Best Practices to Rank My Brand Higher in Answer Engines Like ChatGPT

Best Practices to Rank My Brand Higher in Answer Engines Like ChatGPT

Dear SaaS CMOs, how have you modified your content marketing strategy to boost visibility in ChatGPT searches? If you’re wondering why you should, here’s the answer.

SaaS buyers are no longer relying only on Google. They’re now turning to generative AI tools like ChatGPT to research solutions and make purchase decisions. According to a TrustRadius study, 7% of B2B SaaS buyers utilize LLMs in their purchasing process, and 90% of those who view Google AI Overviews click through to the cited sources.

Visibility of SaaS products now means ranking in Google as well as appearing in answer engines like ChatGPT.

A growing number of experts are testing, refining, and sharing best practices to ensure their brands appear in these new AI-driven discovery channels.

Here’s what 13 such experts had to say about the best practices to rank a brand higher in answer engines like ChatGPT.

13 Best Practices to Rank Higher in ChatGPT: Expert Insights

Competing for visibility in ChatGPT isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about adapting your content strategy in a way that makes AI models see your brand as the most credible, structured, and useful source. 

The 13 experts below reveal how they’ve shifted from keyword-chasing to clarity, authority, and intent-driven strategies that make their content more retrievable by answer engines.

Here are the 13 expert strategies you can use to rank your SaaS brands higher in ChatGPT and other answer engines.

1. Content Strategy Shifts From Keywords to AI Trust
2. AI Search Demands Clarity, Authority, and Structured Content
3. Clear Answers Beat Keywords in AI Discovery
4. Win AI Discovery Through Strategic Content Structure
5. Question-Based Content Boosts AI Search Visibility
6. Backlinks and Value Still Rule AI Search
7. Structured Answers Replace SEO in the AI Era
8. Investor-Grade Content Drives AI-Powered Discovery
9. AI-Optimized Content Delivers 7x Higher Engagement
10. Five Strategies to Dominate AI Search Results
11. Intent-Driven Content Becomes AI’s Trusted Voice
12. Q&A Content Structure Captures AI Search Traffic
13. Direct Answers and Structure Win AI Visibility

Let’s dive into them one by one.

Content Strategy Shifts From Keywords to AI Trust

We’ve stopped playing the keyword game and started building content that AI cannot overlook. This is not about cranking out more blog posts. It is about creating clear, credible, and ridiculously useful content that language models understand and trust.

We focus on semantic depth, not single keywords. That means building connected content that covers a topic from every angle, with a clear structure that gives AI an easy roadmap. When a model is pulling an answer, we want it to pick us because we are the obvious source.

We also tie every piece to real subject matter experts. AI is trained to reward authority, so we give it zero reason to doubt us. We write for the human questions behind the search, and the algorithms follow.

Visibility will not go to the loudest brand. It will go to the smartest one. And we plan to be impossible to ignore.

Anati Zubia, VP, Marketing, SmartMoving

AI Search Demands Clarity, Authority, and Structured Content

One of the most interesting challenges we’ve faced at Zapiy is adjusting our content strategy for a world where AI tools like ChatGPT are influencing how people search and discover information. Traditional SEO tactics—keywords, backlinks, metadata—are still important, but they’re no longer enough. People are no longer just typing into search bars; they’re asking full, nuanced questions to AI models that summarize, interpret, and filter answers in real time.

That shift forced us to rethink not just what we were publishing, but how we were structuring it. Instead of writing to rank on Google alone, we began creating content that anticipates and directly answers natural-language queries. We trained our writers to think conversationally—how would someone ask this question out loud? What follow-ups would they naturally have? And how can we provide the clearest, most value-dense answer in the first few lines?

We also placed greater emphasis on topical authority. That meant clustering our content around specific themes—like SaaS onboarding optimization or AI-enhanced customer support—so that if ChatGPT pulled from a knowledge base, we had a strong chance of being among the sources referenced.

Another key shift was transparency. AI tools favor credibility, so we started citing more original data, showcasing firsthand insights from our platform, and including named expert commentary in our articles. These elements not only add value for human readers but also increase the likelihood that AI models will treat our content as trustworthy.

