[Tim Kahlert]

Many people started to ask me about a potential ChatGPT ranking guide. My standard response so far is that we're not there yet.

ChatGPT search results are not sophisticated enough to draw reliable conclusions from.

This is an example search result screenshot that shows why it absolutely doesn't make much sense to think about potential tactics to rank - The results are not random - they're chaotic. I didn't put any effort into finding these results, they just came up on the first search.

Only one out of seven listing has accurate data.

For those who want to trick the system and get immediate traffic: Register some of the non-existing sources ChatGPT spits out and link from them to your clients' websites. (do not try this at home please)

Who still thinks there is a pattern?

 

[citationforge]

I’ve noticed the same chaos in local ChatGPT search results. It’s early days, and things are clearly not refined yet.

From what I’ve seen, results are inconsistent some show made-up sources, others pull from outdated or low-quality data. It’s risky to treat them like Google results.

Trying to rank in this mess? Not worth it for now. There’s no clear logic or pattern, and even the same query gives different answers at times.

I wouldn’t suggest gaming the system either. Registering fake sources may work short-term, but it’s shady and won’t last.

For now, I just tell clients: focus on real SEO. ChatGPT results will mature, but we’re not there yet.