If you’re running a website and wondering “Will ChatGPT Search affect my traffic?” – the answer is absolutely yes. And unlike traditional Google SEO that can feel like guesswork, we now know exactly how ChatGPT Search works behind the scenes.
Thanks to a breakthrough discovery by SEO expert Jérôme Salomon, we can actually peek inside ChatGPT Search and see its decision-making process. Here’s what every website owner needs to know about how this AI search engine picks which sites to feature.
The Big Discovery: We Can Actually See How ChatGPT Search Thinks
We can see the complete thought process that ChatGPT Search uses when deciding which websites to include in its answers by using Chrome Developer tools
How to see it yourself:
- Ask ChatGPT to search for something
- Right-click and select “Inspect”
- Go to the “Network” tab
- Enter the Chat ID found in the URL. The Chat ID is the first part of the URL after
/c/, before the first dash. - Refresh the page and look for a JSON file
- Click on it and select “Response”
Why this matters to website owners: You can finally understand exactly why your site was (or wasn’t) chosen for a ChatGPT Search result. No more guessing.
The Four-Step Process: How ChatGPT Search Actually Works
Think of ChatGPT Search like a very smart research assistant. Here’s exactly what it does:
Step 1: When someone asks “What’s the best way to grow tomatoes?”, ChatGPT turns this into specific search terms like “tomato growing tips,” “best practices tomato cultivation,” etc.
Step 2: It searches Bing (yes, Bing powers ChatGPT Search) and gets a big list of potential websites.
Step 3: Here’s the crucial part: ChatGPT looks at your page title and meta description to decide if your page is worth reading. It doesn’t read your full content yet.
Step 4: Only then does it actually visit your page, read the content, and include relevant information in its answer with citations.
Why this matters to website owners: Steps 1-3 happen in seconds. If your title and meta description don’t grab ChatGPT’s attention immediately, your amazing content never gets read.
What Makes ChatGPT Search Choose Your Website
Unlike Google’s mysterious algorithm, ChatGPT Search is refreshingly straightforward about what it looks for:
ChatGPT heavily weighs whether your title directly answers the user’s question. A title like “Tomato Growing: Complete Guide for Beginners” beats “Amazing Garden Tips!” every time.
Think of your meta description as a movie trailer. ChatGPT reads it to predict if your full article will be useful. Make it count.
Recent content gets priority, especially for topics that change frequently. Your 2019 article about social media marketing? It’s probably not getting picked.
Established, credible websites get preference. But this doesn’t mean new sites can’t compete – they just need to work harder on the other factors.
Why this matters to website owners: Unlike traditional SEO where ranking factors are secret, ChatGPT Search tells you exactly what it wants. Focus on these four areas and you’ll see results.
How to Write Titles That ChatGPT Search Loves
Forget catchy, clickbait titles. ChatGPT Search wants titles that immediately communicate value:
Be Specific, Not Creative
- Good: “How to Install WordPress on GoDaddy: Step-by-Step Guide”
- Bad: “The Ultimate WordPress Journey Begins Here”
Answer Questions Directly
- Good: “Why Your WordPress Site is Slow and How to Fix It”
- Bad: “WordPress Performance Secrets Revealed”
Include the Year for Time-Sensitive Topics
- Good: “Best Email Marketing Tools 2025: Complete Comparison”
- Bad: “Best Email Marketing Tools”
Why this matters to website owners: Your title is your first (and often only) chance to get ChatGPT’s attention. Make it count.
Meta Descriptions That Get You Selected
Your meta description is like an elevator pitch to ChatGPT Search. Here’s how to make it irresistible:
- Don’t tease – tell ChatGPT exactly what information your page contains and how comprehensive it is.
- Use Question-Answer format like “Learn how to backup WordPress sites automatically, including which plugins to use, how often to backup, and where to store your files safely.”
- What makes your guide different? More detailed? More recent? Include comparison data? Say so.
- Avoid vague promises by skipping phrases like “everything you need to know” or “ultimate guide” unless you really deliver that level of depth.
Why this matters to website owners: A well-written meta description can be the difference between getting featured in ChatGPT Search or being ignored completely.
The Content Freshness Factor
ChatGPT Search strongly favors recent content. Here’s how to stay competitive:
- When you significantly update an article, change the publication date. ChatGPT Search pays attention to these signals.
- Regularly refresh your evergreen content with current examples, updated statistics, and recent developments.
- Be among the first to comprehensively cover new developments in your industry.
Why this matters to website owners: Even amazing content gets ignored if ChatGPT thinks it’s outdated. Regular updates are now more important than ever.
What This Means for Your SEO Strategy
The rise of ChatGPT Search doesn’t mean abandoning Google SEO, but it does require some adjustments:
Google isn’t going anywhere, and many ChatGPT Search ranking factors overlap with Google’s preferences. Since ChatGPT actually reads your content, thin or poorly written pages won’t survive scrutiny.
ChatGPT Search is exceptionally good at understanding what users really want. Your content needs to deliver exactly what your title promises. In addition, AI can spot inconsistencies and outdated information. Accuracy isn’t just nice to have – it’s required.
Final Thoughts
ChatGPT Search represents the most transparent search engine we’ve ever seen. For the first time, we can observe exactly how a search engine makes decisions about which content to feature.
The good news? Success in ChatGPT Search comes down to fundamentals that every website owner can control:
- Write clear, descriptive titles that directly address user needs
- Create comprehensive meta descriptions that accurately preview your content
- Keep your content current and factually accurate
- Build domain authority through consistent, high-quality content
The even better news? These same practices will also improve your traditional search rankings. Unlike previous algorithm changes that required completely new strategies, optimizing for ChatGPT Search strengthens your overall online presence.
