When someone asks ChatGPT "What's the best SEO agency in Melbourne?" or "Who can help me with AI search optimisation?", wouldn't you want your business to be mentioned?
This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's happening millions of times daily. AI search optimisation is becoming as important as traditional SEO, and getting cited by AI assistants can drive significant traffic and leads to your business.
Understanding How ChatGPT Finds Information
ChatGPT doesn't search the web in real-time (except when using plugins). It draws from training data that includes websites, articles, reviews, and other content. To be mentioned, your business needs to be:
- Present in authoritative sources that AI training data includes
- Consistently mentioned across multiple reputable websites
- Associated with clear expertise signals in your industry
- Providing unique, valuable information that AI finds useful to cite
Important: AI visibility is built over time through genuine authority building, not quick hacks. The strategies below focus on sustainable approaches that benefit both AI and traditional search.
7 Strategies to Get Mentioned by ChatGPT
1. Create Quotable, Factual Content
AI systems extract and cite clear, factual statements. Structure your content with definitive statements that AI can easily quote. Include statistics, specific recommendations, and expert opinions that provide value when cited.
2. Build Entity Recognition
Establish your brand as a recognised entity by ensuring consistent information across Wikipedia (if notable), Wikidata, Google Knowledge Graph, industry directories, and authoritative publications. The more places AI can verify your entity exists, the more likely it is to mention you.
3. Earn Mentions on Authoritative Sites
Get featured on high-authority websites in your industry. Guest posts, expert quotes, interviews, and features on industry publications all contribute to your presence in AI training data.
4. Develop Comprehensive Topic Clusters
Create content that thoroughly covers topics in your expertise area. When your site becomes an authoritative source on a subject, AI systems are more likely to reference your content when discussing that topic.
5. Use Schema Markup Extensively
Structured data helps AI understand your content's context. Implement Organisation schema, FAQ schema, HowTo schema, and Article schema to make your content more machine-readable. See our Technical SEO guides for implementation details.
6. Build Review and Social Proof
AI systems consider reputation signals. Strong reviews on Google, industry-specific platforms, and social proof from customer testimonials increase your perceived authority and likelihood of being recommended.
7. Answer Questions Directly
Create FAQ pages and Q&A content that directly answers questions in your industry. AI systems often pull from content that provides clear, direct answers to common queries.
Measuring AI Visibility
Unlike traditional SEO, measuring AI mentions is challenging but not impossible:
- Regularly test prompts related to your industry in ChatGPT and other AI assistants
- Monitor brand mentions across the web using tools like Brand24 or Mention
- Track referral traffic from AI-powered platforms
- Watch for increases in branded searches that may result from AI mentions
The Long-Term View
Getting mentioned by AI isn't an overnight achievement. It requires consistent effort in building genuine authority, creating valuable content, and establishing your brand as a trusted entity in your space.
For Melbourne businesses willing to invest in this long-term approach, the rewards include visibility in an entirely new search channel that's only growing in importance.