How to Rank on ChatGPT (and Other AI Search Engines): A 5-Step Plan

Instead of clicking through a list of links, users are increasingly getting summarised answers pulled directly from existing content.

For businesses, this creates a new challenge: not just ranking on search engines, but getting cited or quoted by AI itself.

As of 2025, 58% of U.S. adults use AI assistants weekly, and 47% of UK adults now use AI tools to check the news and stay informed.
Source: Statista / Washington Post Tech Survey

If you’re already doing well in Google Search — great. But AI search isn’t just about keywords and backlinks anymore. It’s about answering questions clearly, structuring content properly, and writing in a way AI systems trust.

This guide is a practical, real-world cheat sheet to help you do exactly that.

Step 1: Find Out What People Are Actually Asking

Before you can rank in ChatGPT, you need to understand what your audience is typing into it.

Start simple. Pretend you’re your own customer and ask:

• “Who’s the best digital agency for startups in London?”
• “What are common questions people ask about [your topic]?”

Note down useful prompts. These are the exact questions your content should be designed to answer.

Step 2: Check Who’s Already Getting Picked Up

Take those prompts and run them through ChatGPT. Then ask yourself:

• Which websites are being referenced?
• What type of content is being pulled?
• Is it blogs, comparison pages, or “Top 10” lists?

Run the same queries in Google as well. This helps you spot what’s working — and what gaps you could fill better.

Step 3: Create Content That’s Worth Quoting

Once you know what AI tools are responding to, your goal is simple: create something clearer, more helpful, and easier to understand.

• Focus on content your customers genuinely want
• Use clear headings, bullet points, and FAQs
• Keep paragraphs short and language conversational

If an AI can’t quickly understand your page, it won’t quote it. We regularly rewrite client pages with AI-readability in mind — because clarity now equals visibility.

Step 4: Build Real Authority (The Ethical Way)

AI tools prefer content from trustworthy sources. That doesn’t mean you need to be a global media brand — but you do need credibility.

• Get featured in “Best of” or comparison articles
• Earn relevant, high-quality backlinks
• Create balanced comparison or roundup content yourself

Honest, well-structured comparisons perform especially well with AI systems.

Step 5: Keep Tabs on Your Visibility

Every few weeks, re-run the same prompts in ChatGPT and other AI tools. See if your site appears in responses.

If it doesn’t, refine:

• Are you answering the right question?
• Is your content clearer than competitors?
• Are you adding unique value?

With consistent updates over 3–6 months, most businesses start to see movement.

Final Thought

AI search is still young — but adoption is accelerating fast. Most businesses haven’t started optimising for it yet.

Act now and you can lead — not catch up.