I asked ChatGPT to recommend a CRM for startups last week. Salesforce showed up. HubSpot showed up. Pipedrive showed up.
My client's CRM—which has better reviews, lower prices, and 50,000 users—was nowhere.
We've been tracking this pattern for months. Great products getting completely ignored by AI assistants while bigger (not necessarily better) competitors dominate the conversation. Here's what's actually happening.
The Uncomfortable Truth About AI Recommendations
ChatGPT doesn't work like Google. There's no algorithm you can game with backlinks or keyword density. When someone asks for a recommendation, the model synthesizes information from its training data and (increasingly) real-time web searches.
The problem? Most brands have optimized everything for Google and nothing for this new reality.
Your beautiful landing page with "Best CRM Software 2024" in the title? ChatGPT doesn't care. It's looking for something else entirely.
What We Found After Analyzing 5,000 Responses
We ran a study. 500 prompts across 10 industries. 5,000 total responses from ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Here's what brands that got recommended had in common:
1. Crystal Clear Positioning
Not "We're a comprehensive solution for modern businesses." That means nothing.
The brands that got recommended had positioning like:
- "CRM for freelancers who hate admin work"
- "Project management for remote teams under 10 people"
- "Email marketing for Shopify stores"
Specific. Unmistakable. AI could categorize them instantly.
2. Third-Party Validation (Not Just Reviews)
Everyone has reviews. What stood out was mentions in places like:
- Industry reports and roundups
- Comparison articles on authoritative sites
- Expert recommendations in niche publications
AI models seem to weight these heavily—probably because they're signals of genuine authority, not just marketing spend.
3. Consistent Information Everywhere
One brand we studied had three different descriptions across their website, G2 profile, and Capterra listing. AI gave conflicting recommendations about them depending on the prompt.
The brands that performed consistently had the same core message everywhere.
What Doesn't Work (But Everyone Keeps Trying)
- Press releases - We saw zero correlation between press release volume and AI visibility
- Keyword stuffing - This is not 2010. AI models understand context.
- Influencer mentions - Unless they're genuine experts in the field, these didn't move the needle
The Strategy That's Actually Working
Here's the playbook we've developed after 6 months of testing:
Step 1: Nail your one-liner
Can you explain what you do in 10 words? That's what needs to be on your homepage, your About page, your profiles everywhere. Make it impossible for AI to miscategorize you.
Step 2: Get mentioned where AI looks
Focus on:
- Industry comparison sites (G2, Capterra, TrustRadius for SaaS)
- Wikipedia (if you're notable enough)
- Expert roundups in your niche
Step 3: Monitor obsessively
Here's the thing—AI recommendations change. Models update. A brand that was getting recommended last month might disappear today. You need to track this continuously.
The Bigger Picture
We're at a weird inflection point. Traditional SEO still matters for Google traffic. But an increasing chunk of discovery is happening through AI conversations where the old rules don't apply.
The brands that figure this out early will have a massive advantage. The ones that keep optimizing for yesterday's search landscape are going to wonder where their leads went.
What's your brand's AI visibility score right now? That's the first thing to find out.
Originally published on GeoBuddy Blog.
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