ChatGPT (OpenAI)
ChatGPT is the most widely used AI assistant: OpenAI says around 900 million people use it every week (February 2026). It searches the web on its own when a question needs current information, and anyone can use that search, even without signing in. That reach makes it the single most important platform for GEO.
Strengths
Largest user base of any AI platform, meaning the most potential visibility for your content
Strong conversational interface that handles follow-up questions naturally
Built-in web search on every plan, also for people who are not signed in, with links to its sources
Custom GPTs that can draw on specific content sources
Multimodal capabilities (text, images, code) for diverse content types
Memory features that allow personalized ongoing conversations
Weaknesses
It doesn’t search for every question; when it answers from training data, your newest pages are not part of the answer
Can generate confident but incorrect information (hallucinations)
Citation format is inconsistent and does not always link back to original sources
Training data has a knowledge cutoff, meaning very recent content may not be in the base model
High competition for visibility due to the volume of content being indexed
Optimization Tips for ChatGPT
Structure content with clear, direct answers to common questions in the first paragraph. ChatGPT often pulls from introductory content.
Use conversational language that matches how users phrase questions. ChatGPT favors content that reads naturally.
Let OAI-SearchBot crawl your site: OpenAI uses it to show websites in ChatGPT search. ChatGPT sometimes also uses other search providers, such as Microsoft, so keep Bingbot allowed too.
Include definitive statements and authoritative claims backed by data. ChatGPT tends to cite content that makes clear, confident assertions.