ChatGPT is now showing up in Google Analytics as a source of Website traffic. From a review of Website traffic reports for multiple manufacturers, it’s clear that industrial product buyers are asking ChatGPT the same questions they’ve been asking Google for years, such as, “Who are the top metal fabricators in Pennsylvania?” and “What’s the difference between a vacuum conveyor and a pneumatic conveyor?” ChatGPT recently began citing sources used to generate its responses and recommending additional sources it considers credible for further reading. And it’s linking out to those Websites. When people click those links, Google Analytics records ChatGPT as the referral source.
Is ChatGPT recommending your Website content or your competitors’ content? Companies that consistently develop useful, informative content are positioned to convert these searches into clicks, leads, and sales.
No, SEO Is Not Dead
Beware of reading too much into the over-the-top headlines declaring that ChatGPT and AI are sending Google and search engine optimization (SEO) into a death spiral with no hope of recovery. Even the most enthusiastic AI evangelists note that ChatGPT has its shortcomings as they continue to use Google, Bing, and other search engines to find answers to their questions. The rise of ChatGPT, and Google’s own AI, as sources of Website traffic not only does not kill SEO but, rather, it reinforces the need to create authoritative, educational articles, news, application notes, white papers, videos, and other content on a regular basis.
For most manufacturers focusing on B2B marketing and lead generation, professional quality content remains king. Thankfully, ChatGPT seems to value the same type of content that Google ranks at the top of its organic search results. As ChatGPT came out of nowhere on Google Analytics reports, it will be interesting to see how much Website traffic it can generate and whether these clicks are more or less likely to convert to a lead or sale than traffic referred from other traffic sources.
