(And Why It Has Wayyy Less to Do With “AI SEO” Than You Think)

Let’s clear something up right away: ChatGPT doesn’t rank websites. It recognizes them. There is no leaderboard. No secret “optimize for AI” sauce. And no magic prompt that suddenly makes your site show up everywhere.

What does happen is quieter—and actually way more interesting.

ChatGPT surfaces ideas, frameworks, explanations, and sources that are clear, consistent, and widely understandable. The same kind of websites real humans trust. Those are the ones AI tools tend to echo, paraphrase, and recommend time and time again. 

Which means this conversation isn’t really about AI at all.

It’s about copy clarity. 

Structure. 

Whether your website actually says what you think it says.

TL;DR: If your website is confusing to a human, it’s confusing to AI too.

What People Think “Getting Found on ChatGPT” Actually Means

Most advice floating around right now sounds like some version of:

• “Write for AI!”
• “Optimize for ChatGPT!” (& transparently, you’ve probably heard us say this exact phrase as well because we do — more on that later).
• “AI-proof your website!”
• “Use these keywords so bots understand you!”

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: If you’re trying to game ChatGPT, you’re already behind.

ChatGPT isn’t crawling your site daily like Google. It’s not impressed by keyword stuffing. And it doesn’t reward vague, over-polished corp-bro marketing language.

Instead, it pulls from patterns:

• Clear explanations
• Repeated ideas across many sources
• Well-structured educational content
• Sites that sound like they actually know what they’re talking about (ahem!!) 

The Kind of Copy ChatGPT Understands and Reuses

This is the part most people skip and where everything changes.

Declarative, Quotable Copy Works Best

ChatGPT works by predicting and reproducing language patterns. That means it favors copy that makes clear statements, not just vibes.

Strong examples:

• “SEO works best when it’s built for long-term discovery, not daily posting.”
• “Brand voice isn’t how you sound online, it’s how consistently people recognize you.”
• “Most creatives struggle with blogging because they outsource before they’re clear.”

These kinds of sentences are:

• Easy to understand
• Easy to paraphrase
• Easy to reuse in a conversation with your bestie

If your site is all metaphors and no meaning, there’s nothing for AI to grab onto.

Why Storytelling Needs Structure

Story is powerful. We love good ass story. But story alone doesn’t translate well to AI.

If your insight is buried at the bottom of a beautiful anecdote, ChatGPT won’t extract it.

What does work:

• Stories followed by clear takeaways
• Explicit lessons after examples
• Naming the point instead of hoping it lands

Think: “Here’s what happened — and here’s why it matters.”

Story builds trust.
Structure makes your ideas usable.

P.S. Stories most likely don’t belong on the pages you want to rank for on Google anyways…

Consistent Language Helps AI Recognize Your Expertise

If you describe the same concept five different ways across your site, AI can’t tell what you’re actually known for.

You don’t need to niche harder. You need to name things the same way repeatedly.

Pick your language and stick to it:

• One primary way you describe your service
• One core philosophy you reinforce
• One clear problem you solve

Consistency helps humans recognize you.
It helps AI recognize you faster.

Why SEO Structure Still Matters for ChatGPT Visibility

This isn’t “SEO is dead” territory.

It’s SEO finally doing the job it was always meant to do: making information legible.

1. Clean Header Structure Helps AI Understand Your Content

Clean headers = clear thinking

ChatGPT loves content that’s easy to chunk:

• One clear H1/page
• H2s that answer real questions
• H3s that expand instead of ramble

If your blog reads like a wall of sticky note thoughts, AI can’t map it.

If your site reads like a well-organized explanation? That’s gold-kiss-you-on-the-mouth-level. 

2. High-Intent Website Pages Matter More Than Endless Blogs

If you want your site to be understood, prioritize pages that explain things clearly:

• Service pages that say who you help and how
• “How it works” pages
• FAQ sections
• Educational pillar posts
• About pages that actually explain your perspective

AI doesn’t just pull from “content., It pulls from explanations it can actually follow.

3. Internal Linking Reinforces Context for AI Tools

When your site connects ideas intentionally, you’re telling both humans and AI:

“This is what I’m known for.”

Internal links help establish:

• Topical authority
• Concept relationships
• Repeated themes

A strong content library does more than boost SEO it teaches AI how to understand your work. Which is why you’ll find pages linking to pages linking to pages on well-optimized websites. 

What Doesn’t Help Your Website Get Found on ChatGPT

Let’s call a few things out lovingly but honestly:

• Writing for keywords instead of meaning
• Generic listicles with no original POV
• Overusing buzzwords without explanation
• Sounding “professional” but saying nothing
• Trying to outsource clarity instead of doing it yourself

If your website could belong to anyone, it won’t belong to you in AI-assisted conversations either.

If your audience can’t explain what you do after reading your site, ChatGPT can’t either.

The Real Goal Isn’t “Ranking” — It’s Being Referenced

The goal isn’t to show up first.
The goal is to show up naturally.

To be:

• Quoted
• Paraphrased
• Referenced
• Trusted
  

The websites that surface most often in AI tools aren’t louder. They’re clearer. They know what they stand for and answer real questions real humans actually ask.

Point of the Story: Write For Humans, Not AI

You don’t need to rewrite your website for ChatGPT.

You need to write a website that knows what it’s saying, says it clearly, and doesn’t make people reread the page wondering if they missed something important.

The same foundation that compounds trust with real humans is the one AI tools are most likely to surface.

Clarity compounds. Confusion fades. And your website finally starts doing the job you hired it to do.

Want Help Building a Website That Compounds?

If this post made you realize your website:

• exists but isn’t clearly understood
• ranks a little but could do much more lift in the marketing department
• or feels disconnected from what you actually want to be known for
  

That’s exactly where our SEO services come in.

We don’t optimize for bots.
We don’t chase trends.
And we don’t separate copy from strategy.

Instead, we help you:

• clarify your positioning (what you stand for/don’t)
• structure your site so ideas connect
• build content that ranks and gets referenced
• create visibility that compounds long after publishing

Because when your website is clear, trusted, and discoverable — both search engines and AI tools can do their job better.

Get in touch here if you’d like support! 

FAQs 

Does ChatGPT crawl or index websites like Google?

No. ChatGPT does not crawl or index websites in real time the way Google does.

Can SEO help my website show up in ChatGPT answers?

Yes… but not in the traditional “rank higher” sense. SEO isn’t about pleasing AI. It’s about making your ideas legible enough to be reused & referenced. 

Do I need to optimize my website specifically for AI tools?

Yes & No. If your website is written for humans to clearly identify what you do, who it’s for, you’re fine! But if not… well, you need a rewrite. 

What type of content does ChatGPT reference most often?

According to miss Google, ChatGPT references educational blog posts, clear service/how it works pages, FAQ’s, frameworks/processes. 

Will blogging more frequently help my site get found on ChatGPT?

Not necessarily. A smaller, well-organized content library with clear positioning will outperform frequent posting without direction for both SEO and AI discovery.

What should I focus on first if I want my website to be AI-friendly?

Start here:

1. Clarify what you actually want to be known for
2. Use consistent language across your site
3. Clean up your header structure
4. Add explanatory sections and FAQs
5. Write for understanding, not performance

AI visibility is a byproduct of knowing what your website is about & who it’s for.