ChatGPT vs Google SEO: The Battle is on

Do you ‘Google it’? Or do you ask ChatGPT? That’s the question on everyone’s lips right now, as ChatGPT vs Google battle over supremacy when it comes to SEO. Both platforms are vying for the title of the go-to choice for keeping a website at the top of search results. But, in the end, only one can win.

Whether you’re searching for an answer to a school project, a major business decision, or merely wish to know something, both ChatGPT and Google have the answers. But there’s a major difference in how they interpret your question, and this is something you need to understand. This difference is what discerns whether you’re at the top of search results or not. It also explains the reason behind their answers, which is important whether you’re looking for SEO results, or want a response to a query.

ChatGPT & Google Search: How They Work

Both search engines are important in their own way, and you need to know the difference so that you can decide which to use and when for retrieving data. Until we had access to AI, specifically Generative AI, Google Search was our definitive choice. It answered everything we needed to know, and we never doubted the accuracy of the answers it provided. It was like an encyclopaedia. What it said was gospel.

But now that has changed. Generative AI is here, with all its bells and whistles. This type of Artificial Intelligence answers your questions differently. It doesn’t just analyse what you’re saying and respond. It categorises existing information so it can respond quickly. To do this, AI looks for patterns and structures within the information, and then uses this to create new content to answer your query.

Let’s take a look at the different ways these search engines answer your questions.

Google Search

Our go-to choice since it arrived, Google Search takes a breathtakingly vast amount of data and links you to various websites to find the answers. So it’s basically not giving you the answer; it’s pointing you to numerous information sources where the answer lies. You’re the one who does the interpreting, not Google Search.

What it does is rank those responses in order of validity. And that’s where SEO comes in. If your website answers the question the person has asked, it ranks higher than another website that might answer the question, but not as completely as you do.

So, how does Google Search do this?

1.        It uses keywords. These specific words or phrases indicate to the search engine what your content is about. It is then ranked according to how much of the question it answers.

2.        It also uses backlinks. These are links that take you to other websites that provide essential information, ones that are trusted and reliable. These backlinks are vital for search engine ranking, which is why you should always have a combination of backlinks, both internal (links to your own website) and external ones (links to authoritative websites).

3.        Another important factor involves your website pages’ speed. The amount of time it takes for a page to load is crucial. The faster your site loads, the more likely it is to be well-ranked.

4.        The quality of your content is also important, as is its accuracy. Google Search takes these factors very seriously these days. The more accurate, informative and original your content, the better.

5.        Finally, but equally important, is how responsive your website is. What this means essentially, is that your website must be able to load and be read easily on all mobile devices, whatever their size. If you ‘Google’ something on your phone, it needs to be as legible as it would be on your laptop or tablet.

ChatGPT

When we mention ChatGPT, we’re talking about all the generative AI options available. But, as ChatGPT was the first, and remains one of the most popular systems, we will use it as our example. This is where ChatGPT vs Google gets interesting.

·      Unlike Google Search, ChatGPT uses what is called “deep learning”. Googling “deep learning” tells us that this type of specialised process mimics the way humans think and process information. And in the case of ChatGPT, it uses an incredibly large amount of information, which it processes and then summarises. ChatGPT processes all sorts of information, including books, websites, blogs, articles, you name it, to access this info. It then responds like a human having a conversation, or as similarly as it has been taught to do.

·      The responses aren’t directly sourced, and don’t usually provide links, although they can sometimes do this. More often, it summarises what it has found rather than sending you to a specific website. However, more modern AI systems do have a sidebar with a ‘Sources’ button that references links one can click. The responses given sound human and are usually coherent, simplified, detailed and easy to understand.

·      There is a small problem here. Have you heard about “hallucinating”? That’s when the AI system provides information that has been incorrectly interpreted, and is thus either completely incorrect or false. As AI responses are predictive and AI is predicting what the next word in a sentence should be, this can be totally off the mark and confusing. Older AI models that haven’t been updated are more likely to provide hallucinations.

·      There’s another issue we need to consider, and that’s bias. Sometimes AI may pick up biased information, which provides a different perspective to a particular response. That may not be a hallucination, but it’s certainly not definitely ‘true’. You also need to ensure you interpret the response correctly when it is given, as AI can’t grasp bias, nuance or even context the way a human does.

