How is Google AI Mode different from ChatGPT?
Google rolled AI Mode out to Australians from 8 October 2025. It lives inside Google Search and builds answers from Google's own index. ChatGPT answers the same questions in its own app, using its own crawler and a third-party search provider. A site that's fine for one can be missing from the other.
How does Google AI Mode choose sources?
Google says a page can appear as a link in AI Mode if it's indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet. There are no extra technical requirements.
What changes is how Google searches. AI Mode uses what Google calls "query fan-out": it splits one question into several related searches and builds the answer from what they return. Ask "which accountant in Brisbane is good with tradies" and Google runs searches you'll never see in your keyword reports.
Google's advice is the usual: let Googlebot crawl, put important content in text, keep structured data matching the page, and keep your Google Business Profile current.
How does ChatGPT choose sources?
ChatGPT search uses OpenAI's OAI-SearchBot crawler. OpenAI says any public website can appear, but content from a site that blocks OAI-SearchBot won't be used in its answers.
OAI-SearchBot is separate from GPTBot, OpenAI's training crawler. Block GPTBot if you want your content out of training, and keep OAI-SearchBot allowed so ChatGPT can still recommend you.
AI Mode vs ChatGPT: the website checklist
| Google AI Mode | ChatGPT search | |
|---|---|---|
| Crawler to allow | Googlebot | OAI-SearchBot |
| If you block it | You drop out of Google Search, AI Mode included | Your content stays out of ChatGPT answers |
| Where the traffic shows | Search Console, Performance report, "Web" search type | Analytics, tagged utm_source=chatgpt.com |
| Business details it leans on | Google Business Profile | Your site and what others publish about you |
Check robots.txt and any bot protection at your host for both crawlers.
What gets you named in both?
Off-site reputation. Our research measures 3,586 businesses across seven AI engines, ChatGPT and Google's AI among them. The businesses AI names score 78 out of 100 on off-site brand recognition. The ones it ignores score 39. Technical SEO barely separates them: 79 against 78.
So the work that moves you is outside your website: reviews, directory listings, industry associations, local news and podcasts, anywhere your name appears next to what you do and where. Both engines read those pages when they decide who to recommend.
The free scan asks ChatGPT and Gemini two of your buyers' questions and shows who they name.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google AI Mode available in Australia?
Yes. Google started rolling it out to Australians on 8 October 2025.
Do I need special optimisation for Google AI Mode?
Google says no. A page that's indexed and eligible for a snippet in Google Search is eligible for AI Mode.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT?
Allow OAI-SearchBot in robots.txt so ChatGPT can use your content, then build mentions of your business on other sites. In our research, off-site brand recognition is the signal that most separates the businesses AI names from the ones it ignores.
Does blocking GPTBot stop ChatGPT recommending me?
No. GPTBot is OpenAI's training crawler. ChatGPT search uses OAI-SearchBot.
How do I see traffic from ChatGPT and AI Mode?
ChatGPT tags its links with utm_source=chatgpt.com, so they show in your analytics. AI Mode clicks are counted in Search Console's Performance report under the "Web" search type.