How to rank #1 on ChatGPT: Lessons from a fake company experiment

Ranking #1 on Google is already a challenge. But ranking #1 on AI-powered search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity? That’s a whole new game. Unlike traditional SEO, ChatGPT SEO isn’t just about a single website aiming for top spots on SERPs anymore. It’s about a multiplatform visibility strategy, being discoverable across search engines, AI assistants, social platforms, and other content channels, so your brand surfaces wherever users look for answers.

At Flowboost, we wanted to understand this shift in depth. So we did something unusual: we created a fake company, Martijns Gordijnenpaleis (yes, a curtain store), and tracked how it showed up in AI search optimization. The results were surprising. More importantly, they reveal how brands can prepare for the next era of search.

Why AI search optimization matters in 2025

AI SEO is more than a trending term. It’s the logical next step in how people access information online. Instead of typing a query into Google and getting a list of websites, users now ask a chatbot, and the chatbot responds with a single, confident answer.

That answer often comes from a mix of:
• Structured website content
• Social mentions
• Directories and reviews
• News and blog articles

In other words, AI search optimization forces brands to think beyond their website. Every mention, every signal, and every piece of structured data contributes to whether your brand appears in ChatGPT’s (or any other platform’s) answers or doesn’t show up at all.

The importance of ChatGPT SEO

If you’re still only optimizing for Google, you’re already behind. Today’s search landscape isn’t limited to one platform. AI assistants, social channels, and content aggregators all influence what users see. Brands that fail to adapt risk losing visibility in the very places where audiences are now looking for answers.

ChatGPT has become a primary discovery engine, not just a productivity tool. People ask it for recommendations, comparisons, summaries, and buying advice — the same queries they once typed into Google. If your brand isn’t showing up in those AI-generated answers, you’re invisible at the exact moment intent is highest.

Step 1: Understand Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

The rules of AI search are different, and that’s where generative engine optimization (GEO) comes in. GEO is the practice of making your brand visible in generative AI results, whether that’s ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Unlike traditional SEO, GEO builds on the same foundation but represents its natural evolution. The goal is visibility within large language models (LLMs), achieved through optimization across four key pillars:

• Technical: ensuring your website is crawlable and indexable.

• Content: providing clear, specific answers to concrete questions.

• Contextual: helping AI systems understand your website and brand in relation to others.

• EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): proving that your brand is credible and worth being cited as a reference.

This is exactly how our fake curtain store managed to appear in multiple AI answers, despite not even being real. It wasn’t fancy marketing. It was the right signals in the right places.

Step 2: Build a recognizable brand presence

AI systems reward consistency. With Martijns Gordijnenpaleis we made sure the brand appeared in multiple locations, even though it didn’t exist. That included a simple website, social profiles, and mentions on relevant directories.

The lesson is clear: AI tools don’t just fact-check, they pattern-match. When they see the same brand referenced across reliable sources, it becomes a trusted answer.

If you are wondering how to use ChatGPT for SEO, the first step is making sure your brand looks real and relevant everywhere it appears.

Step 3: Optimize your content for context

AI platforms don’t just look at where your brand appears, they analyze how it is presented. That means every piece of content should be crafted in a way that helps AI understand and reuse it.

• On your website: use structured data, alt texts, FAQ-style content and any other resources that can help both search engines and llms understand your website..

• On social media: write posts that clearly link your brand to its expertise.

• On directories and review sites: keep descriptions consistent and encourage authentic reviews.

• On guest blogs or podcasts: add context that reinforces your authority within your niche.

We call this Search Everywhere Optimization, not just being present, but shaping content so AI can confidently connect the dots.

Step 4: Provide authority signals

AI search relies on credibility. It doesn’t want to serve unverified brands to users. The more authority signals you can provide, the more likely you’ll show up in ChatGPT or Perplexity results.

Authority signals include: 

• Links from reputable sites

• Mentions by experts or trusted voices

• Real user engagement such as reviews or testimonials

• Citations or references in trusted publications

This isn’t about being the biggest brand. While smaller companies won’t realistically surpass giants like Coca-Cola in overall authority, they can still carve out visibility in niche areas. By building trust with their audience, producing high-quality content, and maintaining consistent branding, even small businesses can rank well for specific topics or long-tail queries.

Step 5: Test, measure, iterate 

With Martijns Gordijnenpaleis we didn’t just publish and wait. We tested different approaches to see how AI reacted.

We tracked:

• Which keywords triggered brand mentions, including how to rank in ChatGPT

• Which content formats were pulled in first

• How additional mentions across platforms changed visibility

The experiment showed that visibility in AI search is achievable for any brand willing to treat it as an ongoing process.

Key takeaways for marketers

​​When it comes to AI search, success isn’t about a single tactic, it’s about how all your signals add up. Keep these principles in mind:

• Think presence, not just pages

• Every mention counts, not only your website

• Create unique content that delivers quality. Make sure you provide the best answer to every specific question.

• Structured content helps AI “read” and trust your brand

• Small experiments can generate big insights

Together, these takeaways highlight that GEO is an ongoing process. It’s not about quick wins, but about building a consistent, trustworthy presence that AI systems can rely on.

Conclusion

AI-driven search is here to stay. If you want your brand to be part of the answers people see in ChatGPT or Perplexity, you can’t rely on Google tactics alone. It’s time to think in terms of GEO, structured presence, and authority signals that AI tools can trust.

The sooner you start experimenting, the faster you’ll learn what works. And if a fictional curtain store can show up in AI search, imagine what your real brand could do.

At Flowboost, we help brands navigate this new era of search and build the signals AI can’t ignore. Curious how this could work for you? Get in touch with us here and let’s start shaping your GEO strategy today.