The results? A noticeable uptick in referral traffic from AI-powered discovery tools, increased engagement from readers seeking deeper answers, and even mentions of our brand in ChatGPT conversations surfaced by clients during onboarding calls.

The biggest takeaway for me is that visibility in AI-driven search isn’t about gaming a new algorithm. It’s about leaning harder into clarity, authenticity, and expertise. Those timeless fundamentals just happen to matter more than ever right now.

Max Shak, Founder/CEO, Zapiy

Clear Answers Beat Keywords in AI Discovery

We’ve adjusted our content strategy to make it easier for AI tools like ChatGPT to find and recommend our material.

First, we stopped chasing keywords and started answering real client questions — the kind that come up in sales calls or project discussions. These get turned into clear, no-fluff blog posts or FAQs. No jargon. Just useful answers.

Second, we keep the tone natural. Short sentences. Direct statements. If a post doesn’t read like something someone would say out loud, we rewrite it. That shift alone made a big difference.

Third, we include firsthand insight from our team. Not general advice, but specific points we’ve seen in actual projects. This gives the content a human angle that stands out to both readers and AI tools.

Fourth, we use real bylines. Content tied to real names and bios tends to feel more credible, and that seems to matter in how tools like ChatGPT choose what to reference.

Last, we share parts of our content on forums and public Q&A sites. Some of these sources feed into AI training. Being active there helps keep our content in circulation.

No tricks, no shortcuts. Just clearer writing and better answers, the kind people (and AI) can use.

Vikrant Bhalodia, Head of Marketing & People Ops, WeblineIndia

Win AI Discovery Through Strategic Content Structure

Of course. It would be reckless not to. The folks saying they’re doing the same as before either don’t get it or are already falling behind.

Here’s what we’re doing and what others should be doing if they want to win the next wave of content discovery:

• Focus on high-intent listicles like “best onboarding tools for SaaS” that match how people actually phrase prompts in AI tools.
• Structure content for both traditional SEO and LLM parsing. That means clean formatting, strong headings, scannable layouts, and answers that models can cite confidently.
• Embed interactive demos directly into posts. Supademos boosts engagement, improves comprehension, and makes it easier for humans and models to grasp product value quickly.
• Routinely test visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude. We run the prompts ourselves, monitor what gets cited, and reverse-engineer the content that shows up.

The biggest unlock? Seeing LLMs not as a threat but as a distribution opportunity. Ranking in ChatGPT is not the same game as ranking in Google

Fredo Tan, Head of Growth, Supademo

Question-Based Content Boosts AI Search Visibility

To boost visibility in ChatGPT searches, I shifted our content marketing strategy to focus on question-based content that directly answers common queries. This approach has proven effective as it aligns with how users interact with AI models like ChatGPT. 

I also began incorporating long-tail keywords that match conversational search patterns, ensuring we’re visible for specific, relevant questions. Updating older content to include these keywords and providing concise, valuable answers also helped improve our rankings. 

I’ve been building more brand mentions across reputable platforms, which has strengthened our domain authority. The combination of these efforts has led to improved organic traffic, especially through AI-powered searches, and a better overall content experience for our audience.

Nikita Sherbina, Co-Founder & CEO, AIScreen

Backlinks and Value Still Rule AI Search

From what I’ve seen, the core principles of good SEO are more important than ever, just with a slightly different focus.

My research into AI-generated answers shows that backlinks are still a massive signal of authority. Companies that are frequently cited by AI tools often have a strong backlink profile, which tells the AI that they are a trusted and credible source of information. So, continue to prioritize building strong, relevant backlinks.

Keyword optimization is also still very important, but the focus has shifted. It’s less about stuffing keywords and more about creating genuine value for the user. 

AI models are trained on what humans consider high-quality, helpful content. This means your blog posts and website texts should be written with the user’s intent at the forefront, not just for a search algorithm. So, try finding the right balance between naturally integrating important keywords and providing genuinely valuable, in-depth content. 

Your goal is to become the definitive source on a topic, which makes it more likely for an AI to use your information.

