Wise1. Answer the search on the page
The answer is the first thing on the page, which is what search and AI tools reward.
- Put the answer at the top
- Make it interactive
- Connect it to your product below
How to get cited by ChatGPT and AI search
To get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews, publish pages that answer a specific question in the first lines, back claims with sources, and let AI crawlers read them. OpenAI's search crawler is OAI-SearchBot, so allow it in robots.txt. Clear structure, dates and authorship make a page easy to quote.
Updated · By Blake Emal · 4 real examples, each linked to its source
What are the steps
- Allow the crawlersOAI-SearchBot and ChatGPT-User for OpenAI, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot and Bingbot.
- Answer firstA forty to sixty word answer under the heading.
- Cite sourcesLink the data behind any number.
- Add structureLists, tables, FAQ and schema markup.
- Be in the indexSubmit sitemaps and use IndexNow so Bing and other engines find new pages fast.
How do the options compare
| Crawler | Company | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| OAI-SearchBot | OpenAI | ChatGPT search results |
| ChatGPT-User | OpenAI | Pages fetched for a user |
| GPTBot | OpenAI | Model training |
| PerplexityBot | Perplexity | Perplexity search |
| Google-Extended | Control over Gemini use of content |
Where do these numbers come from
Which real examples show it
Wise
Smallpdf2. Name the page after the exact task
The title matches the search word for word and the tool works right away.
- Use the exact search phrase as the title
- Put the tool above the fold
- Add short FAQs underneath
Ahrefs3. Give away a free version of your tool
A free tool ranks for the search and shows what the paid product can do.
- Pick one job from your product
- Make it free with one input
- Link related free tools on the page
HubSpot4. Grade something people care about
A grade is a quick answer people want to share and improve.
- Turn your expertise into a score
- Ask for only the inputs you need
- Show how to improve the score
Get three ideas for your own product
Open the idea generatorPick a channel and a goal. Get real examples and a plan to fill in. Free, no login.
What else do people ask
Does blocking GPTBot stop ChatGPT search citations
OpenAI lists GPTBot for training and OAI-SearchBot for search as separate crawlers, so you can allow one and block the other.
Do I need an llms.txt file
It is an optional proposal. It cannot hurt and gives models a clean map of your site.
How long until AI tools cite a new page
It depends on when crawlers visit. Submitting via IndexNow and a sitemap speeds discovery.