Everything An SEO Should Know About SearchGPT by OpenAI

Last week, OpenAI announced that they were entering the search engine market with a new product called SearchGPT.  The launch of the new search engine is limited to an initial set of users and that they were going to be  sending out invites in the near future.  We were lucky enough to be select for this initial alpha version of their new search engine.

To share what we’ve learned about SearchGPT and to help gage how much of a competitor it will be to Google we’ve put together this article for you.  Here are a few interesting points:

Key Takeaways: 

• Ad-Free User Experience: SearchGPT offers a completely ad-free search interface, enhancing user experience by eliminating distractions and rewarding valuable content.
• Enhanced Search Interface: The search engine features a user-friendly layout with a larger search box and a three-column SERP design, providing clear navigation and a choice between light and dark themes.
• Detailed Answers with Source Citations: SearchGPT delivers in-depth, well-cited answers similar to extended Featured Snippets, ensuring transparency and credibility by including links to source articles.

Interested in a Baseline SearchGPT Audit for important keywords to your business?  We can help!

What is SearchGPT?

SearchGPT is a cutting-edge search engine developed by OpenAI.  It’s important to note that SearchGPT is not an LLM that can search, like traditional ChatGPT, but a search engine that leverages LLM technology. It includes search results and while you can enter long search queries and can ask follow-up questions or searches, it does not respond like a chatbot.

What Are Some Key Features of SearchGPT

SearchGPT is different from other search engines and it’s relatively new.  It does have some unique features vs what we’ve become use to with search engines like Google & Bing.

Ad-Free Experience

One of the standout features of SearchGPT is its ad-free experience. Unlike Google and Bing, SearchGPT does not display advertisements in its search results. This creates a cleaner, more user-friendly interface that enhances the search experience and rewards sites for the valuable content they provide.  This is instantly clear in the user interface.

SearchGPT User Interface

The user interface of SearchGPT is designed for simplicity and efficiency.  It has a Larger Search Box than Google or Bing and features a prompt that asks, “What are you looking for?”

After a search is conducted, the SERP includes a Three-Column Layout:

• • Column 1: Includes navigation options for performing a new search, viewing the linked results, or relatd images
  • Column 2: Displays link results or images based on the selection in Column 1
  • Column 3: Provides a summary of findings and results

The initial alpha version of SearchGPT includes both a light and a dark themes and allows users to select to match their computer system settings or set one of the options for regular use.

In-Depth Answers and Source Citations

SearchGPT provides detailed answers, similar to long Featured Snippets, for each query.  But it also includes a traditional SERP links list.  The summaries also include citations throughout and an additional set of links to sourced articles. This transparency ensures users can verify the sources of the information provided.

Handling Follow-Up Questions In Search

SearchGPT is capable of managing follow-up questions based on initial search phrases, making it a dynamic tool for users seeking comprehensive information on a topic.  It modifies the search to account for what you were searching before hand.

Local Search Results

By default, SearchGPT uses your IP address to provide local search results for queries like “near me.” Users can also manually set their location for more accurate local results. Additionally, location can be adjusted using Google Chrome sensors under developer tools if you want to test results in different locations.

SearchGPT Chrome Extension

SearchGPT offers a Chrome extension that allows users to set it as their default search engine. However, Google prompts users to change back to its search engine upon performing their first search.

Addressing Hallucinations

SearchGPT generates responses based on search results. If the information in the search results is incorrect, the summary can also be wrong. This is a common issue with all search engines, not just SearchGPT.  However, during our tests it did not generate summaries that had wrong information.  No problems with suggestions on how to “Make Cheese Stick to Pizza”

Conclusion

We’ll continue to update this post as we learn more, but so far the initial alpha release of SearchGPT appears promising.  The fact that there are no ads and lots of link citations make it even better.

If you’d like an audit of searchGPT for keywords important to your business please reach out.

About Dan Hinckley

Dan specializes in innovative digital marketing solutions, brand strategy, and technical web development and support. He works in step with clients to manage SEO, ORM, Conversion Rate Optimization, and website design and development projects, from start to finish. He is Google Analytics Certified and leads the Google AdWords programs. Dan began his career in brand strategy management before transitioning into IT consulting for the US Government. These experiences uniquely position him to develop comprehensive strategies for SEO that span across branding and IT domains. Nearly twenty years of SEO experience have made Dan a seasoned industry veteran in tune with the latest capabilities. As a consultant, his clients have included GEICO, AAG, NY Times, Business Insider, Marriott, US Department of Defense, Airbnb, US State Department, George Mason University, and Penn State University among others.