Why isn't my business showing up when people ask ChatGPT for recommendations?
Most often ChatGPT's search crawler, OAI-SearchBot, is blocked, or there is no clear page on your site for the question being asked. Check robots.txt for OAI-SearchBot first, then ask ChatGPT the question a few times and open the sources it shows to see who wins and why.
What does ChatGPT use to find businesses?
OpenAI documents three agents. OAI-SearchBot surfaces websites in ChatGPT's search features. GPTBot gathers content that may be used to train its models. ChatGPT-User fetches pages when a person asks, and OpenAI says robots.txt rules may not apply to those user-initiated actions (OpenAI).
Blocking GPTBot does not remove you from ChatGPT search. Blocking OAI-SearchBot does: OpenAI says such sites can still appear as plain navigational links but not in ChatGPT search answers. Changes take roughly 24 hours.
What should I check, in order?
- Open yoursite.com/robots.txt. Is OAI-SearchBot disallowed, directly or by a blanket rule?
- Does the page load its text without JavaScript?
- Is there a page that answers this exact question?
- Ask ChatGPT the question three times in fresh chats. Who is named?
- If it shows sources, open them. What do they say that your page does not?
Why might ChatGPT not search at all?
For some questions ChatGPT answers from what it learned in training, with no search. In that case your new pages cannot change the answer until a later model. This is why a business that exists on the web can still be absent: the model's knowledge may predate you or be thin on you. The remedy is to be present in many reliable places so future training and search both find you.
What if ChatGPT names the wrong business?
That is a namesake or an outdated-source problem. See how to fix wrong information ChatGPT gives about your company.
What if ChatGPT only names big brands?
For broad questions, big brands often win because there is much written about them. Narrow the question. Instead of competing for "best accountant", answer "accountant for freelance designers in [city]" with a clear page, specific facts and an updated date. ChatGPT's answers depend partly on what it can find that fits the question closely, so a specific page can beat a general one. Add the details a buyer would filter on, such as price range, response time, licences and the kinds of customer you serve, in plain text near the top of the page. This is also easier to measure: you can ask that precise question, repeatedly, and see whether you start to be named.
Frequently asked questions
Does paying for ChatGPT Plus help my business show up?
We know of no connection. Your visibility depends on your content and what ChatGPT can read.
Should I allow GPTBot?
That is a training decision, separate from search. Allow OAI-SearchBot to be eligible for search.
Why did a friend see my business and I did not?
Answers vary by run and context. Repeat the question and compare.
Is it free to find out?
Yes. Sightline's first scan is free.