Key Takeaways:
- AI search engines select sources based on freshness, fact quality, and structure – not backlinks
- ChatGPT relies on Bing, Perplexity crawls the web in real-time
- Optimization can bring first mentions within weeks – faster than classic SEO
Ask ChatGPT for a tax advisor in your city. Ask Perplexity for the best SEO tips. The answers name specific businesses and websites – but by what criteria? Backlinks? No. Google rankings? Only partially. Domain authority? Irrelevant.
AI search engines play by different rules. Those who understand these rules can build visibility in weeks – not months like with classic SEO. This article shows how ChatGPT and Perplexity select sources and how you can optimize your website for this new type of search.
Why Classic SEO Is No Longer Enough
With Google, you optimize to appear in search results. With AI search engines, it works differently. The system reads your content, processes it, and gives a summarized answer. Your website is at best mentioned as a source.
This means: Even if you rank number one on Google, you don't automatically appear in ChatGPT answers. The systems work with different data sources and evaluation criteria.
Comparing AI Search Engines
| System | Data Source | Update | Specialty |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (Web) | Bing | Real-time | Largest user base |
| Perplexity | Own crawler | Real-time | Shows sources prominently |
| Google AI Overviews | Google Index | Real-time | Integrated in search |
| Claude | Anthropic Crawler | Periodic | Focus on accuracy |
How AI Systems Select Sources
Current studies show interesting patterns. Neither many backlinks nor Google reviews are decisive for AI recommendations. Instead, other factors count:
- Content quality: Precise, factually correct information instead of marketing fluff
- Freshness: Perplexity prefers sources with data from the last 12 months
- Structure: Clear headings and logical organization facilitate processing
- Citations: Studies and statistics signal reliability
Preparing Content for AI Systems
The most important measure concerns your headings. AI systems look for answers to specific questions. If your headings ask these questions, it increases the probability of being used as a source.
Instead of: "Our Services" Better: "What SEO services do we offer?"
Instead of: "Prices" Better: "What does professional search engine optimization cost?"
The first sentence after each heading should directly answer the question. AI systems preferentially extract the first sentences of a paragraph. Put the most important information first, details can follow.
Technical Foundations for AI Visibility
Beyond content, technical aspects play an important role:
Structured data helps AI systems understand the context of your content. FAQ schema for questions and answers, HowTo schema for instructions, and LocalBusiness schema for local businesses provide machine-readable information.
Since ChatGPT uses Bing for web searches, presence there is important. Register your website with Bing Webmaster Tools and ensure indexing works.
Fast loading times are also relevant here. If a crawler analyzes your page and it takes long to load, not all content may be captured.
Demonstrating Expertise
AI systems weight E-E-A-T signals. Show that real expertise stands behind your content:
- Author pages: Who writes? What qualifications?
- Own experiences: "In our practice we regularly see that..."
- Mentions: Guest articles, podcast appearances, industry directories
Your own experiences and case studies distinguish your content from generic texts. Anyone can copy theoretical knowledge, but not practical experience.
Checking If You're Recommended
There are no automated tools yet that reliably track AI mentions. The practical alternative is manual spot checks.
Regularly ask ChatGPT and Perplexity for recommendations in your industry and region. Note whether your website is mentioned and which competitors appear instead. Analyze what the mentioned sources do differently.
Watch your traffic for unusual patterns. An increase in direct traffic may indicate AI recommendations. Ask new customers how they became aware of you.
Check your website's current status with our SEO Analyzer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to appear in ChatGPT or Perplexity?
The good news: While classic SEO takes 6-12 months, you can achieve first mentions in AI search engines within a few weeks. Perplexity crawls the web in real-time, ChatGPT accesses the Bing index, which updates relatively quickly.
Do I need to completely rebuild my website for AI visibility?
No. Most measures – question-answer structure, current data, schema markup – also improve your classic SEO performance. Start with your ten most important pages and reformulate their headings as questions.
Will AI search engines completely replace Google?
Not in the foreseeable future. But they are changing search behavior. For informational queries, more and more people are using AI systems. Transactional searches with purchase intent remain with Google for now. A dual strategy makes sense: optimize for both worlds.