Oksana Gedrovica, CMO, Swag42

Structured Answers Replace SEO in the AI Era

At SuccessCX, we’ve shifted our content strategy to focus less on traditional SEO tactics and more on providing clear, structured answers to common Zendesk-related questions—content that language models like ChatGPT can easily understand and reference. 

We’ve reduced fluff, used more subheadings and Q&A formats, and made sure our writing aligns with how people phrase problems in AI tools. The goal is to become the answer that gets summarized or recommended in AI-driven searches, not just to rank in Google. This has helped us stay visible as buyer behavior shifts toward LLM-assisted research.

Paul Bichsel, CEO, SuccessCX

Investor-Grade Content Drives AI-Powered Discovery

As someone who’s led GTM and demand generation for SaaS companies like Sumo Logic and LiveAction, and now for OpStart, I’ve seen content strategy constantly evolve. For ChatGPT visibility, our core adjustment has been to move beyond simple information and focus on becoming the definitive source of trusted advice.

We now create “investor-grade” content, like our guides on “10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fractional CFO” or “Is Your Bookkeeping Good Enough?”. These aren’t just articles; they are deep, strategic resources designed to provide comprehensive answers that AI models can confidently rely on.

Our goal is for our content to be perceived as “bone”-mission-critical insights that AI models will prioritize for factual, strategic guidance for founders. This strategic depth ensures our thought leadership is lifted, much like how our marketing-led programs at Sumo Logic generated 20% of total ARR by delivering real business value.

Maurina Venturelli, Head of GTM, OpStart

AI-Optimized Content Delivers 7x Higher Engagement

We’ve shifted our content architecture to optimize for AI discovery while maintaining our traditional SEO foundation. The results have been compelling; prospects sourced through AI channels demonstrate 7x higher engagement depth and significantly improved conversion rates, indicating these are more qualified, intent-driven visitors.

Our strategic approach involves three key pillars: 

First, we’ve restructured our content to be more definitively answerable, think comprehensive FAQ frameworks and solution-oriented content blocks that AI can easily parse and surface. 

Second, we’re investing heavily in authoritative, long-form content that positions us as the definitive source in our category. 

Third, we’ve enhanced our semantic markup and structured data to ensure AI systems can accurately understand and contextualize our expertise.

Erin Mills, Chief Marketing Officer, Quorum

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Five Strategies to Dominate AI Search Results

1. Shift from Keywords to Questions & Entities

• Optimize for questions people ask, not just keywords they type. Creating content that answers specific, well-defined, intent-based questions like: “What is the best SaaS CRM for solopreneurs?” or “How does [X software] compare to [Y]? “
• Using structured FAQs and headings that are phrased as natural language questions.
• Incorporating entities (brands, features, categories) in context, which AI models utilize for relevance.

Tools used: Same as AlsoAsked, AnswerThePublic, ChatGPT itself (prompt it like a user would), and internal search data.

2. Publish Clear, Credible, Digestible Content

Focus on being the source AI chooses to summarize.

• Present content in a tidy, easy-to-understand format: short paragraphs, clear headings, numbered steps, pros/cons.
• Use schema markup (e.g., FAQPage, HowTo) to signal context.
• Ensure each article passes the “could this be quoted in a chatbot response?” test.

Bonus: Add summaries, takeaways, or TL; DRs — these are often the parts AI pulls from.

3. Dominate Brand + Category Associations

Building an entity around our product that AI can’t ignore.

• Proactively associate your product with your niche.
• Use these pairings consistently across blog posts, product pages, and third-party mentions (like guest posts, reviews, directories).

Why? LLMs build knowledge around repetition + association — being tied to the right phrases boosts retrieval.

4. Strategic UGC & 3rd-Party Content

Encouraging others to describe our product in their own words.

• Seeding community discussions, Reddit threads, comparison posts, and influencer explainers using natural language.
• These often train LLMs more than your blog does.

Example: A solid Capterra review or Reddit thread that states “We switched to [YourTool] because it’s the cheapest AI copywriting SaaS for small teams” has long-term AI search value.

