Everyone wants to rank on Google and in ChatGPT.
Ranking your content in ChatGPT or any other AI tool is called AI Search Optimization, and I’m after it.
This is the future, so everyone needs this. We’re exploring this; there is no perfect formula for this, but I found a few things that’ll surely help you. In this article, you’ll find out how I worked on this.
What I Did
I asked ChatGPT to:
Give me a list of tools that I can use to grow my linkedin following
And I got a list, but Kleo was not there.
Disclaimer: This is not a promotional post
Since I use Kleo(now they’re rebranding it and Kleo 2 is coming), I asked ChatGPT, “Do you know about Kleo?”
It said, Yes.
Then I asked
Why didn’t you mention this in the above list?
Here’s the answer I got:
It’s relatively new and niche.
It focuses more on content discovery and formatting than on a full LinkedIn growth strategy.
ChatGPT prioritized all-in-one tools first.
After this, I asked,
How did you come up with the list you shared as the output of the first prompt in this chat session
The output for this prompt was long with some fluff. Here’s the summary:
1. Goal Understanding: ChatGPT interpreted my goal as:
Increasing my followers and engagement on LinkedIn
Using external tools (software, platforms, Chrome extensions, or SaaS apps)
Wanting a variety of tools across different functions (not just analytics or writing tools)
So, ChatGPT structured the list based on the core activities required for LinkedIn growth:
Planning & strategy
Writing content
Designing visuals
Scheduling & engagement
Tracking growth
2. Knowledge Base + Training Data
ChatGPT used:
Trained knowledge (as of 2024) from millions of public sources, articles, user reviews, tool directories (like G2, Product Hunt), and creator guides.
Real-world use by top LinkedIn creators (who often mention these tools publicly).
Industry consensus on what tools are most effective for growth-focused LinkedIn use.
Examples:
Taplio is frequently mentioned in newsletters like Justin Welsh’s and in SaaS growth forums.
Shield is one of the only analytics tools built specifically for LinkedIn.
Canva is the default for carousel creation.
Lempod and Phantombuster are commonly discussed in growth hacking circles, but with caution due to automation risks.
So, these were recommended by ChatGPT.
3. Categorization
Instead of dumping all tools together, ChatGPT grouped them by function so I could pick tools based on my current focus.
4. Exclusions
Some tools were intentionally excluded from the first list due to:
Niche use (e.g., Kleo wasn’t mainstream enough at the time of the first output)
Limited features (e.g., only formatting or previewing, not holistic growth)
Reputation risks (some tools violate LinkedIn’s terms if misused)
Now the question was:
Do you consider SEO techniques to create this type of lists or just focus on the trained data and online information
And I got this answer(I summarized):
ChatGPT mainly follows this:
#1. It doesn’t “optimize” for search rankings, but reflects what ranks because its training data includes thousands of articles that were already optimized and ranked highly, so ChatGPT “learns” what structure, content, and phrasing is commonly associated with:
What tools do people recommend
How do they categorize them
Which features get highlighted
What readers care about
#2. Prioritize user intent and utility, not search engine manipulation.
When you ask for a tool list, ChatGPT’s primary focus is:
What will help you the most
What’s accurate and updated
How to organize it clearly
Even if a tool has a high search volume (e.g., “Buffer” or “Hootsuite”), ChatGPT might skip it if it’s not the best fit for your specific LinkedIn growth goal.
Search the Web
My main objective was to figure out how “Search the Web” works in ChatGPT, so my last prompt was as shown in the image below. I tried this 6 times, but you can see that ChatGPT didn’t answer my question.
I stopped after my sixth try because I thought they might figure out if I was trying to hack their process and then block me from accessing it, saying “inappropriate usage” or something like that.
You know, companies do this to save themselves from hacks.
User Intent
When I first asked ChatGPT about the tools, it didn’t give me Kleo, but I doubted that the next time I would ask the same question in a new chat session, then Kleo would be there, and this is exactly what happened.
Here’s the proof:
This is proof that ChatGPT learns your intent and gives you the answers based on that.
What did I learn?
SEO-rich content is likely to get ranked in AI tools like ChatGPT because this type of content ranks well on Google.
You need to have a good online presence(social media, website, etc.) to rank in ChatGPT’s results; it’s not all about SEO.
Once ChatGPT knows your intent, it gives you the results you expect.
So, how we should write to rank in AI search results, here’s what I think:
Make sure you write SEO-friendly content, I’d say balanced SEO, not just filling with keywords. Balanced SEO means your keyword is placed at meaningful places, and there are multiple mentions like top-performing posts have.
Your brand should have social media accounts in its name; do not use your name to publish the content. You can add information about yourself while posting the content to add a personal touch.
Start a new chat with ChatGPT and ask if ChatGPT knows about your brand. If it doesn’t, then feed ChatGPT with your information, and I believe that when they update their database in the coming year(s), your brand might pop up in search results.
That’s it.
