ChatGPT is testing blue links above its answers
Five plain blue links, sitting above the AI answer, in ChatGPT. Glenn Gabe's read: OpenAI has worked out that links are easier to make money from than an AI answer.
Getting into AI answers
ChatGPT is testing a list of links above its answers
ChatGPT is showing five blue links above its written answer for some questions, spotted by Joe Youngblood on desktop while logged out. It is a test, not a rollout, and nobody outside OpenAI knows how wide it goes. If it sticks, a normal search listing becomes a way to get clicks from ChatGPT again.
now OpenAI realizing that providing 10-blue links is easier to monetize than a typical AI answer
Who this affects: Anyone hoping for traffic from ChatGPT, not just mentions in its answers.
- Do nothing yet, this is one test seen by one person.
ChatGPT is sending a tiny fraction of Google's clicks
Early numbers from OpenAI's new Business Hub (its report on ChatGPT mentions and clicks) show far less traffic than people expected. Gagan Ghotra says that across his clients and other SEOs sharing data, sites getting 10,000 to 20,000 daily clicks from Google are seeing under 300 daily clicks from ChatGPT.
For sites doing 10K to 20K daily clicks in GSC performance report it's like < 300 daily clicks in ChatGPT Business Hub
Who this affects: Anyone being sold on chasing ChatGPT traffic over regular Google search.
- Claim your business in the Business Hub and compare its clicks to Search Console.
- Our take: keep Google search as your main focus for now.
AI answers mostly quote the top of your page
A study of 3 million ChatGPT answers and 30 million citations found 44.2% of quotes came from the first third of a page, versus 24.7% from the last third. Alex Groberman, sharing the work by Kevin Indig, says cited passages used plain definitions and were heavy on proper nouns, around 20.6% versus 5% to 8% in normal text.
Who this affects: Anyone writing articles who wants them quoted in AI answers.
- Put your direct answer in the first paragraph, not the conclusion.
- Use question headings with the answer in the paragraph below.