7 Key Actions to Appear in ChatGPT Before Your Competitors in 2025
By Charlotte Journo-Baur, founder of WISHIBAM
Remember when ranking on Google’s first page was the holy grail of digital marketing? That era is ending. In 2025, visibility in ChatGPT and other conversational AI responses is becoming as crucial—if not more so—than traditional Google rankings.
Why? Because search behaviors are evolving at breakneck speed. When consumers look for “best shoe store in Paris” or “where to find an evening dress quickly,” they’re increasingly asking ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Copilot directly. If your brand doesn’t appear in these responses, you essentially don’t exist in this new world.
How to get referenced in ChatGPT is therefore the urgent question all retailers must address. In this article, I’ll share concrete strategies to position yourself favorably in generative AI responses before your competitors seize the opportunity.
Why ChatGPT Visibility Has Become as Strategic as Google
Generative AI: The New Search Reflex
The numbers speak for themselves—according to Statista (2024), one in three internet users now consults generative artificial intelligence before turning to Google. This number rises to 42% among 18-34 year-olds.
This paradigm shift is profound and here to stay. Our recent field study revealed that 27% of 500 shoppers used ChatGPT for product recommendations in the previous month.
Why this shift? The answer: user experience. Generative AI delivers synthesized, personalized, and conversational responses. Instead of scanning ten Google results, users receive an immediate, contextual answer tailored to their query. This immediacy and personalization are highly appealing.
For retailers, if you’re not mentioned in these responses, you’re potentially losing a third of your audience— a figure set to increase rapidly.
What AI Displays First: Understanding Selection Criteria
How do generative AIs select highlighted information? Unlike Google, which uses backlinks and keywords, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot employ different mechanisms.
- Massive databases: web content, books, scientific articles, and more
- For ChatGPT, data is current up to a set date (April 2023 for GPT-4)
- Perplexity and Copilot can browse live web content for fresher info
Key criteria:
- Brand frequency in training data
- Credibility of sources that mention you
- Freshness and relevance of info about you
- Unique, specific value propositions
- Structured, readable web content
Our tests showed that brands mentioned in recognized press, studies, or sites like Wikipedia are 4.7 times more likely to be cited in ChatGPT responses.
Another essential point: AIs prioritize structured and easily “digestible” information. Clear website architecture, semantic tags, and well-organized content enhance AI comprehension and referencing.
Concrete Levers to Appear in ChatGPT Responses
Create Useful, Structured, and Human Content
To be referenced in ChatGPT and other generative AI, content quality is key—but not in the traditional SEO sense. LLMs (Large Language Models) favor usefulness over keyword stuffing.
- Truly answer questions and provide concrete solutions
- Offer genuine analytical depth over generic marketing claims
Structure is vital:
- Clear title hierarchy (H1, H2, H3…)
- Short, defined paragraphs
- Bullet lists and tables
- Clear technical definitions
Don’t neglect the human dimension. Content that resonates as authentic—stories, testimonials, anecdotes—stands out. AIs value what seems sincere and natural.
In one client project, adding more customer stories and brand anecdotes resulted in a 68% increase in ChatGPT mentions in their sector.
Get Cited by Reliable Sources
Your own website matters, but your digital ecosystem presence is just as crucial. Generative AIs rely on trusted, authoritative sources to shape their responses.
- Wikipedia: A well-documented page dramatically boosts AI visibility. Respect notability and neutrality for lasting results.
- Press: Articles in recognized general or sector-specific media are highly valued by AI algorithms.
- Industry authority sites: Mentions on reference platforms—professional associations, influential blogs, certified review platforms—are strategic.
Activate these levers by:
- Creating expert content that earns citations
- Participating in industry events that generate mentions
- Cultivating relationships with sector journalists
- Contributing to reference studies, white papers, or reports
- Encouraging reviews on recognized platforms
A Wishibam retail client increased their ChatGPT mentions by 215% in 6 months by coordinating presence in specialized retail and tech media.
Retailers: How Wishibam Helps You Exist in the AI Universe
Your Catalog, Services, Values: Making Your Offering AI-Readable
Retailers often struggle to structure data for efficient AI digestion and highlight what makes them unique. Wishibam was built to make every element of your offering perfectly readable for both search engines and generative AI.
Our approach transforms:
- Product sheets into rich semantic entities with detailed, natural descriptions
- Structured product attributes (semantic web standards)
- Contextual links to usage, occasions, and trends
- Clearly tagged origin, manufacturing, and sustainability data
This boosts your odds of being mentioned when someone asks, “where to find an ethical dress for a summer wedding?”
Services like click & collect or personal shopping, as well as brand values (e.g. environmental commitment), are highlighted in a structured, contextual manner.
For a client shopping mall, restructuring data for 87 shops led to mentions in 73% of relevant local ChatGPT queries, up from 12%.
From Physical Storefront to AI Response: Sovereign Omnichannel
The divide between physical and digital retail is over. With generative AI, we enter a new phase: sovereign omnichannel—where AI responses are a strategic point of contact.
- Your events become digital content enriching your AI footprint
- Expert salespeople generate online-valued content
- Physical merchandising inspires coherent, personalized digital journeys
- Services are documented and highlighted for AI mention
This leads to a virtuous circle: physical presence fuels digital visibility, which attracts more customers in-store.
A premium fashion brand enabled each in-store stylist to contribute to a structured knowledge base. Result: cited in 47% of ChatGPT queries about style in its segment.
With Wishibam, you keep control of your narrative—unlike marketplaces that own the client relationship, our solution ensures maximum AI visibility while retaining data sovereignty.
Conclusion: Taking the AI Turn Before It’s Too Late
The rise of generative AI is more than another tech trend—it’s fundamentally reshaping how consumers discover and choose brands and products.
For retailers, the challenge is existential: appear in AI responses or fade into invisibility. Early adopters who create quality content, build presence in reliable sources, and structure their data will gain a major edge.
Wishibam helps you seize this opportunity—turning each aspect of your offering into a digital asset recognized by generative AI.
Don’t wait for your competitors to get ahead. The time to act is now.
FAQ: How to Get Referenced in ChatGPT
Is there a SEO equivalent for ChatGPT?
Yes, we now speak of AEO (AI Engine Optimization), a discipline focused on structuring and enriching content to be favored by generative AIs. AEO emphasizes real content quality, semantic structure, and presence in trusted sources over technical SEO tricks.
How can I know if my brand is well-referenced in ChatGPT?
There isn’t yet a standardized analytics tool, but you can run manual checks by asking relevant AI queries for your sector. At Wishibam, we’ve also developed a methodology to systematically audit and benchmark your visibility in AI responses for strategic queries.
Should I create content specifically for generative AI?
Rather than making content “for AI,” focus on material that’s genuinely useful, well-structured, and human. Practical guides, detailed FAQs, in-depth analyses, and direct answers to specific questions perform particularly well.
Do customer reviews influence my visibility in ChatGPT?
Absolutely. Customer reviews on recognized platforms are valued by AI engines. A large volume of detailed, positive reviews increases your chance of mention. Wishibam helps clients structure review strategies to boost AI presence.
How can Wishibam concretely help me be better referenced in ChatGPT?
We restructure your product and service data for the semantic web, enrich your content, develop your presence in authoritative sources, and implement a sovereign omnichannel strategy. Our clients report an average 150% increase in AI mentions within six months.