If your business ranks on the first page of Google, that’s a big win. But according to a new visibility study from Chatoptic, it doesn’t mean ChatGPT will mention your brand in its answers.

The study looked at how often top-ranking brands on Google also showed up when people asked ChatGPT questions in the same categories. The results revealed a surprisingly weak connection between the two.

What the study found

• Brands that ranked on Google’s first page were only mentioned in ChatGPT answers 62% of the time.
• In nearly 4 out of 10 cases, the two platforms showed completely different brands.
• Even when the same brands appeared in both Google and ChatGPT, there was almost zero correlation between their ranking and mention order.
  • Correlation scores: 0.034 with browsing ON, 0.022 with browsing OFF.
• Turning browsing ON in ChatGPT improved alignment with Google rankings by only 1%. Visibility was still driven primarily by the model’s internal knowledge and semantic reasoning.

What this means for your business

We definitely recommend checking out the original article, but the takeaway from it is clear: strong SEO doesn’t guarantee visibility in AI-generated answers.

Generative engines like ChatGPT don’t work the same way search engines do. Instead of ranking pages by backlinks, keywords, and authority, they generate answers based on a mix of context, relevance, and what their models have already learned.

So while traditional SEO is still important for search visibility, optimizing for generative AI (sometimes called GEO, or more accurately, AEO: Answer Engine Optimization) requires some new strategies. That includes writing content that answers questions conversationally, uses natural language, and provides context that AI models can easily interpret (hint: set your reading level at about 8th grade or less when you write).

diib was built for this

At diib, we’ve been focused on AEO long before it had a name. Our Answer Engine® analyzes your site, pulls data from Google and other important platforms, and provides clear insights and action tips to help your business grow.

We’ve tracked how SEO and AEO overlap (and where they don’t), and our tools help you adapt to both. See how your website performs in search and AI-driven environments, and get personalized steps to improve.

Run a free scan of your website at diib.com to see where you stand and how to strengthen both your SEO and your AEO visibility.