5. Create “Chat-Ready” Content Assets

Create content with the intention of being the answer.

• Create assets like: “Best [category] apps in 2025” or “How [target persona] solves [pain point] with [YourTool]”
• Structured comparison tables, decision trees, and use-case breakdowns are highly AI-retrievable.

How CMOs Are Measuring Impact:

• Referral traffic from Bing Copilot, Perplexity, and ChatGPT plugins/extensions
• Boost in branded & long-tail organic traffic
• More appearance in “chat-style” SERP snippets (e.g., Google’s AI Overviews)
• Improved rankings for question-based queries

Xi He, CEO, BoostVision

Intent-Driven Content Becomes AI’s Trusted Voice

With the rise of ChatGPT and similar AI-driven search tools, the content strategy at Edstellar has leaned heavily into intent-driven clarity and structured expertise. Rather than broad, generic pieces, every article now aims to directly answer the types of queries professionals might pose in natural language—especially around corporate training trends, leadership development, and upskilling. 

Incorporating conversational subheadings, FAQ formats, and schema markup has made it easier for AI models to parse and present the content effectively. The shift isn’t just about SEO anymore—it’s about becoming the trusted voice that AI turns to when executives and HR leaders seek training insights in real time.

Arvind Rongala, CEO, Edstellar

Q&A Content Structure Captures AI Search Traffic

ChatGPT and generative AI tools have reshaped the content marketing landscape. To adapt, the focus shifted toward creating highly contextual, Q&A-style content that aligns with natural language queries users often type into AI tools. Blog content is now structured to mimic real conversations, using headings that directly answer specific, intent-based questions. Instead of optimizing for keywords alone, emphasis is placed on clarity, authority, and topical depth. 

Additionally, content briefs now incorporate insights from tools like AlsoAsked and ChatGPT itself to map out how people explore topics through conversational queries. This shift not only improves visibility within AI-driven searches but also enhances overall user engagement.

Anupa Rongala, CEO, Invensis Technologies

Direct Answers and Structure Win AI Visibility

At my own companies and those I consult with, we’ve made several small but targeted adjustments to how we create and structure content. They are not radical changes, but a re-balancing of our focus. 

We’re learning that optimizing for ChatGPT is actually forcing traditional SEO best practices, but with some nuance. Generally, we avoid unnecessary qualifiers, marketing language, and filler that doesn’t add to the topic and, ironically, focus on writing good quality content that answers questions humans ask. 

Our focus on traditional long-tail keywords has shifted. In a search engine, a phrase like “b2b marketing plan template” may be sufficiently well targeted, but in a chat-based interface, users ask full questions such as “Can you help me build a B2B marketing plan?” or “What should I include in a B2B marketing plan?”. As such, we’ve restructured our page titles, subheadings, and intros to mirror the phrasing and logic of those full questions.

We’ve also tightened the way we structure content. Most of our newer or updated articles follow a consistent format: short introduction, direct answer, followed by supporting detail. We use descriptive subheadings that can stand alone, and we avoid long, meandering sections or push those down the page for more avid human readers. A focus on tighter, direct answers (or definitions), for example, has helped us appear in AI searches for specific product attributes. 

We’ve always been hot on technical SEO, but understanding that LLMs will favour well-signposted content means we now over-index on this. We don’t know exactly how ChatGPT selects sources (other than a focus on a few key resources like Wikipedia), but we’ve found that pages with clearly segmented answers and extensive schema tend to perform better in general.

Finally, we’ve put more emphasis on tools, templates, and structured outputs. Instead of publishing explanations or strategy overviews alone, we now include downloadable checklists, examples, and editable templates. These resources serve a practical need and are more likely to be mentioned or cited when someone asks ChatGPT for a tool or process to use. It’s not enough to explain a topic or idea (Chat-GPT can do that itself without references); we need to show exactly how to do it.

Steven Manifold, CMO & Director, B2B Planr

Wondering How to Rank Higher in ChatGPT? Talk to the Team That’s Already Doing It

Ranking in ChatGPT isn’t about chasing keywords. It’s about building structured, credible content that AI systems trust enough to recommend. That’s where SaaS CMOs need to focus next. And that’s exactly what we help our SaaS clients achieve.

