AI & Search Engines
How AI Finds Sources
How ChatGPT Selects Sources
and what that means for SEO
When ChatGPT is used for web searches, it first accesses search indices (e.g. Bing and other partner sources).
The AI then evaluates the results found, sorts them according to relevance and summarizes the most important information into an easily understandable answer.
In this answer, the references to the original sources used appear directly, so that it is always clear where the content comes from.
AI ranking factors and process
- Relevance
Content that is semantically the best match for the question is preferred. - Trustworthiness & Quality
Priority is given to official, editorial, and technically sound pages. - Timeliness
For “current” topics, new and relevant contributions are weighted more heavily. - Diversity
Instead of many similar hits from one source, different perspectives are shown. - AI Synthesis
ChatGPT generates a coherent answer from the top sources found and displays inline citations and links.
ChatGPT ‘s ranking is therefore a mixture of Bing search score and internal AI scoring for context and quality.
What follows from this
Classic ranking factors such as relevance, trustworthiness and topicality remain decisive.
It is becoming increasingly important to have content that differs from competitors in order to be perceived and shown as a “different perspective“.
However, a recent study by Chatoptic shows that even brands with top rankings on Google only appear in ChatGPT responses in around 62% of cases.
The position on Google hardly correlates with the visibility in ChatGPT (correlation close to zero), and even ChatGPT with active browsing shows only minimally more overlap with Google (+1 %).
This confirms: SEO is necessary, but not enough – for AI results, you must also rely on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) must also be used.
Purely AI-generated content still has little chance, because it has no own experiences or examples due to the system.
In addition, Bing optimization remains important, as ChatGPT frequently accesses it.
What ChatGPT shows in the AI result
- Answer with supporting documents: Linked sources directly in the text; images or maps can be displayed with source.
- Why it differs from Google/Bing: Classic search engines list links; ChatGPT additionally prioritizes context and comprehensibility of the overall explanation.
Note: ChatGPT may also use other search providers or partners, depending on the query. The visible links in the answer always show what the statement is based on.
Further sources
- What is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)?
- OpenAI: Introduction: ChatGPT Search
- OpenAI Help: How to display citations/sources in ChatGPT search
- Google (official): Guide to ranking systems
- Microsoft/Bing (official): Bing Webmaster Guidelines | How Bing delivers results
- Search Engine Land: Nearly all ChatGPT users still visit Google
- Chatoptic: Google-ChatGPT Visibility Study (2025)
Example: Effects on YouTube content
For learning and explanatory topics, ChatGPT increasingly suggests suitable YouTube videos directly.
Impact for users
For users, this means a faster selection, less hype and clickbait
as well as a clear recommendation without unnecessarily inflated frills.
Impact for brands
For brands that rely heavily on YouTube, this new AI trend can also have disadvantages:
ChatGPT evaluates videos more according to content relevance and clarity. Tricks that lure people in with eye-catching thumbnails or typical reach tricks are thus eliminated/avoided.
This makes it more important to prepare content in a structured, understandable, and authentic way
in order to remain visible in AI results.
What brands can also do in our opinion
- Use audiovisual strengths:
Videos that combine image, animation, and language can convey complex content better than pure text, e.g., “How do I edit a video with Final Cut Pro,” explained by a video editing expert in his studio. - Use the human factor:
Information seems more credible when it is explained by a trustworthy person who you also see in the video, e.g., “Is too much vitamin C harmful in the diet?”, explained by a Dr. med., specializing in nutrition.
In the best case, this ensures a content subscription that makes new content permanently and purposefully/individually present, regardless of searches (Google or AI).
