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Is Your Website Talking to ChatGPT—or Whistling in the Digital Wind?
Everybody now knows that generative AI platforms are more than just fancy chatbots. You’re asking ChatGPT, Perplexity and others questions you used to Google, getting clear answers instead of wading through links. What folks aren’t necessarily thinking through are the implications of this enormous shift. Simply put, it’s now just as important to talk to robots, e.g., algorithms, as people.
That means you need to ask if your website is talking to AI.
Specifically, can tools like ChatGPT read, find and use your website content. In a world where generative AI provides detailed answers to specific questions, you damn well want your website to be the source for information about your business, brand and products.
So, how do you do it?
- Define or Be Defined: If your site clearly explains what you do and why you matter, AI learns that. If it's vague, confusing, or outdated? AI learns that too—or worse, fills the gap with information from competitors or critical media coverage. You must tell your story precisely and in detail.
- Winning Example: ChatGPT miscategorized the role of a major financial institution we work with. A site restructure and rewrite solved the problem fast.
- Winning Example: ChatGPT miscategorized the role of a major financial institution we work with. A site restructure and rewrite solved the problem fast.
- Establish Expertise: Now that you’ve defined yourself correctly, it’s time to lead. While links used to be king, AI often goes straight to the source material to build its summaries. Your website is that source material for your insights and expertise.
- Winning Example: When a user asks an answer engine about the latest innovations in your sector, e.g., advances in CRIPSPR-based gene editing or solar-powered AI security systems, your highly-specific content delivers deep knowledge to Gemini and shapes the response (with a link back too).
- Winning Example: When a user asks an answer engine about the latest innovations in your sector, e.g., advances in CRIPSPR-based gene editing or solar-powered AI security systems, your highly-specific content delivers deep knowledge to Gemini and shapes the response (with a link back too).
- Words Have Power (Especially for AI): AI models analyze language, context, and sentiment. The words you use on your site, how you structure your sentences, and the overall tone directly impact how AI understands and portrays your brand.
- Winning Example: Sentiment analysis leverages Natural Language Processing, the process by which all AI platforms read, write and score content. Use it to incorporate the right words in the right way to deliver your message and build long-term brand equity.
- Winning Example: Sentiment analysis leverages Natural Language Processing, the process by which all AI platforms read, write and score content. Use it to incorporate the right words in the right way to deliver your message and build long-term brand equity.
- AI = The New Authority: Treat AI like the most influential voice in your industry because it's rapidly becoming just that. People are turning to it for answers, advice, and recommendations. Ensuring your website and content feeds AI the right information means ensuring AI represents your brand correctly to the world.
The Takeaway?
Don't sleep on this. Ensuring AI can not only read but also correctly interpret your website is the new frontier of digital presence. It's not just about SEO anymore; it's about AI Optimization. Make sure your website speaks clearly to the machines, because they are definitely listening. Otherwise, your site is simply whistling in the digital wind.
