Beyond Google Search: How Brands Can Win in the Age of ChatGPT

If you’ve felt let down by Google searches of late, getting low-quality results or mainly ads, you are not alone. A German university, in its year-long study, has concluded that Google search results are indeed less helpful and littered with ads. As a result, people are increasingly turning to large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot for their searches. Besides getting comprehensive answers and summaries to their questions, there are no ads, and that’s a relief. This brings us to our main conundrum: how do brands deploy their tactics, not just to appear on Google but also to appear on ChatGPT and other chatbots in a favorable light?

Robust Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Although Google search and LLMs fundamentally differ in the way they operate, ChatGPT still heavily relies on curated datasets found on the internet to train itself. A well-optimised website that ranks highly in search results for relevant keywords, something most brands are already doing, increases the chances of the brand being included in the LLM’s training data.

Ensure high-quality content: Brands need to regularly create original, informative, and engaging content about their products and services. Content like blog posts, infographics, press releases, and social media posts ensures that consumers engage with your brand, and that is picked up by LLM’s.

Monitor LLM outputs and provide feedback. We must realise that LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini are still in their nascent stages. Hence, it is important to constantly monitor them and keep a check on the kind of information generated about your company. If you notice any inaccuracies about your brand, you need to immediately flag them off. Your feedback is extremely critical to these AI systems, as they are constantly learning, and it could work towards improving their understanding of your brand.

Factual Accuracy and Transparency: Despite everything that is being said about us living in a post-truth era, facts do matter, especially when it comes to information on LLMs. Brands need to provide accurate and up-to-date information about their products and services online. This includes website content, press releases, social media bios, and product descriptions, among other things. The more factual data is available online, the better chance LLMs will have of learning and portraying a clear picture of your brand.

Maintaining a positive brand reputation: A number of LLMs are trained on sentiment analysis data. So, if there is negative chatter around your brand on social media or other online forums, LLMs will pick it up, and your brand will be judged based on that. By providing quick and superior customer service and maintaining ethical business practices, brands can ensure a positive online reputation and influence how LLMs perceive their brand.

It’s important to know that AI is still a new frontier, and LLMs are constantly evolving. Interacting with these AI-based tools, providing them constant feedback, and ensuring high-quality content are among the few ways that can lead to more accurate and positive brand representations across these platforms. Since we are still in the nascent stages of this new technology, acting now will definitely reward brands and help them stay ahead of the competition.