With the progressive development of artificial intelligence, one of the questions that have appeared is whether ChatGPT and especially the premium one ChatGPT Plus makes use of Google Search results when seeking to find answers to queries. The issue of Google Search influencing ChatGPT answers has been fuelled by some recent tests, which postulate that the influence of Google search is even greater than it is perceived, in deciding ChatGPT to respond in a certain way. However, how does it work and what does it mean to SEO and visibility of the content? This blog enters into several tests and results that study the interaction between ChatGPT, Google Search, and SEO.
The Experiment: Google search and ChatGPT Plus
Backlinko did one of the most telling tests on this subject, they pulled the term, NexorbalOptimization, as a fake term used in SEO, but published it on a hidden page that only Google indexed. No external links and the page did not appear in any sitemaps so it was not visible to most search engines except Googlebot. The purpose of the test was whether AI models would be able to extract and compress the information about this term with the help of a page that could be accessed only through Google.
After the page had been indexed by Google, Backlinko tested the information stating about the term by numerous AI models, including ChatGPT Plus. Impressively, ChatGPT Plus (which includes browsing) also managed to locate the page and thus cite it in the blog post. Nonetheless, the term could not be accessed and summarized by other models such as Claude and the free version of ChatGPT.
This experiment is very indicative of the fact that ChatGPT Plus may actually be using the Microsoft Bing-via-Google search results as the source of information especially in freshly indexed or obscure information.
The Reason ChatGPT Plus could need Google Search
Though officially, OpenAI does not identify Bing as the chosen search engine to work with ChatGPT, at least in the case of the test, Google Search is possibly involved to a greater extent than might have been thought of before. ChatGPT Plus has been found to be strongly congruent with Google search results particularly with recently indexed information on multiple occasions. It appears that the responses provided by the AI model are based on the snippets on Google Search with the same structure of data and metadata following and supporting Google.
As it has been confirmed specifically by the users that are SEO specialists: Abhishek Iyer, Aleyda Solis, and Alexis Rylko, ChatGPT Plus always pulls out of the Google index- matching with the top links and snippets of Google SERPs. On the contrary, the search results of Bing appear to have less impact on the answers of the AI.
A clearer picture of AI Models
To learn the reason why ChatGPT may rely on Google to find information, one should think about the AI model information reception. ChatGPT is modeled to make human responses that are powered by patterns and structures in large datasets. When visiting websites it must access updated, indexed information that is in tandem with the question being asked. Google, with its indexing forms and snippet frames which tend to be more sturdy and up to date is probably the default source that ChatGPT tries.
This may imply that in case your content is entered into Google index but not visible to Bing it may as well be quoted in chat GPT hence taking a more significant role to SEO about Google compared to the past. When your information fails to appear on the Google index, it can practically disappear within the eyes of the AI and have fewer possibilities to be referenced.
Google as the most influential Voice: Iyer Experiment
One such test as the one conducted by Backlinko was carried out by Abhishek Iyer who was formerly a Google engineer. He also developed a coded page which was indexed by Google. After the page was crawled by Googlebot, Iyer tried ChatGPT Plus and some other artificial intelligence models. ChatGPT Plus was the only model that could give accurate information in the concealed page and other AI tools could not find it. This further enforced that the use of Google Search is an important component of ChatGPT Plus in the way it accesses information.
Aleyda Solis: Google Snippets Vs. Bing
Aleyda Solis is an SEO expert, and she carried out her personal study of the patterns of response that ChatGPT gives. She discovered that after Google indexed content, chatGPT answers were near- identical to Google snippets even at the word level. When it came to indexing the same content, ChatGPT preferred the version that was indexed by Google, rather than Bing, thus implying that Google does not only have influence in indexation.
Insights of Alexis Rylko Alignment to Domain Data of Google
Alexis Rylko also examined the sources of search references that ChatGPT refers to by concluding that ChatGPT sources up to 90 percent of the top Google search results. It was opposite to Bing data in sharp contrast. Rylko also noted that in the responses given by ChatGPT, formatting, timestamps and metadata were provided in the structures that are more typical of Google than Bing. This strengthens further the assumptions that the index that Google utilizes has a great influence on the manner in which ChatGPT comes up with its answers.
SEO is Not Dead Particularly in Google
The results of those tests indicate that the index of Google remains very strong in dictating which material ChatGPT can access. This reinforces to content creators and those who do SEO that you should make sure your page is indexed by Google. Even though your material will appear on Google and not on Bing, it will still be popular among ChatGPT.
The visibility in Google Search makes a wide impact on your presence online in this new AI powered world. In the content ecosystem that is driven by AI, SEO is still essential, particularly in tactics that help you optimise your Google ranking. In order to remain relevant in such an environment, it is imperative to ensure you have good SEO practices such that what you post ends up being ranked high in terms of Google search.
Increase in the Significance of AI in the Search
With the increasing number of use cases of ChatGPT and other AI related tools in everyday life of users, it seems obvious that AI also starts influencing the consumption of search and content. The effect of employing AI models supported by Google Search will be immense on the ways individuals obtain information. To SEO professionals, this may be a shift of focus to offer optimization to artificial intelligence such as chat GPT and other conventional search engines.
Universal device viewability
To make content available to ChatGPT it should be able to be viewed by Googlebot, and other search engine crawlers/bots. That is, the visibility of the content on platforms such as Google, on social media, and even on other AI models should be a priority in business and content creation. The more content you have in various platforms the more likely a citation by the AI and search engines are.
Summing up: SEO, Google and Future of AI
To sum up, even though there is no official statement regarding the connection between ChatGPT and Google Search by either OpenAI or Google, there is a strong evidence that the index Google has created plays a prominent role in the formation of responses of ChatGPT Plus. With SEO gurus still digging more into these findings, there is now emerging evidence that content visibility on Google Search is more important than ever before. Content creators have to optimize their sites in order to make sure that that their content appears to a human being and also AI models such as ChatGPT.
By the time artificial intelligence continues to develop and is more incorporated into search and content discovery, the concept of SEO will have to be changed. Remaining ahead of the game involves being familiar with the dynamic between search engines, AI and content visibility. SEO in the future is no longer related to getting a position in Google; it is related to making your content findable by AI that based on it may create the digital environment.
This explains the great extent of using Google in the AI-based search; thus, content makers can adjust their approaches to stay in this new-fangled AI world. SEO is anything but dead, it is more active than ever before in the context of artificial intelligence.
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