As of December 2025, ChatGPT can indirectly influence visibility within ChatGPT Search, but not through traditional ‘ranking’ factors like backlinks. ChatGPT Search operates by leveraging OpenAI’s models to understand user intent and generate responses, often drawing from information available via integrated ‘Knowledge Connectors’ and publicly accessible web data.
Currently, ChatGPT Search prioritises information sources connected via OpenAI’s Knowledge Connectors – these are direct data feeds from organisations. Australian businesses can utilise platforms like Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, which now includes Knowledge Connector capabilities, to submit structured data (e.g., product catalogues, FAQs, blog posts) for potential inclusion. The relevance of this data is determined by OpenAI’s algorithms based on semantic similarity to user queries. In 2026, OpenAI announced a tiered pricing structure for Knowledge Connector usage, with Australian businesses subject to standard USD conversion rates and GST. ChatGPT Search also indexes publicly available web pages; however, its indexing is not equivalent to Google Search and doesn’t rely on crawlable sitemaps in the same way. The ‘WebPilot’ feature, available within ChatGPT Plus subscriptions popular with Australian users, allows ChatGPT to access and summarise web content in real-time.
Ultimately, ChatGPT Search’s ‘ranking’ is a process of information retrieval and synthesis based on data accessibility and algorithmic relevance, rather than traditional search engine optimisation.