Our content has helped clients generate 24+ leads from just three blog posts, earn citations in AI-generated answers, and outperform Google Ads to rank #1 across the U.S. and U.K. markets. 

While we help you nail traditional SEO, we also devise strategies that get your brand discovered in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude.

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Every SaaS company has its own positioning challenges, audience nuances, and competitive landscape. That’s why we start by understanding your goals and building a content strategy that converts your target audiences into leads.

Curious how our approach could work for your SaaS? Let’s uncover the blind spots that might be holding you back and turn them into opportunities for growth.

Claim your free strategy call today!

FAQs on Ranking Higher in ChatGPT and Other Answer Engines

Answer engine optimization is still a new territory for most of us, and SaaS CMOs often have practical questions about how to approach it. 

To make this guide more actionable, we’ve pulled together answers to the most common questions. Talk about covering ChatGPT visibility, AI-driven traffic, and strategies SaaS brands can use to stay ahead.

How is AI Changing Modern SEO Strategies?

AI is transforming SEO from two directions. On the search side, tools like ChatGPT prioritize structured, clear, and credible sources—pushing SaaS businesses to create content that meets those standards. On the content side, AI makes it easier to scale production with speed and new formats. But scaling should never come at the cost of quality. In SEO today, quality will always outweigh quantity.

What’s One Best Practice to Rank My Brand Higher in Answer Engines Like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini?

Upload an llms.txt file to your site’s root directory. This simple step serves as a cheat sheet for AI tools, indicating exactly which pages to cite. Add your strongest content—product pages, case studies, guides with one-line Markdown summaries. It makes your content easier for ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to retrieve.

Using this strategy, we increased the AI-referal traffic of our client by 5X.

For step-by-step guidance, see our blog: How to Optimize Website for AI Search Engines Using LLMs.txt File.

Are Google Rankings Enough to Rank My Brand Higher in Answer Engines?

Not quite. Strong Google rankings help, but ChatGPT doesn’t rely only on SERPs. It also pulls from third-party roundups, review sites, Wikipedia, vendor documentation, and even community threads. 

To appear consistently, SaaS brands need clear, structured, and expert-backed content across these sources. 

For more details, see our article: Where Does ChatGPT Get Its Information From for SaaS Recommendations – Quick Tips for CMO.

What Should SaaS CMOs Know About Google’s AI Mode?

Google’s AI Mode is shifting SEO away from blue links toward ChatGPT-style summaries, pulling information from third-party sources as well as your own site. 

To stay visible, SaaS CMOs must create context-rich content that answers buyer questions, appears in comparisons, and earns credible brand mentions.

Want the full breakdown? Read – Understanding Google AI Mode Search and Its Impact on SaaS SEO and Content!

Is There a Way to Track Content Visibility in AI Tools Like ChatGPT?

Yes. You can measure AI-driven traffic in GA4 by setting up custom dimensions and regex filters. This lets you see how answer engines are surfacing your content and whether they’re driving qualified visits.

We’ve detailed the full process here – How to See If AI Tools Are Driving Traffic to Your SaaS Website.

What’s the Connection Between Ranking in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews?

Both ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews reward clear, structured, and trustworthy content, but the tactics differ slightly. In Google AI Overviews, success comes from targeting long-tail informational searches, updating high-potential content, and even using cosine similarity to align with AI-generated results. 

If you want a step-by-step playbook, read our guide: How to Rank in Google AI Overviews? 5 Strategies (Don’t Miss #3).

What Are Some Growth Hacks for B2B SaaS Brands Competing in AI-Driven Search?

One proven hack is to turn a single competitor analysis into 50+ high-intent content pieces. Comparisons, alternatives, and “why switch” blogs. These attract decision-stage buyers and increase the chances of being cited in AI-driven answers, such as ChatGPT or Perplexity.

Want more proven growth hacks? Check out these 6 Proven B2B SaaS Growth Hacks You Need to Know in 2025.

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