Google Search Rankings Linked to ChatGPT Mentions: Study

A recent study by Seer Interactive reveals a strong correlation between Google search rankings and brand mentions in ChatGPT’s AI-generated answers. Brands appearing on Google’s first page showed a ~0.65 correlation with mentions in large language models (LLMs), while Bing rankings mattered slightly less (~0.5–0.6). Surprisingly, backlinks and multi-modal content had minimal influence.

The study analyzed 10,000 finance and SaaS-related questions using OpenAI’s GPT-4 API. Experts suggest that optimizing for LLMs differs from classic SEO but emphasizes creating high-quality content. Future research will explore PR, partnerships, and on-page strategies.