Short answer: For ChatGPT search, allow OAI-SearchBot and make sure your articles are readable in raw HTML. For Google AI Overviews, do the usual Search work: indexed pages, eligible for snippets, with no special markup required. For both, write answer-first articles with self-contained passages, clear authorship and dates, and something original that other publishers do not have.
How do the two surfaces differ?
| ChatGPT search | Google AI Overviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Crawler | OAI-SearchBot | Googlebot |
| Index | OpenAI's search index | Google Search index |
| Opt-out | Disallow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt | nosnippet and related controls |
| Training control | GPTBot (separate from search) | Google-Extended (does not affect Search) |
| Where traffic shows | Referrals in your analytics | Google Search Console, Web search type |
The biggest practical difference is access. Google AI Overviews come with Google Search, so if you are in Google's index you are eligible. ChatGPT search needs its own crawler to be allowed. Many publishers block "AI bots" in bulk and remove themselves from ChatGPT search without meaning to.
What does ChatGPT search need from a publisher?
- Allow OAI-SearchBot. OpenAI states that sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot will not be shown in ChatGPT search answers. You can still block GPTBot if you do not want your content used for training; the two are independent.
- Serve content in the raw HTML. Many AI crawlers do not run JavaScript. Article text that loads through client-side scripts may not be seen.
- Keep articles accessible. Hard paywalls stop crawlers as well as readers. If you use a metered or freemium model, make sure the summary and key facts are in the accessible part.
Our AI crawler list shows the difference between answer-engine crawlers and training-only crawlers for every major provider.
What do Google AI Overviews need?
Google has said there are no extra requirements to appear in AI features beyond the fundamentals of Search. In practice that means:
- the page is indexed and eligible to show a snippet,
- the content is helpful, original and written for people,
- the page experience is reasonable,
- structured data, if you use it, matches the visible text.
Snippet controls matter here. nosnippet and max-snippet apply to AI features in Search too, so a publisher that sets tight snippet limits to protect text also limits what AI Overviews can quote. Blocking Google-Extended does not remove you from AI Overviews; Google says it does not affect Search.
What kind of article gets quoted in both?
The engines are different; the winning article looks the same:
- The answer in the first paragraph. What happened, what it means, or what the reader should do, in two or three sentences.
- Question-shaped subheadings for explainers and guides.
- Self-contained passages that name the subject instead of relying on earlier paragraphs.
- Specific, attributable facts: figures with their source, quotes with names, dates.
- Visible authorship: a byline linked to an author page that explains the writer's expertise.
- Clear dates: published and updated, in the text and in
ArticleorNewsArticlestructured data. - Something original: your own reporting, testing, photos or data. Engines have many copies of generic information; they cite the source that adds something.
How do you measure the results?
- Google: clicks from AI features are counted in Search Console under the Web search type, so watch your overall Search performance and the pages that appear for question queries.
- ChatGPT: look for referral traffic from chatgpt.com in your analytics. Links from ChatGPT search often carry a
utm_source=chatgpt.comparameter. - Citations themselves: ask your readers' real questions in both engines on a regular schedule and record whether your articles are cited. We describe a simple routine in tracking brand mentions across SEO, AEO and GEO.
What is the classic SEO counterpart?
Everything above rests on classic SEO: crawlability, indexing, clean HTML, structured data and E-E-A-T signals like bylines and editorial standards. Publishers that are strong in Google are usually well placed for AI Overviews. The extra work is on the ChatGPT side, mainly access, and on writing, mainly answer-first structure.
Frequently asked questions
Can I appear in ChatGPT search but opt out of training?
Yes. Allow OAI-SearchBot and disallow GPTBot. OpenAI treats them separately.
Does blocking Google-Extended remove me from AI Overviews?
No. Google says Google-Extended does not affect inclusion in Google Search. AI Overviews are controlled by Search indexing and snippet controls.
Do I need special markup for AI Overviews?
No. Google says the normal Search fundamentals apply. Structured data helps Google understand the page but is not a requirement for AI features.
How can I check one article quickly?
Use our free page check for structure and answer-readiness, and the robots.txt checker for crawler access.