traditional search with AI-powered solutions.

Thank you, Andrew, for your insights

The rise of ChatGPT Search may feel disruptive, but it offers opportunities for those willing to adapt. By focusing on user intent, authority, and high-quality content, businesses can stay relevant in a changing landscape. SEO isn’t dead—it’s evolving, and the strategies that define success must evolve alongside it.

Are you an agency or a marketing team and have direct SEO questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.