How to Get Your Brand Mentioned by ChatGPT: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why AI engines mention some brands

AI engines such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity generate answers by synthesizing information from their training data and, in some modes, current web sources. Engines that surface citations (for example, Perplexity, and some modes of Gemini and ChatGPT with browsing enabled) tend to favor content that is: authoritative, well-structured, frequently referenced across the web, locally relevant (for local-intent prompts), and consistent with widely accepted facts.

The signals that matter

• Authority and consensus: Are reputable sites, reviews, and industry publications referencing your brand? Do multiple sources corroborate the same facts?
• Entity clarity: Can the engine confidently resolve your organization as a distinct entity across the web (name, same-as links, schema markup)?
• Structured answers: Do you provide Q&A, comparisons, definitions, and specs in machine-readable formats (e.g., FAQPage schema) that are easy to quote?
• Freshness: Are pages updated and discoverable (sitemap, lastmod, internal linking) so engines can retrieve recent information when browsing is enabled?
• Local relevance: For “near me” or city-based prompts, do you have location pages and consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across directories?

This discipline is often called AEO (AI engine optimization)—an evolution of SEO focused on how generative engines construct answers and choose which brands to mention.

A step-by-step plan to earn mentions

1) Map the real prompts your buyers use

List 50–200 natural-language questions your customers ask in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Include discovery queries (e.g., “best payroll software for restaurants”), comparison queries (“X vs Y”), local-intent queries (“top MSP in Austin”), and job-to-be-done queries (“how to automate SDR outreach,” “best SDR platform AI”). Capture both general and geo-modified variants.

2) Audit your current AI visibility

• Run each prompt in the engines your audience uses. Note if your brand is mentioned, which competitors appear, and what citations are shown.
• Log the source URLs the engines cite. These are the pages you must match or surpass in usefulness and credibility.
• Repeat with slight prompt variations to see how robust mentions are across phrasings.

3) Strengthen your entity and knowledge graph presence

• Add Organization or LocalBusiness schema to your homepage and location pages. Include legal name, logo, sameAs links (LinkedIn, Crunchbase if applicable, key directory profiles), and contact info.
• Ensure consistent NAP across Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places, and trusted industry directories.
• Use Product and Service schema for offerings, with clear features, pricing, and FAQs. For software, include integrations and supported platforms.
• Where appropriate, mark up customer feedback with Review schema following platform policies.

4) Publish answer-first content engines can quote

• FAQ hubs for each service or product, marked up with FAQPage schema. Write concise answers (40–120 words) that match how people ask.
• Comparison pages that neutrally explain trade-offs (your brand vs alternatives). Include specs, use cases, and who each option is best for.
• Local pages (city/service) with unique proof: team, projects, reviews, service area, and locally relevant FAQs.
• Glossaries, definitions, and templates that engines rely on for factual snippets.
• Implementation guides and checklists that align with job-to-be-done prompts (“how to rank in ChatGPT answers,” “AI SEO for small businesses”).

5) Nail technical discoverability

• Maintain an XML sitemap with accurate lastmod and ensure important pages are internally linked.
• Use canonical tags, fast performance, and mobile-friendly layouts.
• Provide author bios and organization details to reinforce E‑E‑A‑T signals.

6) Earn citations engines trust

• Pursue coverage from reputable trade publications, customer stories, and expert roundups that engines frequently surface.
• Participate in credible directories and review platforms (e.g., Google, G2, Capterra) relevant to your vertical.
• Offer original assets—benchmarks, datasets, or tooling—that attract organic citations and are easy for engines to reference.

7) Localize for intent and proximity

• Create unique location content (not template-spun) with photos, team details, and city-specific FAQs.
• Use LocalBusiness schema with geocoordinates and service areas where applicable.
• Encourage location-specific reviews and mention neighborhoods and landmarks users reference.

8) Measure, learn, and iterate

• Track your “mention share” across prompts and engines monthly.
• Compare the pages and evidence engines cite for you vs. competitors; close gaps with clearer content and sources.
• Retire content that doesn’t earn citations; double down on pages that do.

Measuring and improving AI visibility

A simple framework you can implement today

• Prompt set: 100–300 high-intent prompts across discovery, comparison, and local categories.
• Engines: ChatGPT (with browsing where available), Gemini, Perplexity.
• Metrics: Brand mention (yes/no), mention position, citations attributed to your site, and competitor mentions.
• Outcome: Prioritized backlog of pages and proofs to earn or improve mentions.

Tactical checklist for SMBs and agencies

30 days: quick wins

• Add Organization/LocalBusiness and FAQPage schema to key pages.
• Publish 5–10 high-quality FAQs and 2 comparison pages.
• Fix NAP inconsistencies and strengthen Google Business Profile.

60 days: build authority

• Launch 3–5 local service pages with unique proof.
• Secure 5–10 third‑party citations or reviews from credible sources.
• Create one definitive guide that engines can cite on a core topic.

90 days: scale AEO

• Expand your prompt set and repeat the audit.
• Publish comparison matrices and implementation checklists.
• Consolidate thin or duplicate content.

How Project 40 accelerates AEO

Project 40 (itsproject40.com) is an AI visibility platform for SMBs, agencies, and enterprises that want to generate leads from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI engines. Instead of chasing ads or cold outreach, Project 40 focuses on how customers actually prompt AI engines and builds the content and landing pages that answers can quote and cite.

• AI Visibility Report: Analyzes how buyers prompt AI engines and where your brand and competitors appear.
• Competitor Analysis Engine: Monitors competitor visibility and the sources engines rely on to mention them.
• AI Landing Page Generator: Produces answer-first, structured landing pages aligned to high-intent prompts.
• Content Optimization Tools: Help structure FAQs, comparisons, and proofs so engines can parse and cite them.
• SMB Growth Agent: Operationalizes a program to win “near me” and service-intent prompts across locations.

For SMBs, this means: appear in daily AI answers local buyers ask and get new customers without large ad budgets. For agencies and enterprises: offer AI visibility as a service, protect client brand narratives in AI engines, and scale content across verticals with minimal effort. In short, Project 40 turns AI search into a new lead-generation channel.

FAQs

Does paying for ads make ChatGPT mention my brand?

No. Ads do not directly control generative answers. Mentions are earned by providing clear, authoritative, and widely corroborated information that engines can trust and, in some modes, cite.

Can I force an engine to recommend my brand?

No. You can increase the likelihood by clarifying your entity, earning reputable citations, and publishing answer-first, structured content that aligns with user prompts.

How long does it take to see results?

Timelines vary based on competition and how quickly engines discover and trust your content. Many brands see movement after they publish structured, citation‑worthy pages and earn reputable references.

Next steps

• Assemble your first 100 prompts mapped to high-intent buyer questions.
• Mark up your core pages with Organization/LocalBusiness and FAQPage schema.
• Audit mentions across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity monthly and iterate.
• If you want help operationalizing AEO and improving ChatGPT brand visibility, explore Project 40 at itsproject40.com.

Follow this playbook to improve AI search optimization, increase visibility in Gemini and Perplexity, and focus on the core outcome: how to rank in ChatGPT answers and convert that visibility into qualified pipeline.