Author: Kita Yohei Published: June 2, 2026
ChatGPT is a generative AI service developed and operated by OpenAI. It is one of the most important AI platforms for GEO strategy, with monthly active users exceeding 300 million as of late 2024. It operates in two modes: a training-based mode using learned knowledge as its default, and a RAG-based mode that retrieves and references real-time web information when search is enabled.
What You'll Learn on This Page
- Overview of ChatGPT, its developer, and how it works
- The two information retrieval modes ChatGPT uses
- Why ChatGPT matters for GEO strategy
- AI crawlers associated with ChatGPT
- Common misconceptions
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a conversational generative AI service launched by US-based company OpenAI in November 2022. Users enter questions or instructions in natural language, and the AI responds in text. It currently uses GPT-4o as its foundation model and supports multiple input formats including text, images, and audio.
As of 2026, ChatGPT is widely used across both B2B and B2C contexts. It has become a mainstream AI for product comparison, service research, and company information lookup — taking over part of the information gathering and comparison process that search engines traditionally handled.
ChatGPT's Two Information Retrieval Modes
ChatGPT has two modes for accessing information.
① Training-Based Mode (Default)
In this mode, ChatGPT generates responses based on knowledge learned during training from large volumes of web content. It does not access external sites in real time. Since it doesn't have information beyond its training data cutoff, it may struggle with questions that require current information.
② RAG-Based Mode (When Search Is Enabled)
For queries that require recency — such as those containing words like "recently," "this year," or "currently" — ChatGPT performs a web search and retrieves real-time information to generate its response. In environments where web search is enabled, this mode activates automatically based on the nature of the question. Responses in this mode typically display source URLs.
Which mode activates depends on how the question is phrased. See Does AI Search Based on How You Ask? for more.
Why ChatGPT Matters for GEO Strategy
ChatGPT is currently one of the most widely used generative AI services. In B2B contexts, more users are turning to ChatGPT for vendor research, comparison, and selection — meaning whether your brand appears in ChatGPT's responses is increasingly relevant to awareness, consideration, and inquiries.
Addressing ChatGPT is one of the top priorities in GEO strategy. Genview's Standard plan and above supports monitoring across ChatGPT and multiple other AI platforms.
AI Crawlers Associated with ChatGPT
OpenAI operates multiple crawler bots to support ChatGPT's functionality.
- GPTBot: Collects training data for AI models. Can be controlled via robots.txt.
- OAI-SearchBot: Builds the index for ChatGPT Search.
- ChatGPT-User: Retrieves pages in real time in response to user instructions.
For details on each crawler, see What Is AI Bot Crawling?
Genview's Definition
In the context of GEO strategy, ChatGPT is defined as "an AI platform that operates in both training-based and RAG-based modes, adjusting its information retrieval process based on the nature of the query." GEO strategy for ChatGPT requires both training-based optimization (mention frequency, consistency, relevance) and RAG-based optimization (crawlability, structure, citability).
This definition reflects Genview's perspective and is not an official statement from OpenAI.
Related Terms
- RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation): The information retrieval mechanism ChatGPT uses when search is enabled.
- LLM (Large Language Model): The underlying technology behind ChatGPT. GPT-4o is one of OpenAI's LLMs.
- Hallucination: When ChatGPT generates factually incorrect information. Maintaining accurate, consistent brand information is an effective countermeasure.
- AI Bot Crawling: The collective term for OpenAI's crawler bots including GPTBot, OAI-SearchBot, and ChatGPT-User.
- Grounding: The mechanism by which ChatGPT anchors its responses to specific information sources.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception 1: "ChatGPT always has the latest information"
When operating in training-based mode, ChatGPT does not have information beyond its training data cutoff. Even for questions requiring current information, real-time data won't be retrieved unless the search function is enabled in that environment. Continuously building a consistent web presence is important for training-based GEO optimization.
Misconception 2: "If you appear in ChatGPT, you're being recommended"
Appearing in a ChatGPT response and being recommended are different things. A brand mention used to explain information is different from being surfaced as a candidate in response to a specific query. See AI Citations Don't Drive Sales for more.
Misconception 3: "Optimizing for ChatGPT alone is enough"
Depending on the use case and industry, other AI platforms like Gemini and Claude may have significant user bases. Monitoring and optimizing across multiple AI platforms is recommended.
FAQ
Q: How is ChatGPT different from Google Search?
A: Google Search returns a list of links. ChatGPT synthesizes information from multiple sources and returns a single, direct answer. Zero-click behavior — where users don't visit any links — is increasing, making whether your brand appears in the response increasingly important for information visibility.
Q: What's the first step in GEO strategy for ChatGPT?
A: The starting point is understanding how ChatGPT currently describes your brand. Knowing which queries trigger mentions of your brand, and how it's described in those responses, is essential before deciding where to focus your optimization efforts.