·      Agentic AI could also use your personal information, which means your security is at risk.

For all these reasons, generative AI provides disclaimers. And now you can understand the reason.

Let’s Talk About Algorithms

As we mentioned above, Google’s algorithms differ from AI, specifically regarding searching. Google Search looks for keywords, quality content and backlinks. This is how Google Search considers a good search. It also considers your search history and personal information.

ChatGPT’s algorithms are completely different. It prefers content that is simplified and structured, such as definitions and guides that explain how to do something. It uses sources with vast knowledge bases, such as Wikipedia, which is renowned for providing factual info. It also prefers more ‘human’ sources, like social media forums, and this content can often be biased.

In fact, if you search for something on both systems, you’ll find that the responses can be quite different. That’s because Google finds data that already exists, while AI answers questions like a human, and finds those responses all over the web. Also, Google relies on how trustworthy the content is, and whether it’s authoritative. ChatGPT doesn’t do that.

This makes it extremely difficult to write content that will rank high in both search engines.

How to Optimise for ChatGPT vs Google

What is SEO About?

Let’s consider SEO for a moment, which is what sets Google apart. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is all about ranking high on search engine results pages, or SERPs. It’s all about getting people to click on your link and visit your site, using those keywords, backlinks and great writing skills. There are two different types of SEO:

·      Technical SEO relates to your website, how fast it is, how easy it is to access and how secure it is.

·      On-page SEO uses different elements to make your content stand out, like headers, meta descriptions and title tags. The number and quality of images or video content also rank in search engine optimisation.

·      Knowing how to make keywords and phrases sound natural in content is another required skill.

There’s Also AEO

AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) manipulates content to answer direct questions. As a result, it will often appear on a SERP without having a link to it, or you’ll find it in a Featured Snippet or in Google’s AI Overview iteration.

To optimise for AEO:

·      Prompt search engines so that it’s easier for them to find the response to your request. Ask for FAQs, steps on how to do something, or a guide.

·      Your content should be simple and clear, with bullet points, or a numbered list.

·      Don’t concentrate on keywords; instead focus on what the subject matter is.

This way, your content will be succinct and authorative. It will answer a query right away. When you do this, you will build trust and be seen as an expert in your field.

Like GEO, below, which it complements, AEO ensures your content comes across as trustworthy.

Let’s Talk About GEO

Specifically designed for generative AI platforms and LLMs, Generative Engine Optimsation, or GEO, which, as we just said, complements AEO, concentrates on optimising content for generative AI LLMs (Large Language Models), which search through huge amounts of information and then generate that into text similar to human text. That’s how these AI models search for information and then respond to queries.

The methods used to access and use this data is different to the way Google Search does it. GEO looks for quality content, but it should be more conversational, not just data-driven. It also needs to be easily understandable and hopefully accurate. These two models look for very different factors: while Google favours SEO, generative AI looks at the bigger picture.

ChatGPT vs SEO: What is the Answer?

It’s difficult to decide whether we need one of these models, or both, for our website to succeed. It’s a good idea to use both, and then make up your own mind on the answer to a question. So, use SEO, and don’t overlook GEO, when you search for information. Give yourself a more rounded overview, and then decide. Statistics show that 93.05% of all organic search traffic in 2025 still came from Google Search.

However, AI-powered searches are becoming more prevalent, and it’s no use ignoring them. They will change how you look at finding information, and perhaps help you rank higher in search engines. This may take a while to get used to, but that’s OK. We cannot ignore AI anymore. And if we do, we do this at our peril.

ChatGPT alone generates 2.5 billion daily prompts, according to news website TechCrunch. That’s nothing to sniff at.

Before Using ChatGPT vs Google Search

We already have a lot of answers for you, here at maake. Whatever you want to know about Sustainability and Fabrics, we have it all.

Follow these links to find out more – no SEO or AI required!

Fast Fashion Clothing: The Global Fashion Glut

Sustainable Fabric Dyeing & Fabric Innovations

Polyester Recycling

Designer Brands Embrace Sustainable Luxury

Create Sustainable Fabrics from Textile Waste

Upcycling & Recycling