Why Your Business Needs to Be Visible in ChatGPT

The New Search Reality

Traditional search is dying. By 2026, Gartner predicts that search engine queries will drop by 25% as users shift to generative AI tools. With nearly 800 million weekly active users, ChatGPT has become the internet’s new homepage.

This shift creates unprecedented opportunities for businesses. Instead of competing for page rankings, companies now compete for inclusion in AI-generated responses—responses that directly reach potential partners, investors, and high-value customers.

How AI Models Select Information

Unlike Google’s algorithm-based ranking system, ChatGPT and similar large language models (LLMs) source information differently:

What AI Models See:

• Open-access publications and media coverage
• YouTube videos with transcripts and SEO descriptions
• Frequently cited sources like Wikipedia
• Corporate blogs with regular updates
• Structured databases and listings

What They Miss:

• Social media posts (except LinkedIn Articles)
• Paywalled content
• Videos without subtitles
• Niche websites with poor indexing

According to Muck Rack’s analysis of over one million AI citation links, 95% of sources cited by language models are earned media, with 27% coming from journalistic content.

The Business Impact

For companies expanding internationally, AI visibility has become crucial. Recent data indicate that search behavior is undergoing a fundamental shift—users are increasingly asking AI for direct answers rather than browsing multiple search results.

“We’re seeing a fundamental shift in how our clients approach digital presence,” says Kateryna Doroshevska, founder of BECOME PR Agency, which focuses on business PR and personal branding for leaders. “Traditional PR metrics like media mention counts are expanding to include AI presence. Companies that ignore this trend risk becoming invisible in the new digital landscape.”

10 Steps to ChatGPT Visibility

1. Define Your Expertise Keywords

Identify 3-5 specific phrases that capture your expertise: “fintech compliance solutions,” “sustainable packaging innovation,” or “B2B SaaS growth strategies.”

Use these consistently across all content, paired with full names and clear role descriptions.

2. Target AI-Friendly Media

Focus on media outlets that appear in ChatGPT responses when you query your industry.

Key characteristics: open access without strict paywalls, international presence, regular search engine indexing, and English-language versions available.

3. Transform Your Website into a Knowledge Hub

Corporate websites can be powerful AI sources, but only if they’re actively maintained. AI systems favor fresh content published within the last 12 months.

Essential elements:

• Regular expert content (case studies, analysis, Q&As)
• Clear author profiles with expertise descriptions
• English versions of key materials
• Structured headers and schema markup

Static websites are invisible to AI—your content needs to demonstrate ongoing expertise.

4. Leverage Structured Databases

AI models excel at reading structured information. Maintain updated profiles on:

• Crunchbase for company information
• Wikipedia for established recognition
• Industry-specific directories
• Professional rating platforms

These structured sources often serve as primary references in AI responses.

5. Optimize Video Content

While ChatGPT doesn’t watch videos, it reads accompanying text. Ensure your video content includes:

• Accurate subtitles
• SEO-optimized descriptions
• Key points in text format
• Links to text-based summaries

6. Structure Social Media Strategically

AI doesn’t scan most social platforms, but it sees links to them in other sources. Maintain professional profiles with:

• Clear role and industry descriptions
• Links to external resources
• Consistent professional presentation
• Public accessibility settings

7. Publish on Open Platforms

If traditional media coverage isn’t available, use platforms like Medium, Substack, or industry-specific forums. These platforms are well-indexed and frequently cited by AI systems.

Focus on practical insights, case studies, and answers to common industry questions.

8. Utilize LinkedIn Articles

Among social platforms, ChatGPT has limited access to LinkedIn, specifically the Articles section. Publish long-form content as LinkedIn Articles with:

• Open access settings
• Clear name attribution
• Industry-relevant keywords
• Structured formatting

9. Complete Professional Profiles

Platforms like Upwork, industry-specific job boards, and professional networks can serve as AI sources if profiles are:

• Publicly accessible
• Well-structured with clear descriptions
• Enhanced with reviews or ratings
• Cross-referenced by other sources

10. Lead with Personal Branding

AI systems tend to remember individuals more effectively than companies. Personal profiles become your primary visibility tool—both for AI and traditional media.

When experts are consistently associated with companies in publications, AI models create those connections in their responses.

Content Optimization for AI

Structure your content to maximize AI pickup:

Use Clear Headers: frame topics as questions, such as “How to Scale SaaS Customer Success” or “What Defines Effective Digital Transformation.”

Implement Q&A Format: AI systems particularly value question-answer structures, lists, and step-by-step guides.

Include Specific Data: Replace vague statements like “many companies” with concrete figures, such as “73% of mid-market firms.”

Maintain Author Attribution: Clear expert bylines create associative connections for AI systems.

Research shows AI systems more frequently cite structured expert content with clear attribution over generic corporate communications.

Measuring Success

Track your AI visibility by regularly querying your expertise areas in ChatGPT. Monitor whether your company or name appears in responses about your industry, competitors, or solutions.

This new metric—AI mention frequency—is becoming as crucial as traditional SEO rankings for businesses seeking international recognition.

The Future of Business Visibility

The shift from search engines to AI assistants represents a significant change in the way information is discovered. Success no longer depends on gaming algorithms, but on building genuine expertise and authority in open, structured formats.

Companies investing in AI visibility today are positioning themselves for a future where being mentioned in AI responses is equivalent to appearing on the first page of search results.

The question isn’t whether this shift will happen—it’s whether your business will be visible when it does.

About the Author

Kateryna Doroshevska is the founder of BECOME PR Agency, specializing in business PR, personal branding for leaders, and B2B communications. A former journalist turned entrepreneur, she has developed over 200 PR and personal branding strategies across 22 industries in the past four years. Her clients have been featured in Forbes, leading business media, and international publications. Kateryna holds international certifications from Creative Enterprise (UK), UBL PIE (US), and the Institute of Marketing (Estonia), and provides consulting at Diia.Business while mentoring at the Laba and PRJCTR.

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